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

Shrimp Fajita Pasta

An easy and tasty weeknight dinner. I recommend making the fajita seasoning shown on the recipe - quick, easy, and less sodium than the store-bought brands. Substitute chicken if you're not a seafood fan!

Shrimp Fajita Pasta

Slow Cooker Pork and Green Chile Stew

Simple and delicious. I used diced green chiles instead of whole and left out the jalapenos - it was plenty spicy with the mild Rotel tomatoes.

Slow Cooker Pork and Green Chile Stew

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

Mexican Spinach Dip

This was really quick and easy to make and quite tasty. I was worried the spinach would make it all taste too earthy but it worked really well together. Enjoy!

Mexican Spinach Dip

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

Salsa Verde Enchiladas

This enchilada recipe is an old favorite of mine. It's the only one I've tried with salsa verde and I really enjoy it as an alternative to red sauce enchiladas. Fairly simple to make and assemble, it requires shredded chicken mixed with the salsa verde and a simple sauce made on the stovetop. Assemble, bake, and voila, you have a delicious meal. I like to serve this with Sauteed Corn and Black Bean Salad.

Salsa Verde Enchiladas

from source unknown

Makes 8 enchiladas

1 rotisserie chicken, shredded or 1 pound shredded chicken (about 2 1/4 cups)

1 jar (16-17 oucnes) mild salsa verde

3 green onions, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons fresh or 2 teaspoons dried cilantro

8 medium-sized flour tortillas

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup chicken broth

1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, stir 1/4 cup salsa verde into shredded chicken. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat remaining salsa, onions, and lime juice over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in 1 tablespoon cilantro, keep warm on very low.

Place one tortilla in salsa mix, turning to coat (tongs help here), heat 10 seconds. Place coated tortilla on work surface, top with 1/3 cup chicken mixture. Roll and place seam side down in prepared dish. Repeat with all 8 tortillas.

Stir sour cream and broth into remaining salsa in skillet. Spoon over filled tortillas in dish.

Cover with foil, bake 15 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle with cheese and remaining cilantro and bake uncovered, 5 minutes, or until cheese melts.

Cream Cheese and Black Bean Chicken

Cream Cheese and Black Bean Chicken

Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas

These were deeee-licious. We are big fans of buffalo chicken and as soon as we sat down and started to eat these Chuck said, "I didn't know this was exactly what I wanted to eat until I started eating it". Suffice it to say that we both loved them and I will be making them again soon! (Especially since we already ate the ones in the freezer as well!)


I didn't change anything that Jessica of How Sweet It Is wrote in the original recipe so I'll link you below. If you want to freeze half, just pile the enchiladas into a container, freeze half the sauce, and do the final baking when you defrost them. Enjoy!


Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas

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

Over-the-Border Shrimp Enchiladas

There are a few commercials out that advertise a lot of ideas for using cream cheese. Being a dairy addict myself, a lot of these look delicious! This first one I tried was really good - and nice and easy for a weeknight. The cumin and green chilies add a nice southwestern flair to these and of course the two kinds of cheeses make it nice and creamy.

I made the entire recipe and froze half of the enchiladas for another meal. If you do this, freeze the enchiladas before adding the salsa and shredded cheese, then just defrost, place in a baking dish and cover with the cheese and salsa before baking.

I served this with sauteed corn and salsa and roasted zucchini. And for some reason, I can't find the actual recipe on the website so I typed it again here for you:

Over-the-Border Shrimp Enchiladas

from spreadphilly.com

Makes 8 enchiladas

1 medium onion, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used large shrimp and cut each one into 3 pieces)

1 can (4-ounces) chopped green chilies, drained

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 package (8-ounces) cream cheese, cubed

8 flour tortillas (8 inches), warmed

1 1/2 cups chunky salsa

1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheeese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp, green chilies, chili powder, salt, cumin, and black pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Stir in cream cheese until melted.

Place 1/3 cup shrimp mixture in the center of each tortilla. Roll up and place seam-side down in a greases 13x9 baking dish. Pour salsa over top of tortillas and sprinkle with shredded cheese.

Bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.

Mexican Slow Cooked Pork Carnitas

The flavor of slow-cooked, shredded pork is so delicious, and I love using it in Mexican-style dishes. This recipe looked very simple to prepare for the slow cooker, so when I saw it on C + C Marriage Factory I saved it right away!

