Quick and Easy Mexican Stroganoff

Quick and Easy Mexican Stroganoff

1 lb ground chuck

1/2 lb Jimmy Dean sausage

1 tsp minced dehydrated onions

Garlic Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Splash of Worcestershire sauce

1 pkt taco seasoning mix

1.5 cups water

1 can mushroom soup

1/2 carton cream cheese with chives

1/2 jar medium salsa

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp oregano

Hot cooked Egg Noodles

Brown and crumble the ground chuck and sausage in a large skillet with the dehydrated onion flakes.  Season with garlic salt and pepper and Worcestershire sauce.  Add the taco seasoning mix, water, and mushroom soup and stir to blend well.  Simmer a few minutes then stir in the cream cheese with chives, salsa, cumin and oregano.  Cook over low heat for about 15 minutes and then stir in the cooked noodles.  

This was very tasty!  I saw a similar recipe somewhere but couldn't find it so I just threw this together one night and really liked it.  

Mexican Meatball Soup

Mexican Meatball Soup

1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup salsa
1-2 Tbsp water
1.5 lbs meatloaf mix (ground chuck + ground pork)
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp ground cumin
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 large green bell pepper, chopped chunky
1/2 small red onion, chopped chunky
1 packet taco seasoning mix
6 oz can tomato paste
1 carton beef broth
2 cups water (or more if needed)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can vacuum packed whole kernel corn
1/2 cup long grain rice

Combine crushed tortilla chips, Worcestrshire sauce, salsa, and 1-2 Tbsp water in a large bowl.  Allow to soak for about 5 minutes. 

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium to medium-high heat.

Add the meat, salt, peppr, chili powder and cumin to the tortilla chip mixture and mix well.  Form into meatballs (about 18-20) and brown in the oil on all sides.  You'll have to do this in 2 batches because you don't want to crowd the meatballs.  Remove them to a plate and set aside.  It's OK if the meatballs aren't totally cooked through yet. 

Add the bell pepper and onions to the remaining oil (should only be a tablespoon or so if you used good lean meat - if not then drain of the excess oil!) and cook until the onions are translucent, scraping up the browned bits in the bottom of the pan.  Add about 1 cup water, the taco seasoning mix and the tomato paste and stir until well combined.  Stir in the beef broth and then add the meatballs gently back to the pot.  Gently stir in just enough water to cover the meatballs.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.

Add black beans, stir and simmer another 10 minutes. Add the corn and rice and simmer about 20 minutes or until the rice is done, stirring occasionally. 

Serve in bowls with diced avocado, crumbled queso fresco and a bit of chopped cilantro to garnish.  This soup is awesome!  We all loved it and I will be making this again!

This soup was inspired by a picture I saw on Pinterest of a similar soup which I would love to try one day.  I had to make this heartier version or my husband would have accused me of starving him to death because the original recipe only had meatballs in broth.  Personally, I would love this with just the meatballs and broth. 

Refried Beans

1/2 lb sausage
1/4 cup water
1 tsp hot Mexican chile powder
1/2 tsp ground roasted cumin
1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 lime, juiced
1 heaping tbsp diced pickled jalapenos
1 can Pinto beans, drained
1 can Ranch Style beans in sauce
Shredded Mexican cheese blend, to taste

In an iron skillet, cook the sausage in the water until finely crumbled and cooked through.  The water should be completely evaporated.  Add the chile powder, cumin, cilantro, lime juice and jalapenos.  Stir until well combined.  Stir in the beans and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and cook over low, stirring often and mashing until the beans are of the consistency that you prefer. I like mine a little chunky!  Sprinkle with cheese and allow to melt a little before serving. 

Yummy!

Chef John's Flour Tortillas

Chef John's Flour Tortillas

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 cup vegetable shortening or lard

1/2 cup hot water

1/4 cup all-purpose flour for dusting

Whisk flour, salt, and baking powder together in a large bowl. Add vegetable shortening and work into flour mixture using a pastry cutter until it resembles coarse crumbs.               

Form a well in the middle of flour mixture and mix in hot water. Work flour and water mixture together with a fork and transfer to a cutting board.              

Knead until a smooth, soft dough is formed, about 3 minutes. Add more flour if dough is too sticky.               

Place more flour on cutting board, cover dough with bowl, and let rest for 15 minutes.             

Cut ball of dough into eight equal parts and cover until needed.

Roll out balls of dough either by hand or with a tortilla press.  I used a tortilla press.              

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place flattened tortilla in skillet and cook until it begins to bubble, about 1 minute. Flip tortilla over and cook for an additional minute. Flip again and cook for 1 more minute. Repeat with remaining dough.  

