Sheet Pan Fajitas

Source: Our Best Bites

Ingredients:
1.5 – 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and sliced
1 large onion, sliced
2 large bell peppers (or 3 small/med ones), sliced
3–4 Tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
handful of cilantro
1 lime
optional for serving: sour cream, guacamole/avocado, tortillas, rice and beans, etc

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Have a large sheet pan ready (cover with foil or parchment for easy clean-up).

In a small bowl mix salt, pepper, paprika, chili powder, cumin, oregano and garlic powder.  Place sliced chicken, onions, and peppers in an extra large mixing bowl.  Drizzle on oil and seasonings. Toss to coat.

Spread chicken and pepper mixture out evenly on baking sheet and place in oven.  Bake for 20-30 minutes until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender.  If desired, place under broiler for a quick minute to brown.

Remove from oven and if desired, sprinkle cilantro over everything and give it a big squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Serve with tortillas and traditional fixings, or over a bed of salad or veggies or rice and beans, etc.

Notes:
I made these the week they were posted back in January and have not made another fajita recipe since (even our beloved and much-made fajitas that I posted here many many moons ago).  I doubled the recipe to feed all the Blanchards in North Carolina this summer, and in that case, we ended up cooking it all in a couple of giant frying pans on the stove.  It worked fine that way, too, but I just love the hands off ease of the sheet pan meal.  This one is so flavorful, so easy and so quick I don't think you'll ever need another fajita recipe again!

Frying pan style - you do what ya gotta
do when cooking in a stranger's kitchen.
;)

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

Source:  Our Best Bites

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 5 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 2 15-ounce cans chicken broth
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 2–3 shakes Tabasco (or similar hot sauce), Optional
• kosher salt, to taste
• 4 ounces (1/2 block) cream cheese (low fat is fine)
• 1 7-oz can mild green chiles
• 14–16 ounces cooked, shredded chicken (about 3 1/2 cups)
• 4 cups shredded Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese, divided
• 8–10 medium flour or corn tortillas

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 9×13-inch pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Wen butter is melted and bubbly, add flour and stir to combine. Continue cooking, whisking continuously until mixture is light golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. SLOWLY add chicken broth, whisking constantly, until smooth.*note, if this part ends up a disaster and your sauce looks lumpy and clumpy- it’s not ruined! Just pop the entire sauce in a blender to smooth it out, then back in your pan and continue.
3. Whisk in garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, coriander, chili powder, and pepper. Bring sauce to a simmer and stir until thickened, 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in sour cream and hot sauce. Add salt to taste and set aside.
4. In a separate mixing bowl, soften cream cheese in microwave until it’s easily stirred. Add green chilis and 1/2 cup of reserved sauce. Stir to combine and add chicken and 2 cups cheese.
5. Tip: If needed, to make the tortillas easier to roll, place between damp paper towels and microwave until warm (20-30 seconds).
6. Pour about 1 cup sauce into the bottom of prepared pan and spread out evenly. Place about 1/3-1/2 cup chicken mixture on each tortilla and roll tightly. Place tortillas snugly in pan. Pour remaining sauce on top and top with remaining 2 cups cheese. Bake 30-35 minutes, until hot and bubbly throughout and cheese is melted.

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Source: Our Best Bites

Ingredients:
1/3 cup (3 oz) cream cheese (can use low-fat) (I always up this to 4 oz (half a brick) just because)
1/4 cup green salsa (I always use La Victoria brand, medium heat)
1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 Tablespoons sliced green onions
2 cups shredded cooked chicken (these are also really delicious with leftover pepperoncini pork or cafe rio pork too)
1 cup grated pepperjack or monterey jack cheese
20 small flour (or corn, but I like flour best) tortillas (look for "fajita size")
kosher salt
cooking spray or olive oil

Directions:
For the filling:
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 garlic powder. 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.)

For the taquitos:
Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

If using corn tortillas, work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave, wrapped in damp paper towels until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If using flour tortillas straight from the fridge, it helps to warm them in the microwave so they’re easier to roll.

Place 2 Tablespoons (don't overfill or it will all ooze out and it might do that anyway) of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1 inch from the edges.

