Crockpot Quinoa Enchiladas

I found this recipe on Pinterest and it was really good! It makes quite a lot, which is great because we love leftovers. That means less cooking for me and that's always a good thing. :)

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound ground turkey
1 and 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa
1 can (15 ounces) black beans
1 cup frozen corn
1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes and green chilies
1/2 cup salsa
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup onion
1/2 cup chopped sweet bell pepper
1 cup water
1 can (19 ounces) enchilada sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
2 cups cheddar or Mexican cheese
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Optional: 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, sour cream, green onions, 1 small jalopeno

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Cook the ground turkey; drain any grease and place in the slow cooker.
• Add in the uncooked quinoa (make sure to rinse first), the black beans (drained and rinsed), the frozen corn, the diced tomatoes and green chilies (do not drain), the salsa, and minced garlic.
• Chop up the onion and bell pepper into small pieces and add to the slow cooker. If desired, chop up a jalapeno and add it too.
• Add in the water, enchilada sauce, chili powder, and cumin.
• Combine and cook on high for 3 to 3 and 1/2 hours or until the liquid is all absorbed into the mixture.
• Once it is done cooking, remove the lid and stir everything again. Stir in the cheese and fresh cilantro (stems removed and chopped).
• If desired add in the fresh lime juice.
• Top with sour cream and some chopped green onions if desired.
• Serve with tortilla chips, or use as filling for soft tortillas or inside taco shells.

Rather Rich Corn Muffins

Rather Rich Corn Muffins 

from The Pastry Queen

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
3 cups heavy whipping cream (or half and half)
3 large eggs
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups coarse cornmeal plus extra to sprinkle over
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup canned corn, drained (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350F. Generously grease 24 standard muffin cups of line them with disposable muffin wrappers.

Pour the butter, cream, and eggs into the large bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt on top. Mix at medium speed just until the ingredients are combined and not lumpy. Stir the corn into the batter

Using a medium-size ice cream scoop, fill the muffin cups about 2/3 full with the batter. Sprinkle cornmeal over the tops of the muffins. Bake the muffins for 12 to 15 minute, until lightly brown; they should spring back when you touch the tops lightly with your fingertips. They are best served warm, and are equally delicious roasted and if you dare, buttered.

*Instead of doing muffins you can also bake in a greased 9x13 baking pan for aprx. 15-20 minutes. 

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Ok - one more Mexican dish from OurBestBites.com and I need to go! These were super-duper good. Doug ate about 10 of them in one sitting. No joke.


INGREDIENTS:

1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese
1/4 C green salsa (* I used green enchilada sauce)
1 T fresh lime juice
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t granulated garlic (* I used powdered garlic - I think that is what they meant?)
3 T chopped cilantro
2 T sliced green onions

2 C shredded cooked chicken
1 C grated pepperjack cheese (*I used Monterey Jack)

small corn tortillas
kosher salt
cooking spray


DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray. (* Or use a Silpat!)

Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.

You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.

Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or come unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.

(* This was time consuming. I could only do 2 at a time without them cracking. A second pair of hands would have kept the assembly line moving).

Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges.

Then roll it up as tight as you can.

Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.

Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.

Quick and Easy Black Beans

I wanted a nice side-dish to go with these Mexican meals I've been making lately. These were quite good! I am becoming a huge fan of Our Best Bites. This is another one of their fabulous recipes.


INGREDIENTS:

2 Cans Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 T olive oil
2/3 C diced onion
2-3 garlic cloves, pressed or finely minced
2/3 C chicken broth (or water, I use broth for extra flavor)
1/4 t cumin
1/4 t coriander
1/4 t oregano
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 lime


DIRECTIONS:

In a saucepan on the stove, heat the olive oil to med-high heat. Saute onions for about 3 minutes or until they just start to become translucent. Add garlic and saute abut 30 seconds more. Add beans, broth, and remaining seasonings and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer and simmer for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. When they are done cooking, remove from heat and add in a few squeezes of fresh lime juice. Then use the back of a spoon or rubber spatula so smoosh (yes, that’s a technical culinary term) some of the beans. (* I found that a beater from my hand mixer was quite effective). You don’t want to pulverize them, but you want to take a bunch of good smooshes so that some of the beans are smashed, which will thicken the sauce. I like mine on the thicker side so I smoosh quite a bit. They will thicken more upon standing.

If you want a more soupy consistency, just add a little more broth.