These were really good...almost as good as the ones I had in San Antonio last year!  I highly recommend the video demonstration on allrecipes.com that accompanies this recipe.              

Chicken Enchilada Suiza Casserole

Chicken Enchilada Suiza Casserole

2 lbs chicken breast tenderloins
Water
Salt
Olive Oil
18 corn tortillas
4 tbsp butter
1 small onion, diced
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
16-oz jar salsa verde (I like Target's Archer Farms brand)
1 tbsp chili powder
1 scant tbsp roasted cumin
1 heaping tbsp diced pickled jalapenos
3 cups shredded Cheddar
1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican blend Cheese

Cook the chicken in a large pot with water to cover and salt, until done. Remove chicken and set aside until cool enough to handle, then shred or chop into bite-sized pieces. This can be done ahead of time.

Melt the butter over medium heat in a large saucepan and cook the onion until translucent. Stir in the flour until bubbly. Whisk in the chicken broth and cook until it begins to thicken. Add the cream, salsa verde, chili powder, cumin and jalapenos. Stir in the chopped chicken and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Heat a tiny amount of olive oil in a skillet until hot. Fry each tortilla until each side until they begin to blister a little bit, turning once, and set aside.

Preheat oven ot 350^F. Spoon about 1 cup of chicken mixture over the bottom of a 9x13" pan and reserve another cup for the top. Lay 6 tortillas over the sauce and top with half of the remaining chicken mixture. Sprinkle with half the shredded cheddar. Repeat layers, ending with the last 6 tortillas. Top with the reserved sauce and sprinkle the shredded Mexican cheese over all. Cover pan tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 15 minutes more or until the casserole is bubbly and light golden brown on top.

Serve immediately, garnished with dollops of sour cream, pico de gallo and/or chopped cilantro.

This was inspired by Emeril's "Mexican Enchilada Suiza Lasagna" (which I would have made if I'd had all the ingredients!)

I loved this! And John went back for seconds which is practically unheard of when it comes to Mexican flavored foods!

BBQ Chicken Quesadillas

BBQ Chicken Quesadillas

2 cups shredded cooked chicken
2 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp sour cream
1/4 cup bbq sauce
1 tbsp minced pickled jalapenos
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin
Shredded Mexican Blend cheese
4 large flour tortillas
Butter

Combine the chicken, mayo, sour cream, bbq suace, jalapenos, chili powder and cumin until well mixed. Spread 1/4 of the chicken mixture on half of 1 tortilla. Sprinkle with cheese and fold the tortilla in half, Heat a griddle until hot and spread a little butter on it until it sizzles. Grill folded tortillas until browned on one side, then carefully flip and brown the other side. Cut into wedges to serve.

This was OK...the problem was that when I looked at it my taste buds said "Yum! Spicy! Mexican!" but when I bit into it I tasted BBQ and it just did not work for me. I love Chicken Quesadillas but I've decided that they HAVE to taste Mexican and nothing else will do!

Adapted from e-mealz menu.

Angela's Awesome Enchiladas

2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast meat - cut into chunks
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 1/4 cups sour cream
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon butter
1 small red onion, chopped
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained
1 (1.25 ounce) package mild taco seasoning mix
1 bunch green onions, chopped, divided
1 cup water
1 teaspoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
5 (12 inch) flour tortillas
3 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded, divided
1 (10 ounce) can hot enchilada sauce
1 (6 ounce) can sliced black olives

Place the chicken in a large pot and add water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the chicken pieces are no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Shred chicken by placing two forks back to back and pulling meat apart. Set the shredded chicken aside.

Meanwhile, combine the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and chili powder in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, then turn off the heat and cover to keep warm.

Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the shredded chicken, chopped green chilies, taco seasoning, half of the bunch of chopped green onion, and water. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the lime juice, onion powder, and garlic powder; simmer for an additional 10 minutes.

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Stir 1 cup of the soup mixture into the skillet with the chicken mixture. Spread the remaining soup mixture on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Fill each tortilla with chicken mixture. Sprinkle Cheddar cheese over the chicken filling before folding the tortillas, reserving half of the shredded cheese for topping the enchiladas. Fold tortillas over the filling and place seam-side down in the prepared pan.

Pour enchilada sauce evenly over the enchiladas. Cover with the remaining 1 1/2 cups of Cheddar cheese. Sprinkle the reserved chopped green onions and the sliced olives on top of the cheese. Bake in the preheated oven until filling is heated through and the cheese is melted and bubbling, about 25 minutes.