Roll up tortillas and place seam down on a baking sheet, not touching one another. Spray lightly with cooking spray, or lightly brush with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt. Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving. Dip in sour cream, salsa, or our favorite: Creamy Lime Cilantro Ranch (we call it "green sauce" and it is THE BEST!).

For the freezer:
Prepare the taquitos through rolling them out and placing them on the baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the freezer and freeze until solid, then transfer to a large freezer bag. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 425 and place the taquitos on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

Notes:
I'm trying to get back to posting here on the ol' recipe blog.  (I feel like I've said this before, and I probably will say it again. New Year's Resolutions and all that.)  BUT, I definitely want to share some of my all-time favorites that I've been making the past couple of years.  I won't post every single new thing I make like I used to.  But I absolutely want to get the ones that we come back to over and over again shared here.  And these taquitos definitely fit in that category.  They are AMAZING and a big-time favorite at our house.  And they're easy!  The hardest/longest part is rolling them up, but that isn't even that hard/long.  So don't delay!  Give them a try!

Speedy and Easy Restaurant-Style Salsa

Source: I was inspired by this one and this one and then sort of just went for it, taking what I liked from each and using what I had on hand

Ingredients:
1 can petite diced tomatoes with chiles (when I run out of the case that I bought of these, then I'll probably just use 2 cans of the stewed tomatoes and add a jalapeno to the blender)
1 can Mexican style stewed tomatoes
1 handful cilantro (~1/2 cup), rough chopped
1 lime, juiced
1 clove garlic, rough chopped
1/4 onion (yellow or red), chopped into quarters
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon (heaping) kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika (you could also try the Chipotle Tabasco mentioned in the Our Best Bites recipe above, but this is what I had in my cupboard, so that's what I used; I really like the slight smokey flavor it adds to the salsa, but you could probably leave it out, too, if desired)

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a blender (it doesn't have to be fancy - our cheap Hamilton Beach one works fabulously). Pulse until the ingredients are chopped but not pureed and salsa is desired consistency. Taste for seasoning and adjust to taste. For best flavor, refrigerate at least 2-3 hours before serving.  (I think it just gets better and better as it ages, so when I was making a double batch for a bridal shower for my sister, I blended everything a week before the party so all the flavors could meld and blend and be the best ever.)  Makes 1 quart salsa.  Refrigerate for up to a month or more (if it lasts that long!).

Notes:
One day I was making tacos for dinner but I had no more salsa left.  We live less than a mile from a grocery store, but I decided instead of driving there to buy some, I'd give this recipe I had been saving and thinking about a whirl (quite literally - ha).  I haven't used store-bought salsa ever since and I've made at least four batches of this good stuff for us and for the above-mentioned bridal shower.  It's delicious.  Everyone who tastes it says so.  And it has turned out to be a really great use for that case of too-spicy-for-anything-I've-tried-cooking-with-them diced tomatoes with chiles that I bought at a caselot sale over a year ago and have just been giving away at food drives because my family (and I) won't eat them.  They lend the perfect amount of spice in salsa form (because I expect salsa to be at least a little spicy) and I'm quite pleased with this discovery.

Sweet Potato Taco Casserole

Source: Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:
2 medium-large sweet potatoes
1 lb lean ground beef
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves (large) garlic, minced
1 large red bell pepper, diced (I only had a green)
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 can (15 oz. size) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 1/2 oz. size) diced fire-roasted tomatoes (do not drain) (I had diced tomatoes with chiles, so I used that instead)
2 cups chunky salsa (I used picante sauce)
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (just regular for me)
1 teaspoon dried mexican oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more to taste) (skipped it)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
thick corn tortilla chips, as needed (we always have santitas brand because they're cheap and good and they were just great)
8 ounces, weight shredded mexican cheese blend (I just grated some sharp cheddar)
4 ounces, weight shredded pepper jack cheese
sliced green onion and chopped cilantro, for garnish (optional)
salsa, guacamole, sour cream, to serve (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside.

Peel and spiralize sweet potatoes, chopping just a bit to shorten very long strands. If you don't have a spiralizer, just dice the sweet potato into small cubes. (I don't have a spiralizer, but I kind of wish I did after seeing this application for it.  I just did the dice thing and it was fine.)  Set aside.

