Black Bean and Rice Enchiladas

We're moving and I am in the clean-out-the-pantry phase of packing. This is a great recipe for that, as you can use almost anything you want in these (within reason): shredded chicken, green chiles, different kinds of cheeses, etc.. And I didn't have the time to make the enchilada sauce, but I did have some bottled already in the fridge, along with leftover salsa. So I just combined those on the stove and added some chili powder, cumin, and garlic powder for extra flavor. Use corn or flour tortillas as well!

Black Bean and Rice Enchiladas

Mexican Pasta Salad

Very tasty, very easy, perfect for a summer party. Use a chunky salsa if you can't find pico de gallo.

Mexican Pasta Salad

Dijon Potato and Green Bean Salad

This is a nice alternative to a mayo-based potato salad. If you can't find (or don't want to spend the money on) new potatoes, Yukon gold or red potatoes cut into bite-sized pieces will work fine.

Dijon Potato and Green Bean Salad

Beef and Bean Burritos with Sour Cream Poblano Sauce

These were delicious and easy to make. If you're short on time you can even just skip making the sauce and use plain sour cream as a garnish. Chuck loved them!

Beef and Bean Burritos with Sour Cream Poblano Sauce

Crock Pot Pasta Fagioli

Crock Pot Pasta Fagioli

White Bean and Chicken Soup with Pesto

While browsing through my mother's Sandra Lee magazine (I know, clutch your pearls in horror) I saw several recipes that I thought would be good for weeknight dinners. This easy, comforting soup was one of them. And it actually doesn't really use any pre-packaged processed food, unless you count the ready-made pesto. The white beans go nicely with the shredded chicken in a tasty broth. The pesto on top ends up just getting mixed into the soup of course, so if you don't like the taste of pesto, just skip it as a garnish.

I let the soup simmer a little longer than the recipe suggests both before and after the chicken is added. And if you are making shredded chicken instead of using a rotisserie one from the store, make sure you season it nicely with salt and pepper. I did not and I think it would have added even more flavor to this. Serve with a few slices of Texas Toast and a green salad!

White Bean and Chicken Soup with Pesto

from Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade magazine, Christmas 2011 issue

makes 5-6 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 cup carrot, chopped

2/3 cup celery, chopped

3 cups low-sodium chicken stock

2 1/2 cups water

2 cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon garlic powder

12 ounces roasted pulled chicken (I used a pound of shredded chicken)

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

6 tablespoons prepared pesto

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery and cook 5 minutes or until tender.

Add stock, water, beans, tomato paste, and garlic powder. Stir to mix and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to medium-low heat and simmer, partially covered, for at least 20 minutes.

Add chicken and vinegar, simmer 5 more minutes or until heated through.

Serve immediately and top each bowlful with a tablespoon of pesto.

Cream Cheese and Black Bean Chicken

Cream Cheese and Black Bean Chicken

Grilled Chicken and Roasted Tomato Salad

This salad-as-a-meal was a big winner in our house - Chuck even said he liked it better than any other salad entrees I've made! It was a nice, simple recipe, and the roasted tomatoes really added a delicate sweetness to the salad. Don't be afraid of the cannellini beans either (MOM!), they taste delicious mixed with the dressing.

The amounts in the link to the recipe will definitely serve 4 people - but if you keep all the ingredients separate (esspecially the dressing), you can definitely make a lunch out of the leftovers the next day. And as you can see above I added some large chunks of fresh mozzarella to the mix. Enjoy!

Grilled Chicken and Roasted Tomato Salad

Emeril's Turkey and Pinto Bean Chili

We've had a rainy few days here in the Northeast and yesterday I was inspired to make some chili. I had just found this recipe in the newest issue of Everyday Food and went to the supermarket in the pouring rain for all of the ingredients. :)


My favorite chili is still 6-Hour Chili but this is a good one to make if you don't have a lot of time. And the addition of the pinto beans adds more protein with not too much fat. I will say that the simmering time on this is very underestimated. I simmered the chili for about 45 minutes (the recipe suggests 20 minutes) and I still had to serve the chili with a slotted spoon to drain all of the excess liquid. But it was a delicious rainy Sunday night meal after a busy weekend!