These were probably the best TASTING chicken enchiladas I've ever had....unfortunately they were also the gooiest, grossest mess I've ever had. The part in the middle of the pan with all the sauce in the bottom and on top just made these inedible for someone with texture problems like me! Big disappointment considering the great reviews this recipe got on allrecipes.com

Chili Chicken Soup

Chili Chicken Soup

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
Water to cover
1 tbsp dried minced cilantro
1 onion, chopped
1/c cup chopped bell pepper
1 can diced Mexican flavored tomatoes
1 small can V8
2 cans chili beans in medium sauce
1 1/2 cups frozen whole kernel corn
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp hot Mexican chili powder

Season the chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder and cover with water in a large stock pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked. Remove the chicken and set aside to cool. Strain the broth, discarding the weird floaty things, and return the broth to the pot.

Add the chopped onion, bell pepper, cilantro, tomatoes and V8 and return to a boil. Simmer until the onions and peppers are soft. Meanwhile, chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces and add it to the soup. Stir in the chili beans, corn, cumin and chili powder and cook for about 30 minutes. Serve with a garnish of partially crushed tortilla chips, a sprinkle of shredded cheddar and a dollop of sour cream.

This was so good! I love soup.

Chicken and Black Bean Burritos with Salsa Jack

Chicken and Black Bean Burritos with Salsa Jack

3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8 oz chunky salsa
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp diced pickled jalapeno
2 tsp lime juice
2 tsp cilantro
1 (15-oz) can black beans, drained
1/2 tsp ground cumin
8 oz shredded Salsa Jack cheese
4 large flour tortillas

Throw the frozen chicken breasts, salsa, water, jalapeno, lime juice and cilantro into the crock pot and let it cook on low until you return home from work! Remove the chicken breasts and shred. Set aside. Combine the black beans, 1/2 cup liquid from the crockpot and the cumin and cook over medium heat until warmed through. Add the chicken and half the cheese and stir until well combined. Spoon 1/4 of the chicken mixture onto the middle of 1 flour tortilla. Fold in sides and then roll up and place in a sprayed 9x9" glass baking dish, seam side down. Repeat with remaining 3 tortillas. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the burritos and bake at 350^ for 20 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Serve with shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes and sour cream if desired. These are delicious!

Tex-Mex Casserole

Tex-Mex Casserole

1 lb ground chuck
1/2 lb sausage
1 onion, chopped
Garlic Salt & Pepper
1-oz pkg Old El Paso Taco Seasoning
19-oz can Enchilada Sauce
1 can Rotel Mexican diced tomatoes
1 can Chili Beans, medium sauce
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp cocoa
16-20 corn tortillas, cut into quarters
8 oz cream cheese, softened
16 oz small curd cottage cheese
4 oz shredded pepper jack cheese
1 1/2 cups crushed tortilla chips (I used Dorito's Spicy Sweet Chili chips tonight)
8 oz shredded Mexican blend cheese

In a large skillet, brown and crumble the ground chuck, sausage and onions. Season with garlic salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the taco seasoning, enchilada sauce, tomatoes, beans, sugar and cocoa and simmer about 30 minutes, stirring often. Meanwhile beat the cream cheese and cottage cheese until well combined and set aside until sauce is done.

Spoon about 1 cup of the sauce into a 9x13" baking dish. Place 1/4 of the tortillas on top of the sauce in an even layer. Spoon half the meat sauce over the tortillas, then 1/4 of the tortillas on top of that. Carefully spoon the cottage cheese mixture over and sprinkle with 3/4 of the pepper jack cheese. Add another layer of tortillas and then the crushed chips, the remaining tortillas, half the mexican style cheese and the remaining meat sauce. Sprinkle the remaining mexican cheese and pepperjack over top. Cover loosely with non-stick foil and bake at 350^ for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake for about 10-15 minutes more.

Remove from oven and let sit at least 20 minutes before cutting. Served with a lettuce & tomato salad and extra chips. My opinion: good flavor but WAY too salty for my tastes!

Spicy Southwest Chicken Soup

Spicy Southwest Chicken Soup

3 cups chopped cooked chicken (more or less)
1 large carton chicken broth
1 large can dark red kidney beans
15-oz can petite diced tomatoes
7-oz can Salsa Verde
1 tbsp cilantro
2 tsp chipotle chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
2 splashed hot sauce
1 pkg fajita seasoning
1 tbsp lime juice
12-oz bag frozen Birdseye Southwestern Corn

Combine the first 11 ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes. Add the corn and cook until thoroughly hot. Serve with a sprinkle of shredded cheddar, sour cream and spicy tortilla chips.

Yum! Great meal on a rainy night!