In an extra-large skillet over medium to medium-high heat, brown beef with onion, breaking up any large chunks and stirring occasionally. When the pink color is almost gone from the beef, stir in garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Stir in red pepper, corn, and sweet potato. Then add the beans, tomatoes, salsa, chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper, folding to combine. Turn heat down just a bit to medium and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring a few times. If you are using diced sweet potatoes rather than spiralized, you will need to cook this a bit longer. Just make sure that the sweet potato has softened.

Spread 2 cups of the beef mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Layer tortilla chips on top, slightly overlapping the chips. Drop half of the remaining beef mixture  by spoonfuls over the chips, and then spread it out into an even layer. Sprinkle half the Mexican cheese and half the pepper jack cheese over the beef mixture. Top with another layer of tortilla chips, followed by the remaining beef mixture and then the cheeses.

Cover pan loosely with foil (so the foil doesn't touch the cheese) and cook for about 30 minutes (I think I had mine in the oven for a bit longer to get my chunks of sweet potato to cook through thoroughly), or until cheese is melted and the casserole is heated throughout. Remove foil, place pan under broiler, and broil until cheese is browned to your liking. Remove from oven and top with optional green onion and/or cilantro. Serve immediately with optional sour cream, guacamole, and/or salsa on the side.

Notes:
I love me some sweet potato tacos, a favorite in our meal rotation for four years now.  So when I saw this recipe pop up in my blog feed a few weeks ago, I knew I would love it, too.  Same flavors (plus corn and tortilla chips - bonus!) in a casserole form (I know they get a bad rap sometimes, but I LOVE casseroles!).  Perfect.  I set my sights on May 5th - Cinco de Mayo - to give this dish a try.  Oh, it was good!  I really love the addition of the tortilla chip layers.  It reminded me of what I imagine chilaquiles would taste like (I haven't had them, but what I know about them, I bet it's similar).  They lose their crunch, but add a delicious level of corn flavor, much like a tortilla would add, but without becoming soggy.  I am a fan.  Big time.

Creamy Black Bean Chicken Soup

Source: here, via Pinterest

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts (I used 1 small one and it was totally chickeny enough)
1 cup chicken broth (I think I probably used one can, which is closer to 2 cups)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained (I used about a cup of frozen corn kernels)
1 cup salsa
1 package taco seasoning (I used a few tablespoons of a homemade seasoning mix)
1/2 cup sour cream (optional)
1/2 cup cheddar cheese (optional)
Tortilla chips

Directions:
Place chicken in crock pot. Pour broth, beans, corn, salsa, and taco seasoning over chicken.

Cook on low for 6 hours (or high for 3 hours).

Remove chicken and shred. Re-add chicken.

If desired, add sour cream and cheese to crock pot. Stir until smooth. (Or add desired amount to individual servings)

Serve with tortilla chips.

Notes:
I stumbled across this little recipe on pinterest one day and immediately changed my plans for that day's dinner and made this instead.  It was super easy, super delicious and super small.  Which actually was perfect for us on the Thursday before Thanksgiving since I didn't need lots of leftovers to deal with before we left town for a week.  So yeah, it doesn't make a ton, but it easily could be doubled in a bigger crock pot.  Yum!

Salsa Roll-Ups

Source: Kraft (and some ideas from the comments section)

Ingredients:
4 oz cream cheese, softened (can use reduced fat)
3 Tablespoons salsa
4 flour tortillas
1/2 cup cheese, finely shredded
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 can olives, finely chopped

Directions:
Mix salsa and cream cheese until blended.  Add olives and mix.  Spread a layer on each tortilla.  Top with a sprinkle of chili powder and cheese.  Roll up tightly.  Cut into 1 - 1 1/2 inch slices.

Notes:
I saw this recipe pop up around Super Bowl time and I thought it sounded like a great football-watching snack.  I never made them, though, and the bookmark had just been sitting idle in my recipes folder, waiting for the perfect opportunity to be used.  Well, that opportunity happened to be Halloween.  We got invited to a little get-together at some ward friends' home.  I was told I didn't need to bring anything, but I felt like I should contribute something to the meal.  Luckily I had everything I needed to whip these up in just a few minutes before we headed out.  They were totally delicious and quite the hit.