Emeril's Turkey and Pinto Bean Chili
from Everyday Food
makes 6-8 servings

4 slices thick-cut bacon, diced small
2 medium onions (or 1 large), diced small
1 large red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced small
1.25-1.5 pounds ground turkey
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 teaspoons dried oregano
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cans (15.5 ounces each) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream (optional)

In a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot, cook bacon over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until bacon is crisp, about 8 minutes. Add onions and bell pepper and cook until vegetable soften, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Add ground turkey, chili powder, cumin, garlic, oregano, and cook about 6-8 minutes, until lightly browned and cooked through. Continually break meat up with wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper.

Add tomatoes with juice, beans, and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil then reduce to a rapid simmer. Partially cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens. (This could take anywhere from 20-45 minutes, or more.)

Serve topped with cilantro and shredded cheese and/or sour cream, if desired.

Crockpot Santa Fe Chicken

Head on over to C+C Marriage Factory and check out the picture for this recipe - it's what made me save the recipe in the first place. Christina's picture is so light and clean, it didn't remind me of your typical heavy crockpot meal. I have made variations on this recipe, but I liked that there was no salsa added to the chicken, just vegetables and spices. I served this over rice for myself and Chuck had it on tortillas. Delicious!

Crockpot Santa Fe Chicken

Chicken Enchilada Pasta

And here we have another delicious dinner that doesn't photograph well. This meal had a great Mexican flavor with the refried beans, enchilada sauce, and taco seasoning; and anything with chicken and cheese is a winner with us as well. I didn't use all the shells that were cooked - it really depends how much you stuff in each shell - and I wanted each shell to hold more of the filling. I also didn't use the Doritos on top, just to save on the calories, although I'm sure they would be delicious! The amounts in this recipe gave me two 8x8 dishes, one for dinner and one for the freezer of course!

Chicken Enchilada Pasta
from Better Homes and Gardens
Makes about 8 servings

1 (12-ounce) package dried jumbo shells
3 large green or red sweet peppers, chopped
1 1/2 cups red onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and ribs removed, chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 (16-ounce) can refried beans
3 tablespoons taco seasoning mix (about half an envelope)
2 (10-ounce) jars enchilada sauce
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Mexican cheese blend
1 cup sliced green onions (optional)
2 cups Doritos (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add peppers, onion, jalapeno, and 1/4 teaspoon salt for 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in chicken, beans, taco seasoning mix, and 1/2 cup enchilada sauce. Cook and stir 5 minutes. Stir in half cup each of cheese and green onions.

Spoon filling evenly into shells. Spread one cup enchilada sauce into 3-quart baking dish (or divide among two 1 1/2 quart dishes). Arrange shells over sauce. Drizzle with remaining enchilada sauce.

Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 5 minutes more or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with chips and remaining green onions. Serve immediately with sour cream if desired.

Black Bean and Vegetable Enchiladas

I was looking for an easy, meatless dinner to make on Ash Wednesday and this recipe looked perfect. A satisfying, filling enchilada filled with flavorful vegetables, black beans, and cheese. And don't be put off by the make-your-own enchilada sauce - it takes almost no time at all and you can taste the difference from the store-bought stuff (although if you are in a tiome crunch that would be fine as well).

The original recipe from Dinners for a Year and Beyond includes "summer" in the title, as in summer vegetables, but I found all of these no problem at the supermarket. I also halved this with no problem since I wasn't going to freeze any. Enjoy!

Black Bean and Vegetable Enchiladas

Tex Mex Corn Chip Chili

I find myself constantly saving new chili recipes to try then never getting around to making them because of the long ingredient lists. This recipe from the Rachael Ray magazine looked easy enough to make on a weeknight, with almost no chopping, and 3 cans of beans and tomatoes contributing a lot of the flavor. Chuck even said that he likes this better than my regular 6-Hour Chili, and while I don't necessarily agree with him, this one came close.

I used ground turkey instead of ground beef with great results, and I simmered it for about 45 minutes to thicken the sauce before adding the cilantro and cheese; but otherwise I followed the recipe exactly as it states. And if you aren't serving the whole pot of chili right away, I probably wouldn't add all the cheese it calls for, instead just add more cheese as you reheat it. This was delicious with sour cream and we dipped our corn chips instead of serving the chili over them. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Tex-Mex Corn Chip Chili

Mexican Rice and Bean Casserole

Ahh, it must be the holiday season because the only things on my blog these days are menus and slow cooker meals. Meaning that I am cooking so much for parties on the weekends that weeknight meals must be simple and quick to throw together.