I didn't really make any changes to this recipe - except that I didn't feel like buying Adobo so I looked at the ingredients in the store and found it is just a mixture of garlic powder, tumeric, and salt and pepper. So I just used a combination of those while rubbing it into the pork.

You can use the shredded pork for any number of dishes: I used it in tortillas; when you click on the link below for the recipe you can see the Christina served it over rice.

Mexican Slow-Cooked Pork Carnitas

I served this with a side of Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Salad. And someone else wanted to say hi :)

Tostadas

Another great, easy recipe from my slow cooker book. The only quibble I have with this one is that you are basically making taco meat before you put everything into the slow cooker, so you need to find time for that. As I was putting this all together, I wondered how 3 hours of cooking would make this even taste any differently, but it really turned out pretty good. The beans and the cheese soup add another layer of taste and texture to the meat.

I couldn't find tostada, or taco shells, at the supermarket the day I went, but I had some corn tortillas in the freezer. As you can see, I placed two in a small ramekin, then baked at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes to crisp them up. They were alright in a jam but I would still recommend buying the shells. And if you can't find the nacho cheese soup (I couldn't), cheddar cheese soup works just fine.

Tostadas

from Cook Once, Eat Twice Slow Cooker Recipes

Makes 10 servings

2 pounds lean ground beef

2 (1.25-ounce) envelopes taco seasoning mix

1 (16-ounce) can refried beans

1 (10.75-ounce) can condensed fiesta nacho cheese soup

1 (10 count) package tostada shells

toppings such as shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, shredded cheese, sour cream, etc.

Cook the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat until browned. Drain off fat, add taco seasoning and cook according to package directions.

Transfer meat to 3 1/2-4 quart slow cooker. Stir in beans and soup.

Cover and cook on low heat setting for 3 to 4 hours or high heat setting for 1 1/2-2 hours. Serve on tostada shells and top with ingredients on choice.

Southwestern Steak Roll-Ups

No picture for this one (trust me, it wouldn't have been pretty anyway!) since it is a messy, yummy slow cooker meal that gets folded into a tortilla. I think I have mentioned before that my theory on the slow cooker is the less ingredients, the better. And this cookbook I have been using lately has a whole section of Five-Ingredient recipes. Perfect! I ask Chuck to pick one out while planning my weekly menu, and everything he has chosen has been great!

The original recipe called for a jalapeno pepper, but I was lazy and didn't want to deal with setting my hands on fire, so I opted for a can of green chilies instead. Use what you like!

Southwestern Steak Roll-Ups
slightly adapted from Cook Once, Eat Twice Slow Cooker Recipes
Makes 4 servings

1 (16-ounce) package frozen pepper stir-fry vegetables (yellow, green, and red peppers and onions)
1 - 1 1/2 pounds beef flank steak
1 (14.5-ounce) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes, drained (I could only find stewed tomatoes with green peppers and onion)
1 (4.5-ounce) can diced green chilies, drained
2 teaspoons chili powder
8 medium flour tortillas

Place frozen vegetables in a 3 1/2-4 quart slow cooker. Trim fat from steak and if necessary, cut to fit in cooker. Place steak on vegetables in cooker. In medium bowl, stir together tomatoes, green chilies, and chili powder. Pour over steak in cooker.

Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 7 to 8 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 1/2-4 hours. Remove steak from cooker, shred with two forks, and return to cooker, stirring to coat.

Warm tortillas in microwave (about 15 seconds) and use a slotted spoon to place desired amount of filling in center of each one. Add toppings such as cheese, sour cream, etc. and roll up.

Ground Turkey Enchiladas

It's no secret that Chuck and I like mexican/southwestern food and I am always looking for a new twist on an old favorite. These enchiladas caught my eye because they use ground meat instead of something more traditional like shredded chicken or pork. We really enjoyed how the spicy cream cheese added creaminess and texture to the filling; and this was fairly easy to make.

I used my typical 1 1/3 pound package of ground turkey instead of the 1 pound that the original recipe calls for, so this made ten enchiladas instead of eight. Other than that I just omitted the green pepper and everything else was the same. So just follow the link below to Macaroni and Cheesecake and enjoy!

Ground Turkey Enchiladas

Chicken Enchilada Dip Rollups

Happy New Year everyone! This is a fabulous little appetizer that feeds a crowd and is easy to assemble. You get lots of spicy southwestern flavor combined with the creamy cheeses all rolled up in an easy-to-eat bite.