Yield: Six 1/3 cup servings

Carnita-Style Beef Tacos

I found this recipe on the Pioneer Woman, courtesy of Pam Anderson. It looked SO delicious, I knew I had to try it. I am so thankful that God "fixed" me and I miraculously now love peppers! I altered the recipe a bit to make it in my slow-cooker.  I was excited to use a lot of my garden produce in this recipe!


INGREDIENTS:

1 boneless chuck roast, 2 1/2 to 3 pounds (* I used two chuck steaks 1 1/5 lbs each)
3 tablespoons pure olive oil, divided
1 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and ground black pepper
1 can (4.5 ounces each) chopped green chiles (* I used 3 fresh jalapenos from my garden)
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
4 large garlic cloves, minced
2 cups chicken broth
2 medium-large onions, ends left in tact, peeled and each onion cut into 8 wedges
2  medium multi-colored peppers, each cut into 8 wedges
(* Next time I will double the onions and peppers because they were SO yummy!)
1 dozen medium flour tortillas
1 container (8 ounces) light or regular sour cream
1 bunch cilantro
1 lime, cut into wedges


DIRECTIONS:

Heat a 5 to 6-quart heavy oven-safe Dutch oven or large cast iron skillet over low heat.

Meanwhile, place roast in a large bowl; coat with 1 tablespoon of oil and season with 1 tablespoon of the cumin and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. Mix chiles, chili powder, remaining 1 teaspoon of cumin, and oregano in a small bowl.

A few minutes before searing, increase heat to a strong medium-high until wisps of smoke start to rise from the pan. Add roast; sear, turning only once, until both sides form an impressive brown crust, about 8 minutes total. Transfer roast to a plate; set aside. Add garlic to the now empty pot; sauté until fragrant and golden, about 30 seconds. Add chili mixture; sauté to intensify flavor, another 30 seconds. Add chicken broth, bring to a simmer.

Transfer roasts to crockpot and pour broth over it.  Cover and turn on high for 4 hours.

*** THIS IS THE OVEN METHOD: ***
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Return roasts to pot. Using 2 potholders to protect hands, place a sheet of heavy-duty foil over the pot, pressing on the foil so that it touches the stew. Seal foil around the edges; repeat with a second sheet of foil to completely seal. Turn burner on medium-high until you hear juices bubble. Set pot on middle oven rack; cook for a total of 1 1/2 hours.
***

Remove roast from oven/crockpot, cool to room temperature, and shred into bite size pieces. About 30 minutes before roast is done, toss onions and peppers with remaining 2 tablespoon of oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper on a baking sheet large enough for vegetables to fit in a single layer. Place pan on bottom oven rack; cook until tender-crisp, about 30 minutes. (* If you double the peppers and onions you will need two pans. I used my Silpat for this - worked like a charm.)

When ready to serve, gently warm meat and peppers and onions over low heat. Serve with warm tortillas*, bowls of sour cream, cilantro sprigs, and lime wedges.

*We have taken to heating our tortillas over the gas flames on our range and flipping with tongs. It really gives it more of a homemade taste.

SERVES: 6

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

This is my favorite recipe for chicken enchiladas.  I found it on allrecipes, one of many variations they have listed. It's a no-fail, comfort food that we've enjoyed for years.



Ingredients
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon margarine
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers, drained
8 (8 inch) flour tortillas
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese


Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a small bowl mix the soup and sour cream; set aside.
• Melt margarine in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Add onion and chili powder, and saute until tender. Stir in the chicken, chile peppers, and 2 tablespoons of the soup mixture. Cook and stir until heated through.
• Spread 1/2 cup of the soup mixture in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll up tortillas, and place, seam-side-down, in the baking dish. Spoon remaining soup mixture on top, and sprinkle with cheese.
• Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until bubbly and lightly browned.

Serves: 8

Chipotle Chicken Tacos

We've taken to watching Cook's Country on PBS. I love Netflix, but it is not real big on the cooking shows! This recipe looked SO yummy that we had to try it. I will be hard-pressed to make tacos any other way now. They are THAT good.  Here is what we did:

INGREDIENTS:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 garlic cloves , minced
2 teaspoons minced chipotle chilies in adobo sauce *
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
Salt and pepper
12 (6-inch) flour tortillas

DIRECTIONS:

1. Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and chipotle and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in orange juice, Worcestershire, and ½ cup cilantro and bring to boil. (At this point, the original recipe calls for poaching the chicken  for about 15 minutes, but I have NEVER had any luck with this method. ) Instead, I put the chicken into my crock pot, poured the skillet contents on top and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

2. Pour sauce from crock pot into skillet and heat to medium-high. Cook until liquid is reduced to ¼ cup, about 5 minutes. Off heat, whisk in mustard. Using 2 forks, shred chicken into bite-sized pieces and return to skillet. Add remaining cilantro to skillet and toss until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with tortillas.