Chuck picked this recipe out for me to try and we both liked it. I didn't even miss the meat but Chuck said it needs some sort of crunch for texture. Maybe crushed up tortilla chips sprinkled over the top? I used black beans instead of the chili beans and probably added a leeeeetle more cheese than it called for. :)

Also, if you are using anything other than regular rice, adjust the cooking time. For instance, I bought converted rice for some reason, which takes the half the time to cook normally as regular rice. So I adjusted the time and added my rice after 2 1/2 hours to the slow cooker with everything else - halfway through the cooking time. If I had added it at the beginning, it would have been gummy and mushy by the end.

Mexican Rice and Bean Casserole

from Pillsbury: One Dish Meals Cookbook

Makes about 4 servings

1 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice

2/3 cup frozen whole kernel corn

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/4 teaspoon tumeric

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 (15-ounce) spicy chili beans or black beans, undrained

1 (14.5-ounce) can stewed tomatoes, undrained and chopped

1 (14.5-ounce) can chicken broth

1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chilies, lightly drained

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Spray large skillet with cooking spray or heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add rice, cook and stir 5 to 7 minutes until light golden brown.

Combine browned rice and all remaining ingredients except cheese in 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker. Mix well. Cover; cook on low setting at least 5 hours.

After 5 hours, stir mixture and sprinkle with Cheddar cheese. Cover and cook 15 minutes more or until cheese is melted.

Hamburger, Macaroni, and Bean Soup

As you can see by the picture, my attempt at this didn't really result in a soup. I made a big mistake and put the whole pound box of macaroni into the soup instead of just one cup. But I added some more ingredients and it ended up delicious anyway! It was more of a pasta, beef, and bean dish with a light tomato sauce coating everything.

I gave you the original recipe below, but put my changes for the thicker pasta dish in parentheses in case you want to try that version instead. Top with Parmesan cheese and serve with some crusty bread!

Hamburger, Macaroni, and Bean Soup

slightly adapted from The Big Book of Soups & Stews

Makes 6 servings (a lot more)

1 pound lean ground beef

1 cup chopped yellow onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1 teaspoon oil, if needed

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

6 cups beef stock or broth (8 cups)

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce (2 cans)

1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni (1 pound)

In a large pot over medium heat, combine meat, onion, garlic and bell pepper. Cook, breaking up meat, until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add oil if needed to keep from sticking.

Add remaining ingredients and increase heat to high; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until macaroni is tender and flavors are blended, 15-20 minutes.

Smoky Red Rice and Chorizo with Black Beans

OK, first things first - when getting the seeds out of a serrano chile, please try as hard as you can not to actually touch the seeds. When I was making this last night, I had the brilliant idea that it would just be so much easier to take the seeds out by hand rather than struggle with a knife. WRONG! For the remainder of the night, my fingers itched; and any time I touched my face, either my nose started running or my eyes started tearing. The best part was actually this morning, when I tried to put my contacts in and it felt like my eyes were on fire for about 15 minutes. But don't worry, it's all better now, and the meal was very tasty!

Alright, now the second thing - my lovely friend Katie taught me how to set the white balance on my camera so that my pictures don't come out as yellow. Unfortunately, that means fooling with the aperture (I have no clue what these words really mean, so please don't ask me to clarify ;), which I do NOT know much about yet; and so that led to out of focus pictures. But again, don't worry, I am working on how to fix that as we speak.

Is ANYthing clear in this pic?

And now to the food! This meal was fairly simple to throw together. I loved all the spicy flavors; and except for the chorizo, this dish is pretty healthy as well! The original recipe says it makes 4 servings, but it gave us two larger servings with a few leftovers (yeah, we eat a lot). If you don't like heat, leave out one of both of the serrano chiles. I had to add some sour cream to the finished product because it was borderline too spicy for me!