Enchilada Zucchini Boats

Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients:
4 medium zucchini, halved
8-12 ounces lean ground turkey or ground beef (depends on how meaty you want this dish to be)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed (I tried a new trick ala Pioneer Woman and grated mine on a microplane zester - it worked okay, but I don't know if I'll ever do it again - kinda messy!)
1 jalapeno, finely chopped (seeds and membrane removed if you want less heat)
16 ounces tomato sauce
1 Tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander (didn't have this so I just upped the cumin to 2 1/2 teaspoons)
15-ounce can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1-2 cups shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese (or a combination)
Chopped cilantro for garnish

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Scoop out the center of each zucchini, discarding the seeds and leaving the outer zucchini flesh about 1/4-inch thick, forming little zucchini boats. Sprinkle the cut side of each zucchini with a little bit of salt (a pinch for each zucchini half). Set aside while preparing the filling.

In a large, 12-inch nonstick skillet, cook the ground turkey or beef over medium heat with the salt and pepper, breaking the meat into little pieces as it cooks. Once cooked all the way through, drain any excess grease, except for 1-2 teaspoons, and scrape the meat to a plate.

Return the skillet to medium heat and add the onion, garlic and jalapeno. Cook the mixture until the onion has softened and turned translucent, 4-5 minutes.

Stir in the tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, sugar, oregano, and coriander. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.

Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Ladle in about 1/3 cup of the sauce and spread across the bottom of the pan.

Stir the cooked meat and beans into the remaining sauce in the skillet.

Scoop an even amount of the meat and sauce mixture into each zucchini boat, piling it on.

Cover the baking dish with a layer of lightly greased foil and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and layer the cheese over the top. Bake for about 20 minutes more until the zucchini is fork tender.

Sprinkle the chopped cilantro on top and let the zucchini enchilada boats rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes:
I've never made zucchini boats (nor have I ever eaten them, I don't recall), but the ones I've seen or heard about always seemed to have a little Italian flair - marinara sauce, Italian sausage, etc.  I love me some enchiladas, so when Mel posted this one, I knew I had to give it a whirl as my first foray into zucchini boat goodness.  I'm hooked!  (Though I actually thought these tasted more like chili on top instead of enchiladas - it's all the same sort of spices, right?)  And I think Gregg and Callie are fans, too.  (Callie gobbled up an entire boat herself for dinner and Gregg ate 3, with another as a late night snack before bed!)  These are yummy!

Chicken Enchiladas

Source: My mom

Ingredients:
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup (or more) sour cream
1/2 can (use your soup can) or less milk (use this if you don't have chicken juice to add to your sauce)
1 medium onion, diced
1 small can chopped green chiles
1 can chicken chunks (save juice) or 1 lb. cooked, cubed or shredded chicken (I'm a little skimpy lately and can get by with ~1 cup shredded chicken for 8 enchiladas and we haven't missed anything)
1 lb. cheddar cheese, grated
8 flour tortillas

Directions:
Mix soup, sour cream and chicken juice (or milk).  Spread enough of this mixture to cover bottom of 9x13" casserole dish.  Inside each tortilla, layer some chicken, a little onion, chiles, and cheese.  Roll and place seam side down in dish.  Cover tortillas with remaining sauce and sprinkle with cheese.  Bake at 350° for about 30 minutes, until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly.  Garnish with shredded lettuce, chopped tomato and salsa.

Notes:

This is one of my very favorite comfort food meals of all time.  And my mom must have known that since she made them for me while she was here helping after Callie was born.  I just love them (and her) so!  Very quick to assemble and cook, they make a great weeknight meal.  I've also made them on a Saturday night and kept them in the fridge uncooked till Sunday afternoon when I didn't feel like "cooking".  Leftovers (if you have any) are the best!  Oh!  And any other meat can be used in place of the chicken - we used to have these with ground beef or leftover turkey after Thanksgiving.