Serves: 6

* Note: This recipe only calls for a small portion of the can of chipotle peppers. I portioned the rest onto wax paper covered cookie sheet, flash froze and then put them into a plastic bags for future use. This recipe is so good I know that they won't be in there too long!

Mexican Lasagna

I found a new recipe blog that I think is going to be a "go-to" source of new recipes for me.  It's called, "Let's Dish." The first recipe I tried was a Mexican Lasagna. I've made a couple Mexican casseroles before, which I like, but this one I LOVED.  It tastes just like a Qdoba burrito!  This makes a TON, however, and it did not fit in my standard 9x13 pan. I had to take some leftover rice mixture and freeze it. I think it will taste yummy in a tortilla shell.  I also froze about half of the cooked and cooled casserole and will comment later on how that tastes warmed up.  SO, you need to have an oversized or deep-dish pan to make this all fit, or just be prepared to only use part of the layering fillings.

Serves:  10

Ingredients
4 cups cooked rice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (10 oz.) can Rotelle tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 (15.5 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 pound ground beef
1 (1.25 oz.) packet taco seasoning mix
2 packages (10-inch) flour tortillas, torn into pieces
4 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1 (16 oz.) jar salsa verde
1 (10 oz.) can red enchilada sauce
Sour cream and salsa for garnish

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a deep, 9x13-inch lasagna pan with non-stick cooking spray.  Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onions, and garlic, and cook until onions are tender, about 5 minutes.  Stir in chili powder, paprika, cumin, diced tomatoes, Rotelle, and beans.  Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.  Stir tomato/bean mixture into cooked rice, along with chopped cilantro.  Set rice mixture aside.  In the same skillet, cook ground beef until no longer pink.  Add taco seasoning according to package directions.  

Spread about 1 cup of the salsa verde in the bottom of the prepared pan.  Layer with one third of the tortilla pieces.  Cover tortillas with half of the rice mixture, followed by 2 cups of cheese.  Top with another third of the tortillas; cover with the remaining salsa verde.  Next, layer all of the hamburger mixture, followed by the corn, then the remaining rice mixture. Top with the remaining tortillas.  Cover with the enchilada sauce and top with the remaining cheese.  Bake for 30-35 minutes until cheese melts and begins to brown.

Tostada Goop

I found this recipe on Once A Month Mom's September menu and decided to give it a go. It was good. Not spicy enough to be great, for our family, but good nonetheless.  I received a request to share it, so here it is!


*Update: my friend Dana made this with the addition of one pkg taco seasoning and said it was an improvement. :)


Ingredients:
- 1 can cream of chicken soup

- 1 can chili peppers
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 can chopped tomatoes (or 1 cup chopped fresh)
- corn (either from a corn, frozen or fresh from the cob)
- 6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

- 1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)

- cheddar cheese (shredded)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients, except beans. Cook in a crock pot on low for 6-8 hours. Add beans about 30 minutes prior to completion.   Shred chicken with a fork when done, and top with cheddar cheese.

Serves: 6

Turkey Empanaditas

I've never had empanadas before, but they look yummy. This recipe seemed healthy and it was freezable! Doug and I liked it. It's basically taco filling inside a pie crust, that you dip into salsa verde.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 3 empanaditas)

Ingredients

• FILLING:
• Cooking spray
• 12  ounces  ground turkey breast
• 2  teaspoons  chili powder
• 1  teaspoon  ground cumin
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2  cup  water
• 1  (6-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato paste
• 1  cup  reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese
• 
  DOUGH:
• 3  cups  all-purpose flour (about 13 1/2 ounces)
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  baking powder
• 1  teaspoon  sugar
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  cup  chilled butter, cut into small pieces
• 3/4  cup  ice water

Preparation

To prepare filling, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add turkey; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Stir in chili powder, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper; cook 1 minute, stirring often. Stir in 1/2 cup water and tomato paste. Cook 2 minutes or until turkey mixture thickens. Remove from heat; stir in cheese. Place in a bowl, and cool to room temperature; cover and chill 30 minutes.

To prepare dough, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Place flour, baking powder, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a food processor; pulse 2 times or until combined. Add chilled butter; pulse 4 times or until mixture resembles coarse meal. With processor on, add 3/4 cup ice water through the food chute, processing just until combined (do not form a ball). Turn the dough out onto a floured surface; knead lightly 4 times with floured hands.