Fierro Chicken and Margaritas

Fierro Chicken
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 cups shredded Cheddar (I used a 4-Cheese Mexican Blend)
1 (4-oz) can chopped green chiles
1 heaping tbsp chili powder
19-oz can enchilada sauce
15 -oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Spray a 9x13" pan with cooking spray and place the chicken breasts in the pan. Sprinkle the black beans over the chicken. Mix the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, chili powder, and enchilada sauce until well blended and pour over the chicken and beans. Bake for about 1 hour. Serve over hot, cooked rice.

This was good, but since I had to hold it in the oven for almost 40 minutes after it was done, the sauce was a little too thick. The original recipe is at allrecipes.com. I left out the heavy cream (which probably would have made my sauce just about perfect had I used it) and I substituted the black beans for the button mushrooms.


Margaritas
6-oz frozen limeade concentrate
6-oz tequila
2-oz Grand Marnier
Crushed Ice
Kosher Salt
Lime wedges

Rub the rims of you margarita glasses with the lime and dip into the kosher salt. Fill your blender container about half full of crushed ice. Add the limeade, tequila and Grand Marnier and blend until smooth and slushy. Pour into the glasses, garnish with a lime wedge and serve.
These are SO good!

Texican Chicken with Chile-Cream Rice Casserole 5.16.09

Texican Chicken with Chile Cream Rice Casserole

CHICKEN:
½ cup mayonnaise
½ envelope Ranch dressing mix
¼ cup buttermilk
1 tsp chili powder
½ tsp cumin
4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 ½ cups tortilla crumbs

CHILE-CREAM RICE CASSEROLE:
1 (4-oz) can chopped green chiles
2 cups long grain rice
4 cups water
1 tbsp instant chicken bouillon
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can Petite Diced tomatoes with Jalapenos
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 (11-oz) can Mexicorn
1 cup sour cream


Preheat oven to 350^. Spray a 9x13” pan generously with Pam. Combine mayonnaise, Ranch dressing mix, buttermilk, chili powder and cumin until smooth in a shallow bowl. Roll each chicken breast in the Ranch dressing mixture and then coat with tortilla crumbs. Place in the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.

Combine all the first 4 rice ingredients in your Rice Cooker and cook until rice is done. Stir in remaining ingredients and turn into a lightly greased casserole. Bake about ½ hour. Serve with chicken and a salad.

Cinco de Mayo Soup 5.5.09

The original recipe is "Chicken Tortilla Soup V" at allrecipes.com.

Cinco de Mayo Soup
2 large chicken breasts
Water
Garlic Salt and Pepper (to your taste)
1.2 tsp oregano
1/2 cup dehydrated minced onion
1 1/2 cups chunky salsa
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
2 tsp cilantro in a tube
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 can mild Rotel diced tomatoes
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 cup instant brown rice
Tortilla chips, sour cream, shredded Jack cheese

Put the chicken breasts in a large pot and cover with water. Add garlic salt, pepper, oregano and minced onion. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, and cook until chicken is done. Remove chicken, cool and cut into bite sized pieces.

Return chicken to the pot and add the salsa, chili powder, cumin, cilantro, lemon juice, Rotel, and black beans. Cook 15 minutes. Stir in the corn and cook another 10 minutes. Add the instant brown rice and cook 5 minutes.

Serve topped with slightly crushed tortilla chips, shredded cheese and sour cream, if desired.

Yum!

Pork Burritos 4.28.09

Pork Burritos

2 cups shredded leftover pork roast
1/2 cup water
4 tsp chili powder, divided
2 tsp cumin
1 can Dark Red Kidney Beans, drained
4 oz (more or less) Chive & Onion Cream Cheese
1 cup shredded Cheddar
4 large flour tortillas
1 cup Cheez Whiz
Shredded lettuce, Diced Tomatoes, Salsa, Sour Cream, and/or Crushed Tortilla Chips

Combine the pork, water, 3 tsp chili powder, the cumin and the kidney beans in a 10" iron skillet over medium heat. Cook about 20 minutes, uncovered. Drain in a colander, reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid in the skillet.

Spread cream cheese over flour tortillas, sprinkle each with 1/4 of the cheddar cheese. Top with 1/4 of the pork mixture (down the middle of the tortilla) and roll up. Place each one, seam side down in a baking dish.

Add the Cheez Whiz and 1 tsp chili powder to the remaining liquid in the skillet and heat until the Cheez Whiz is melted and the mixture is well combined. Pour over the burritos and bake at 400^ for 25 minutes. Serve with the lettuce, tomatoes, etc.

This makes 4 large servings or 8 normal ones! I'm freezing half, so we'll see how it reheats one night in the future!

My opinion: This was good, but not spicy enough. And, of course, it would taste much better with real cheese instead of Cheez Whiz!