Dutch Oven Enchiladas

Source: A man doing a demo at a 4-H day camp many, many years ago

Ingredients:
1 lb. hamburger
1 onion, chopped
2 cans enchilada sauce (or you can make your own here - I used about 3/4 of this recipe to equal about 2 cans)
2 cans tomato soup (there's also a nifty substitution you can use for this)
1 small can diced green chiles
9-12 large flour tortillas
2 cups cheese, grated
salt, pepper, and garlic powder
garnish: shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, sour cream, salsa, sliced olives

Directions:
Season hamburger and onion with salt, pepper and garlic powder and brown over medium heat.  Drain grease.  Add enchilada sauce, soup and chiles to meat.  Cover bottom of Dutch oven with a layer of sauce mixture.  Layer three tortillas, sauce and cheese about 3-4 times - until it reaches the top (I like to aim for 4 layers with 12 tortillas total - it seems to not be quite as soupy that way when it's all cooked up).  Cook for 15-25 minutes until cheese is melted and casserole is bubbly.  Serve with garnish.

Notes:
One day my sister, brother and two cousins and I were hanging out at the Cache County Fairgrounds at a 4-H day camp.  One of the stations or classes that we could attend was about Dutch oven cooking, and since it gave out samples of the finished product, of course we were there!  This was the recipe being demonstrated that day and we were all so impressed and amazed and delighted over its goodness (we had apparently never had enchilada casserole before) we made sure to memorize the recipe (I think we went back to the demo at least twice more, cementing the recipe in our minds) to tell our mom when we got home.  It's been a staple at family campouts and cookouts and Sunday dinners ever since.  We always make it in a Dutch oven, either on the camp chef or with coals if we're outside or straight in the oven if we're home, but really it can be made in any big casserole dish, and we've even been successful with it in the crockpot!

Homemade Enchilada Sauce

Source: The original Kim Blanchard

Ingredients:
1 quart water
1/4 cup chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
salt to taste
flour to thicken (2-3 Tablespoons)

Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a saucepan and boil till thick.  Should be the consistency of thin gravy.

Notes:
I never seem to have canned enchilada sauce on hand, which always made me shy away from enchilada recipes that I love.  Finally I realized that Kim has this great homemade recipe.  Now I'll never be without!  I had made (and posted about) a different recipe I found online a couple years ago.  It has now been deleted from this blog because this one is so much better!  Simple, quick, cheap, tasty.  Can't go wrong here.

Mexican Pasta Salad

Ingredients:
1 16 oz package rotini pasta
1 1/2 c. salsa
1 cup mayo
1/2 sour cream
1 16 oz can black beans
1 11 oz can corn
1/2 c. diced red bell pepper
2 green onions
1 4.25 can olives, sliced
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cilantro
1 tsp salt
black pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Cook pasta, drain, and cool.
2. Whisk salsa, mayo, sour cream, black beans, corn, pepper, onions, olives, and spices together in a large bowl. Add cooled pasta and stir to coat evenly.
3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

Notes:
Not earth-shatteringly delicious, but certainly worth sharing at a potluck if you're looking for something different to try.

Slow Cooker Mexican Quinoa and Black Beans

Source:  365 Days of Slow Cooking

Makes 6 servings
Ideal slow cooker size: 3 quart
Cooking time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

• 1 or 2 (14 oz) cans of black beans, rinsed and drained
• 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa  (can also use brown rice)
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 3/4 cup salsa
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp garlic
• Salt and pepper
• Lime juice
• Avocado slices
• (I also use sour cream as a topping)

Directions:

1. Add beans, quinoa, water, salsa, bay leaf, cumin, salt and garlic to the slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook on HIGH for about 2 hours.
3. Remove lid and fluff quinoa with a fork.  Remove the bay leaf.
4. Add in fresh lime juice to taste and salt and pepper to taste.
5. Serve topped with sliced avocado (and sour cream).

Comments:  This is my new favorite summer food!  It's healthy, vegetarian, but with the quinoa and beans, it has plenty of protein.  Plus, it's SO easy since it uses the CrockPot.  I've never used quinoa in a recipe before, but I love it!  It could be a great side dish (a good alternative to Mexican rice), but I like it all on its own.