Spicy Red Rice with Chorizo and Black Beans

adapted from Every Day with Rachael Ray

Makes 2 servings with leftovers

1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1 cup white rice
2 jarred roasted red peppers, drained
1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, or about 3 teaspoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon paprika

olive oil
3/4- to 1-pound package Spanish chorizo, cut on an angle into 12 slices

2 serrano chiles, seeded and chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 15-ounce can diced fire-roasted (if you can find them, otherwise regular is fine) tomatoes, drained

1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
Salt and pepper

Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a medium pot. Add the rice, cover, lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed.

Using a food processor or mini-chopper, puree the roasted red peppers. Stir the puree into the rice along with the parsley and paprika. Cover, turn off the heat and let stand for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat about a tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo and cook until crisp, turning, about 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove and place on paper towels to drain.

Add the chiles, onion and garlic to the same skillet and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Turn heat to low and stir in the tomatoes, beans, and chorizo; season with salt and pepper and cook until heated through.

Spoon each serving of rice into a bowl and top with the bean mixture. Sprinkle with parsley if desired.

Black Bean and Rice Enchiladas

I was actually looking for something to make on Ash Wednesday when I found this recipe (and yes, I am aware the gravy has chicken broth, I would have made it with vegetable broth). But then Ash Wednesday came and went with some other meal, and I still had all of the ingredients for this, so I ended up making it on a Monday, hoping I could pass it by Chuck without him realizing there was no meat in it. A few forkfuls into dinner, I made the announcement that it only had beans and rice and Chuck said he didn't even realize it was meatless! So that means success to me!

The chili gravy on these was a great flavor, not like any other sauce I have made before for enchiladas. The recipe below makes 2 cups, but you only need 1 1/2 cups. So I adjusted as I was cooking to only make what I needed. However, those measurements would have read something like "a little less than a 1/2 teaspoon of so-and-so", so I just wrote you the original. Additionally, beans, rice, and cheese combined to make a very tasty filling. There are about a million people (or four) to cite on this recipe so I am going to try my best here!

Black Bean and Rice Enchiladas

adapted from The Shannon's Kitchen, who modified it from Amber's Delectable Delights

Makes 6 enchiladas

1/2 cup chili gravy, recipe below

6 (10-inch) flour tortillas

2 cups brown rice cooked as directed

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup jalepeno peppers, finely chopped (can be from a can)

1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese (or any combination of cheddar and Monterey Jack)

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup chili gravy, recipe below

1/2 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese, or other option

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread 1/2 cup chili gravy over the bottom of a 13 x 9 baking dish.

In a medium bowl, mix cooked rice, beans, jalapeno peppers, 1 cup cheese, and sour cream.

Lay each tortilla flat and fill with 1/2 cup of rice and bean mixture. (Microwaving the tortillas for 10-15 seconds helps with folding.) Fold top and bottom inward and fold the sides over. Lay seam side down in the prepared baking dish. (You may have some filling leftover.)

Repeat until all 6 tortillas are filled and top with 1 cup chili gravy and 1/2 cup shredded cheese.

Cover the dish with foil at bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake additional 5 minutes. Serve with extra sour cream and salsa, if desired

Chili Gravy

from The Homesick Texan via Sweet, Savory, Southern

makes 2 cups

1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil

1/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (Mexican oregano is preferred)

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 pinch ground cayenne pepper

1 pinch red pepper flakes

2 cups chicken broth

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the flour and continue stirring for 3 to 4 minutes, or until it makes a light brown roux.

Add all the dry ingredients and continue to cook for 1 minute, constantly stirring and blending ingredients. Add chicken broth or water, mixing and stirring until the sauce thickens.

Turn heat to low and let sauce simmer for 15 minutes. If desired, add water to adjust the thickness.

Black Bean Tortilla Casserole

Hmmm, I realized after taking these pictures that I could have added some garnish or something to make it look a little more appetizing. Now you will just have to trust me that it's really good! And meatless! I normally try to incorporate meat into every meal, but really, you don't even miss it here.

I changed some ingredient amounts from the original recipe, simply to adjust it to our tastes and what I had left in the refrigerator! This is a great weeknight meal complete with two types of cheese, beans, tortillas, and salsa! I made the mistake of buying HOT picante sauce so even Chuck, who does not like sour cream, was piling it on. Still delicious though and great for leftovers!