Divide the dough into 24 portions. Working with 1 portion at a time (cover remaining portions to keep dough from drying), roll into a 3 1/2-inch circle on a floured surface. Spoon 1 rounded tablespoon turkey mixture onto half of circle. Fold dough over filling; press edges together to seal. Place on a large baking sheet. Repeat procedure with remaining dough and filling. Cover with plastic wrap; freeze until firm. Place in zip-top plastic bags; freeze for up to 3 months.

Preheat oven to 400º.

Place frozen empanaditas on 2 baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown and tops begin to brown. Serve warm.

Garlic Beef Enchiladas

This is a Taste of Home recipe that I decided to make for my April OAMC. I froze this as a "kit" and it was very easily prepared and baked later.

INGREDIENTS
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon rubbed sage
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) stewed tomatoes

SAUCE:
4 to 6 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) beef broth
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
1 to 2 tablespoons chili powder
1 to 2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 to 2 teaspoons rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 flour tortillas (6 inches), warmed
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese

DIRECTIONS:
In a large saucepan, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the flour and seasonings until blended. Stir in tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in another saucepan, saute garlic in butter until tender. Stir in flour until blended. Gradually stir in broth; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in tomato sauce and seasonings; heat through.

TO FREEZE: Cool down sauce and meat mixture in separate gallon sized freezer bags. Measure shredded cheese into quart freezer bag. Put all three components into one gallon size bag and freeze. Thaw in refrigerator and continue with recipe below.

Pour about 1-1/2 cups sauce into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Spread about 1/4 cup beef mixture down the center of each tortilla; top with 1-2 tablespoons cheese. Roll up tightly; place seam side down over sauce. Top with the remaining sauce.

Cover and bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, 10-15 minutes longer or until the cheese is melted.

Yield: 5 servings.

Handmade Tortillas

So I finally tried my hand at tortilla making. It was actually rather fun! They turned out well, much to my surprise. The recipe is easy, but it was a little messy and time-consuming to roll out each one and cook them up. I used a LOT of flour to keep them from sticking, and found the trick was to keep them very thin.

INGREDIENTS:
* 2 cups flour
* 1 tsp. salt
* 1/2 stick butter, softened
* 3/4 cups water

DIRECTIONS:
Mix all ingredients. Form into golf ball size balls. Roll out flat into a circle. Cook on each side in a dry non-stick pan until starting to brown.

I think this made about 13 tortillas?

Mexican Style Shredded Pork

I found an AMAZING deal on pork, and bought a 10 lb roast that had to be dealt with. This recipe was a good one. The chipotle flavor was excellent. I've had success with freezing rice before, but this rice came out mushy. Next time I'll just freeze the pork and cook the rice up the day of.


NOTE: I don't care for the lime juice in the rice. Also, if you have a hard time finding the chipotle sauce - look in the BBQ sauce section. :)

INGREDIENTS:
1 (3 pound) boneless pork loin roast, cut into 2 inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 (4 ounce) cans diced green chile peppers
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup chipotle sauce
3 1/4 cups water, divided
1 1/2 cups uncooked long grain white rice
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

DIRECTIONS:
Place the roast in a slow cooker, and season with salt. Place chile peppers and garlic on top of roast. Pour in the chipotle sauce and 1/2 cup water.
Cover, and cook 7 hours on Low.

In a pot, bring remaining 2 3/4 cups water and rice to a boil. Mix in the lime juice and cilantro. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes.

Remove roast from the slow cooker, and use two forks to shred. Return pork to the slow cooker, and allow to sit 15 minutes to absorb some of the liquid. Serve over the cooked rice.

Serves: 6

Burrito Pie

Source: allrecipes.com
"Ground beef, refried beans and tomatoes are combined with chilies and taco sauce, then layered in a casserole with tortillas and cheese, and baked."

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound ground beef
8 ounces shredded Colby cheese
1/2 onion, chopped
6 (8 inch) flour tortillas
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
1/2 (2 ounce) can black olives, sliced
1/2 (4 ounce) can diced green chili peppers
1/2 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chili peppers
1/2 (16 ounce) jar taco sauce

DIRECTIONS:
Cooking Day Instructions: In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté the ground beef for 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté for 5 more minutes. Drain any excess fat, if desired.

Mix in the olives, green chili peppers, tomatoes with green chili peppers, taco sauce and refried beans.