Slow Cooker Enchilada Casserole

Source:  The Crockin' Girls

Ingredients:

• 1/2 to 1 T. butter
• 1/2 onion chopped
• 1 pound ground turkey meat
• 1 T. cumin, or to taste
• 1/2 c. light sour cream
• 2 Cup low fat cottage cheese
• 1/2 tsp. Teaspoon salt
• pinch of black pepper
• 20 corn tortillas
• 2 c. mozzarella cheese
• 1 (10 oz) can* mild red enchilada sauce  (*I doubled this)
• 1 can sliced black olives (optional)

Directions:

1. Meat Mixture: Heat butter in skillet on medium high. Cook onions until tender and then add the ground turkey meat. Cook until turkey meat is cooked through. Add cumin to meat mixture halfway through cooking the meat.
2. Cheese Mixture: Mix sour cream with cottage cheese, salt, and pepper. Combine cheese mixture with meat mixture and mix well.
3. In layers, cover the bottom of the crock pot (I used a 6-quart) with corn tortillas, overlapping each other.
4. Spread half of the meat mixture evenly over the corn tortillas*, then add a layer of mozzarella cheese. Add another layer of tortillas, finish up the meat mixture and then another layer of mozzarella cheese, leaving enough to top off the casserole.  (*I also poured some enchilada sauce over each layer after I added the meat mixture.)
5. Add the last layer of corn tortillas. Pour the enchilada sauce over the casserole. Add the black olives and top with the remaining cheese.
6. Cover, cook on LOW for 3 hours.

Comments:

 

We really rely on our CrockPot a lot, especially on Sundays, and it was fun to find a yummy Mexican slow cooker recipe.  Plus, with the ground turkey, it's pretty healthy!  As was mentioned in the ingredients and directions, I preferred it with much more enchilada sauce.  The original recipe called for enchilada sauce poured only over the top -- which made it a bit dry and bland -- I prefer the enchilada sauce more distributed throughout the whole casserole.  We non-olive-loving Wihongis omitted those entirely, but we topped each serving with sour cream, guacamole, extra cheese, etc., and we were plenty happy.  This is so tasty!

Homemade Tortillas

Source: Victoria Blanchard

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups flour (I did three cups all purpose and 1/2 cup whole wheat)
1/2 cup lard (I didn't have any lard, so I subbed Crisco, which maybe is shocking to some, but I think they turned out tasty)
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water

Directions:
Mix flour, salt and lard until crumbly - a fork works great for this, or a pastry cutter if you have one, or two knives.  Add water about 1/4 cup at a time while still mixing.  You probably will have to get your hands in there and mix/knead so it all stays together (or maybe I'm just incompetent with a spoon).  Cover and chill in fridge for 20 minutes (or more if you need to).  Divide into small balls - mine made 13 that were about 2 inches in diameter, roughly.  Roll out on a floured surface as thin as possible - mine ended up being about 10-11 inches in diameter.  Fry for on a medium-hot pan for a couple minutes on each side (I flipped it when the bubbles on the surface were about dime sized).  Eat and enjoy right away.  If you have leftovers you can save them in a plastic bag, but I'd suggest reheating them for a few seconds in the microwave to get the softness back.


Notes:
We made these for Cafe Rio pork burritos when I was in Virginia and I realized they really aren't as intimidating as I thought they'd be.  So when we were out of our regular store-bought tortillas and I really wanted to try the Sweet Potato Tacos, I decided I'd just have to make them myself.  Oh yum.  And besides being good, they are super cheap!  And Gregg was so impressed with my skills.  :)

Sweet Potato Tacos

Source: adapted from a recipe by Natalie (Perry's Plate), via the Tasty Kitchen blog

Ingredients:

½ pound ground beef or turkey

2 Tablespoons taco seasoning

½ cup tomato sauce (usually I use a whole 8 oz can)

1 can (15 oz.) black, kidney, or pinto beans, drained (I'm usually a huge fan of black beans in things like this, but this time I opted for kidney and LOVED it)

6 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I used 4+ cups - filled up my large liquid measuring cup - which came from one biggish and one smallish sweet potato)

2 tablespoons butter

½ teaspoon salt

1½ cups chopped fresh spinach (didn't have any, but I didn't let that stop me from making it)

1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese

tortillas, sour cream, salsa, fresh cilantro, and/or guacamole for garnish

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425ºF.  (I actually had it a little lower - more like 380 or so and cooked it a bit longer because I got it into the oven a bit earlier than I needed to)

Brown ground meat in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in taco seasoning, tomato sauce, and beans. Set aside.