If you can't find the flavored tortillas, the plain flour ones work as well - there is enough flavor from the filling. Also, the original recipe calls for a shredded rotisserie chicken, but you know that I prefer to make my own shredded chicken - do whichever is easier for you!

Chicken Enchilada Dip Rollups

slightly adapted from Delicious Meliscious, originally from Cook Like a Champion

Makes about 50 pieces

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 1/3 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese

1 clove garlic, minced

1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

cayenne pepper, to taste

kosher salt, to taste

2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

4 green onions, chopped

10-ounce can Rotel tomatoes, drained

1 package (10-count) jalapeno cheddar tortillas

Mix cheeses together in large bowl until well blended. Add all remaining ingredients except tortillas and mix well.

Lay out tortillas and place one heaping spoonful of filling in the middle of each tortilla. Spread mixture to edge of each tortilla, leaving a small border. Roll up and refrigerate for at least one hour (you will use about 9 tortillas, depending on how much filling you place on each).

Remove rollups from refrigerator and cut off the very ends, where there is no filling. Slice each rollup into 6 pieces each. Serve immediately or refrigerate until needed.

Zippy Turkey Bake

The time has finally come for me to start making meals that I can freeze and then use after the baby is born. We love casseroles in our house, so it's a fairly easy task. I got this recipe from a cookbook my mom had and played with the amounts of ingredients so that I could get two dinner-sized dishes out of it - one to eat now and one to freeze.

It turned out very well for a weeknight supper. I used ground turkey instead of ground beef, but you could use either (I didn't think Zippy Meat Bake had quite the right ring to it though). Chuck and I both enjoyed this slightly spicy, creamy, cheesy dish with just the right amount of hearty vegetables.

Zippy Turkey Bake
adapted from Taste of Home
Makes 6-8 servings

1 1/3 pound package lean ground turkey
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
3 medium zucchini or yellow squash, halved vertically and sliced
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3 cups rice, cooked (I measured out 3 cups uncooked rice, not 3 cups cooked rice)
2 (4-ounce) cans diced green chilies
1 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded Pepper Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 x 9 or two 8 x 8 baking dishes.

Cook turkey over medium heat in large skillet, drain. Add butter, zucchini, mushrooms, and green onions; cook and stir until vegetables are tender. Drain if necessary. Stir in chili powder, salt, and garlic powder. Remove from heat.

If the skillet is big enough, add rice, green chilies, sour cream, and 1 cup shredded cheese to turkey mixture and stir to combine. If not, add all ingredients to a large bowl and mix.

Turn mixture into baking dishes. Sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes, until heated through and slightly bubbly.

Cheese and Chicken Enchiladas

This is an old favorite that my mom has been making for years. Chuck loves them, and anyone my mom has made them for loves them. To me, it is a delicious, easy way to make enchiladas for a weeknight. And trust me, I am by no means under the impression that these are anywhere near "authentic" Mexican enchiladas, but man are they good!

For some reason, the number of enchiladas this makes varies every time for me. So have about 8 tortillas ready to fill but you probably won't them all. And for that reason, your baking dish may change in size as well depending on how many enchiladas you have. You want them to be pretty tightly packed in there, but not overlapping.

Cheese and Chicken Enchiladas

from Jo's kitchen

Makes 6-8 enchiladas

1 medium onion, chopped

2 tablespoons margarine or butter

2 cups shredded cooked chicken (about 2 breasts or 1 pound)

1 jar picante sauce, divided

8 ounces cubed cream cheese

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 cups shredded cheddar, divided

8 flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 11 x 7 or 13 x 9 glass dish with cooking spray.

Melt margarine or butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until tender, 5-7 minutes. Stir in chicken and 1/2 cup picante sauce, cream cheese, and cumin. Cook until cheese is melted and everything is thoroughly heated. Stir in 1 cup shredded cheese.

Warm tortillas about 10 seconds in the microwave to make them easier to fold. Spoon 1/3 cup chicken mixture into the middle of each tortilla; fold in sides and roll up. Place seam side down in prepared baking dish. Continue with remaining tortillas and chicken mixture. Top with remaining picante sauce and shredded cheese.

Bake 15 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. (These can be prepared in advance all the way up to the baking stage.)

Not so pretty in the photo, but very delicious!