Stir mixture thoroughly, reduce heat to low, and let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

Spread a thin layer of the meat mixture in the bottom of a 8x8 pan.

Cover with a layer of tortillas followed by more meat mixture, then a layer of cheese.

Repeat tortilla, meat, cheese pattern until all the tortillas are used, topping off with a layer of meat mixture and cheese. Cover pan and Freeze.

Serving Day: Thaw. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake, covered, for 60 minutes, or until cheese is slightly brown and bubbly.

Make-Ahead Chimichangas

We stored the wrapped chimichangas in a couple gallon plastic bags with the instructions written on them as a reminder. We've only had them from frozen in the oven, but they are very good. Doug bakes for 55 min wrapped and only 5 min unwrapped so they're not quite so crunchy.

INGREDIENTS:
3 cups cooked chicken
16 ounces salsa
16 ounces refried beans
4 ounces green chili peppers, diced in can
1 envelope burrito seasoning mix or taco seasoning mix
16 flour tortillas (7- or 8-inch)
16 ounces cheddar cheese, cut into sixteen 5 x 1/2 inch sticks

DIRECTIONS:
1. Using two forks, shred cooked meat or chicken (should have about 3 cups).

2. In a large pot combine meat or chicken, salsa, beans, undrained chili peppers, and seasoning mix.

3. For each chimichanga, place 1/3 cup meat mixture atop a tortilla, near one edge.

4. Top with a cheese stick.

5. Fold in sides; roll up, starting with cheese side.

6. To prepare, wrap frozen chimichangas individually in foil.

7. Bake in a 350 degree F. oven about 50 minutes or until heated through. Or, thaw chimichangas in refrigerator overnight. Bake about 30 minutes. Unwrap. Bake 10 minutes more or until tortilla is crisp and brown.

Serves: 8

Six Can Chicken Tortilla Soup

I LOVE this quick, easy, delicious soup! I try to always buy the ingredients when they are on sale so I can whip this together whenever I like. It also freezes well. INGREDIENTS: 1 can whole kernel corn, drained 1 can chicken broth 1 can chunk chicken 1 can black beans 1 can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers, drained 1 can cream of chicken soup shredded cheddar cheese tortilla chips DIRECTIONS: Drain and rinse black beans. Pour everything into a large saucepan or stock pot. Simmer over medium heat until chicken is heated through. For OAMC: Pour everything into a gallon ziplock bag and freeze. Thaw and heat in microwave or over stove. Serve topped with shredded cheddar cheese and crumbed tortilla chips. Serves: 6

All Purpose Taco Blend

This recipe is from my friend, Lisa. She made us quesadillas using it, and I made grilled stuffed burritos with it last night. Also good for taco salad, taco casserole and whatever else you have in mind!

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 can black beans, canned
1 small can chopped green chiles, undrained
1 package onion soup mix
1 can diced tomatoes, Mex Style, undrained
1 package taco seasoning mix
1/2 cup water
1 package Spanish rice mix, cooked

Directions:
1. Brown beef and add all ingredients
2. Simmer mixture 5-7 min and add water as needed

Taco Chili

Here's a recipe I made up by combining some Taco Soup recipes I found.

Ingredients:
2 lbs. ground beef
1 onion, diced
2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
2 (15.25 oz) cans whole kernel corn, undrained
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes with chilies, undrained
2 pkgs taco seasoning
1 can water
1 pkg Mexican shredded cheese
1 bag Fritos

Directions:
* Brown ground beef and onion
* Combine all ingredients except cheese and chips in large slow cooker
* Cook on low for 4-6 hours
* Serve with cheese and fritos

Servings: 12

Beef Enchiladas

Serving Size : 12
Categories : Main Dish

INGREDIENTS:
4 pounds chuck roast -- boneless
2 tablespoons oil
4 small onions -- sliced
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 cans green chilis -- peeled and diced (4.5 oz cans)
1 can canned tomatoes -- diced and peeled (14.5 oz can)
8 large tortillas -- 10-12 inch size
1 pound Cheddar cheese -- shredded
4 cups enchilada sauce -- Green or red

DIRECTIONS:
Brown roast on all sides in oil in saucepan. Place roast in slow cooker

Add remaining ingredients except tortillas, cheese and sauce

Cover. Cook on High 4-5 hours

Shred meat with fork and return to slow cooker

Warm tortillas in oven. Heat enchilada sacue. Fill each tortilla with 3/4
cup beef mixture and 1/2 cup cheese. Roll up and serve with sauce.

Source:
"Fix It and Forget It Cookbook"