Spray a 9x13 inch casserole dish with non-stick spray.  Place sweet potato cubes in the pan and top with the butter and a sprinkle of salt.  This is where you'd add the spinach if you had it, but if you don't, it's still darn yummy.  Then add the taco meat and bean mixture and the cheese (but next time I'm debating about whether I'll skip the cheese at this step and just add it at the end with the garnishes).  Cover with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender.

The original recipe assembled everything in foil packets: To assemble packets, spray the foil with non-stick spray. Place 1 cup sweet potato cubes in the center of each piece. Top with a small piece of butter (about 1 teaspoon) and a pinch or two of salt. Sprinkle some chopped spinach over the sweet potatoes, followed by about 1/3 cup of taco meat and a sprinkle of cheese. Fold the sides in, then bring the top and bottom ends of the foil together in the center and fold, sealing the packet.
Repeat with remaining ingredients, placing the packets on a rimmed cookie sheet.  Bake as above.  I thought this might make a great campfire meal idea - with or without the tortilla.

Serve in a tortilla with sour cream, salsa and a few sprigs of fresh cilantro.  And guacamole if you have some.

Makes 6 servings.

Notes:
This may be my fastest turnaround from seeing a recipe to saving it (on Pinterest, of course) to making and eating it to photographing and blogging it.  All done in just about a day and a half!  And that's saying something.  I'm really on a sweet potato kick at the moment, so whenever I see a recipe doing something creative with them, I get really excited.  And this one was really, really great.  A keeper, for sure.  Especially with homemade tortillas, as seen in the photo above (only because we didn't have any from the store, but now I wonder if I'll ever go back!).

Update:
I've made this multiple times now - we LOVE it!  I even tried it in the crock pot recently and it worked like a charm.  I did up the sweet potatoes to 3 medium sized (probably closer to that 6 cups of cubed sweet potato that the original recipe calls for, but I'm not totally sure because I didn't actually measure).  I also added a whole can (1 cup) of tomato sauce to the meat/bean mixture just because I didn't want to have a half can sitting in my fridge and then going moldy (that's what happened last time).  It was perfect.  Still haven't tried it with spinach, but I think it would be wonderful.  Black or kidney beans are my usual choices.  And I don't add cheese in the oven/crock pot (I did the first time, but ever since nope) - I just sprinkle some on top as garnish in my taco shell.

Chicken and Black Bean Tacos

Source: not really sure who to credit for this one - my mom made it quite a bit and we always loved it

Ingredients:
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can shredded chicken (or you can use 1 large chicken breast, cooked and shredded)
1 cup salsa
1 packet taco seasoning
1/2 onion, diced, optional

Directions:
Brown onion in a little bit of oil in a frying pan.  Add chicken, beans, salsa and taco seasoning.  Heat through and serve with your favorite taco toppings in a warm tortilla.

Notes:
Quick.  Easy.  Delish.  What more can you ask for?  I also like to use these leftovers as a quesadilla filling.

Mexican Sweet Potato Skins

. . . or Mexican Stuffed Sweet Potatoes (if you don't eat the skins - are you supposed to eat the skins? I just don't know about that . . .)

Source: slightly modified (because I didn't have everything that was needed but wanted to eat them anyway) from pinchofyum.com (via Pinterest)

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients:
3 medium sweet potatoes
1 can corn, rinsed and patted dry (forgot the rinsing and patting step - whoops!)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 Tablespoon butter
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
2-4 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced or pureed (didn't have this - but subbed in a roasted chile pepper that I've had in my freezer since last fall)
1 ounce light cream cheese (didn't have this either - just bumped up the sour cream a titch instead)
1/4 cup light sour cream
1 teaspoon salt (+ more to taste)
1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
6 Tablespoons shredded cheese (Pepperjack, Cheddar, Colby Jack… anything will work)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake the sweet potatoes for 45-60 minutes.