Black Bean Tortilla Casserole
from Reading, 'Riting, and Recipes (amounts adapted)
Makes 4 servings

1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 10-ounce can Rotel tomatoes
1 cup picante sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
4 ounces cream cheese
5 corn tortillas (7-inch), cut in half
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, Monterey, Pepper Jack, etc.)

In large skillet sauté onion until soft. Add tomatoes, picante sauce and cumin and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in beans and heat through. Add cream cheese and stir until melted. Remove from heat.

Spray bottom of a 8 x 8 baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1/3 of bean mixture on bottom of pan, topping with a layer of tortillas (five tortilla halves) and half of cheese. Then another layer of bean mixture, tortillas and bean mixture. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve with sour cream, lettuce and guacamole as desired.

Enchilada Casserole

Well this is certainly one mother of a casserole, or actually a lasagna if you think about all the layers. As I was loading all of the layers into the baking dish I thought to myself, this is a TON of food. But, like any good lasagna, it was a filling, comforting dish AND complete with Mexican flavors that Chuck and I both love!

I am normally not a fan of corn tortillas (I find them to be a little dry) so next time I may try this with flour tortillas instead. Other modifications I may try next time are to add a can of corn and/or some diced green chiles to the turkey and refried bean mixture. Now, I know some of you out there cannot stand refried beans, but you really can't taste them mixed in with the turkey and the sauce. They just add some bulk (and protein!) to the dish.




*Blog Note* Again, I apologize for the quality of the pictures. Between redoing both upstairs bathrooms, painting a few rooms, and replacing some windows; my new camera is taking a backseat in terms of funding. Hopefully soon though...maybe...Valentine's Day?!

I mean, really, how can I work under these conditions?!

Enchilada Casserole
from Culinary Infatuation via Lauren's Kitchen
Makes 6-8 servings

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey (the standard 1.25-1.33 lb. package works fine)
1 can refried beans
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves minced
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
1 26-ounce jar tomato sauce (I used Prego Traditional)
2 tablespoons chili powder divided
2 tablespoons cumin Divided (I used 2 teaspoons)
2 teaspoons smoked paprika divided (regular paprika is fine)
2 teaspoons dried oregano
Pinch of sugar
a few shakes of cayenne powder
salt and pepper to taste
18 corn tortillas
2 1/2 cups shredded cheese
salsa and sour cream, optional for serving


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.


Heat a medium sized skillet over medium heat and add ground turkey. Add 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 tablespoon cumin, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon oregano and salt and pepper. Cook until evenly browned. Remove with a slotted spoon into medium mixing bowl.

Wipe out skillet with paper towels and add canola oil. Keep skillet over medium heat and saute onions. When onion becomes translucent add garlic and parsley. Cook another minute. Add tomato sauce and the rest of the spices and sugar. Let simmer about 5 minutes.

Add refried beans to the bowl containing the turkey and about 1/4-1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce. Mix well.

Layer 6 tortillas on the bottom of prepared baking dish, cover with 1/3 of the sauce, then 1/3 of the meat-bean mixture, then 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat the process two more times, ending with tortillas, sauce and more cheese.


Cover with foil and cook for 25 minutes, uncovering the last 10 minutes. Serve with salsa and/or sour cream, if desired.

First layer of tortillas, covered by the sauce...

Complete first layer of tortillas, sauce, meat-bean mixture, and cheese. Ready for two more layers!

Mmmm, sloppy, sloppy comfort food.

Layered Mexican Dip

Everyone has their own version of taco/7-layer/Mexican dip (see, everyone even has different names for it!). I threw this one together today to bring to pizza night with my girlies! The original recipe called for ground beef as well, but that is just too heavy for an appetizer before pizza! So I changed a couple of other things around and came up with this. No baking required either!

Layered Mexican Dip
from Colleen's kitchen
Makes a lot!

16 ounce can refried beans
2 cups sour cream, divided
half medium onion, diced
4 ounce can diced green chilis
4 ounces taco sauce
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, chopped
4 plum tomatoes or 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Combine refried beans and 1 cup sour cream; spread in the bottom of an 8 x 8 dish.

Combine onion, chilis, and taco sauce; spread over bean mixture.

Spread remaining 1 cup sour cream over onion mixture.

Top with layers of lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese. Chill for at least 4 hours before serving.

Serve with sturdy tortilla chips and enjoy!