While sweet potatoes are baking, place corn in a heavy cast-iron skillet (didn't have one - and while my corn wasn't quite as lovely and roasted as the original author's, I think it smelled and tasted quite divine anyway) over medium-high heat with no butter or oil. Sprinkle with salt and other Mexican seasoning (as much as you want) (I used a few shakes of homemade taco seasoning). Do not stir! Let corn roast for several minutes before stirring. Let it roast for a few more minutes before stirring again. Continue this for about 10 minutes, until corn is browned and roasted on the outside. Set aside in a small bowl with the black beans.

Saute the onion in the butter over medium heat until soft and translucent. Set aside.

Remove sweet potatoes from the oven when fork-tender. Let cool for 5-10 minutes. Cut the sweet potatoes in half. Scrape the flesh of the sweet potatoes out, leaving the skins intact. Sometimes leaving a thin layer of potato inside of the skins helps them hold together better.

Mix the flesh of the sweet potatoes with the cream cheese, sour cream, chipotle peppers, and salt. You can use a mixer or just a spoon (or a potato masher worked awesome!), depending on how soft the potatoes are. When well-mixed, gently stir in the black beans, roasted corn, sauteed onions, and cilantro.

Scoop the filling into the skins and top each with 1 tablespoon shredded cheese. Broil for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Notes:
We had sweet potato fries one night for dinner while I was in Virginia with Victoria and Ryan and it reminded me how much I love sweet potatoes.  So much, in fact, that after I got home I bought some, fully intending to make some fries myself.  Then, I saw this recipe on pinterest and I knew I had to try it with my newly acquired sweet potatoes from City Market.  Black beans plus corn plus anything is lovely in my book, so I knew it would be a winner.  I was a bit hesitant about the whole "twice baked" idea, thinking that it would be kind of a pain and take a long time.  Don't be scared!  This really was a pretty simple recipe to throw together - just be sure to give the potatoes enough time to bake (ours took about an hour) and you're set.  Mmm . . . super filling and super delicious.

Homemade Fajita Seasoning Mix

Source: adapted from about.com

Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1 Tablespoon salt
1 Tablespoon paprika
1 Tablespoon sugar
2-1/2 teaspoons crushed chicken bouillon cube
1-1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (didn't have it so left it out)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (upped it to 1/2 teaspoon)
1/2 teaspoon cumin (upped it to 1 teaspoon)

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl.  Store in an airtight container (I used an empty chili powder bottle that I had lying around) in a cool dry place (like the spice cupboard).

When making fajitas, mix 3 Tablespoons seasoning mix plus 1/2 cup water.  Add to your browned chicken (or beef or whatever you're making into fajitas) and let it simmer for a few minutes until nice and thickened.  Mix the chicken/sauce mixture into your sauteed bell pepper and onions and serve it all up with sour cream, salsa, tomato, cheese and lettuce (or any combination of toppings that you love best - if I had avocado, it'd be on there!) on a warm tortilla.

Notes:
We love fajitas around here - if not for their deliciousness (which is true) then for the sheer ease and speed it takes in getting them prepped, cooked and in our bellies.  It has been a while since we've eaten them, however, because we've been out of fajita packets.  (For some reason they never make it to the grocery shopping list either.)  Well, last night I decided I wasn't going to let that little fact deter me any longer - and I used my friend Google to find this here recipe for my own seasoning mix.  Voila!  Perfect.  And it really tastes just like the stuff in the envelope you get at the store - at a fraction of the cost.  Love that.

Cilantro Lime Chicken (Slow Cooker)

Source (via pinterest)


Directions:
1. In a slow cooker (crockpot), mix together
1 24-ounce jar mild or medium salsa
Juice from one lime
1-4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 package taco seasoning
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (optional)

2. Add 4-6 boneless chicken breast halves (defrosted) and coat with the salsa mixture.

3. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.

4. Serve the chicken with the salsa mixture spooned over the top, as a taco filling, or as a layer of taco salad.

Notes: We used this chicken, shredded, in burritos last night - yum! Bret and Melia noticed a lot of spicy heat (I only used mild salsa and 1/2 of a jalapeno), but I didn't taste any. Either way, it was very flavorful, super delicious, and outrageously easy!