Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

These were amazing! I found the recipe on Pinterest which let me to the Pennies on a Platter blog(Check it out!). I love that these taquitos are baked and not fried! They are easy to make. We all loved them! Give them a try and enjoy!

3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup green salsa
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice (juice from half a lime)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp chopped cilantro(I did not use cilantro)
2 Tbsp sliced green onions
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup shredded Mexican flavored cheese
small flour or corn tortillas(I used flour)
kosher salt
cooking spray

Preheat your oven to 425˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, salsa, lime juice, ground cumin, chili powder, onion powder and garlic. Once combined, stir in the cilantro and green onions. Add the chicken and cheese; mix thoroughly.
(If you decided to prep this in advance, refrigerate the mixture at this point until ready to continue.)

Working with a few tortillas at a time, heat them in the microwave between two paper towels until they are soft enough to roll (about 20 – 30 seconds).

Spoon 2-3 Tablespoons of the chicken mixture onto the lower third of a tortilla. Roll the tortilla as tightly as you can.

Place the rolled tortilla seam side down on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas until the mixture is gone.  Make sure the taquitos are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with kosher salt.(I didn't sprinkle with salt)

 Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until crisp and golden.
Serve with salsa, sour cream or guacamole.

Thank you Pennies on a Platter! Pin It

Fiesta Chicken

The other day I saw a recipe posted for Fiesta Chicken on the Krazy Coupon Lady's blog. I thought it sounded really good, and also easy. I tried it and we all loved it! We even cut up the chicken the next night, mixed it in with the rice and served it in tortillas.We will definitely make this again!

Ingredients:
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can corn(I omitted the corn)
1 can black or pinto beans
1 cup water
1 cup salsa
1 1/2 cups uncooked rice
10 chicken tenderloins(I used 4 chicken breasts)
I also mixed in some taco seasoning
Mix all ingredients but chicken together in a large mixing bowl. Season chicken with salt, pepper and paprika. Place chicken in the bottom of a 9×13 pan. (I put the chicken on top of the rice) Pour mixture over the top. Cover with foil. Bake at 375 degrees for about an hour (mine was about an hour and thirty minutes) until rice is cooked.  Sprinkle with cheese before serving. Pin It

Albondigas Soup

My husband's family makes the best Mexican food on earth, Imo, so I never try to make it for him. Yes, he complains but I just tell him, call your aunt, cousin, uncle, or Nino, have them make you something that I will only, in my attempt to replicate, destroy for both of us. Well today I decided to jump in with both feet and make the traditional meatball soup-Albondigas. I will say it turned out great, although not completely traditional in taste, it was a winner for the whole family (even the three kids). It tastes a little like meatball soup and tortilla soup together. Give it a shot, it makes enough to feed for a couple days.

Meatballs

2 lbs ground turkey or extra-lean ground beef

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup uncooked rice (I used jasmine but use whatever you want)

2 tbls chopped fresh cilantro

1 tbl chopped fresh basil

1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp kosher salt

In a large bowl combine ground turkey/beef, eggs and rice with your hands (always fun). Add rest of ingredients and combine until thoroughly mixed (use your hands again). Form meat mixture into 1" balls, arrange on a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate while preparing the soup.

Soup

3Tbl Olive Oil

4-5 cloves garlic, minced

1 large white onion, chopped

1 large red onion, chopped

1 bunch of green onions, include green tops, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 large cans/boxes of chicken stock (35 oz each)

4 cups water

1 chicken bouillon cube

3 TBL fresh lemon juice

1 TBL fresh lime juice

1 tsp paprika

1 TBL cayenne pepper

2 TBL Kosher salt

1 can garbanzo beans, drained

1 can whole kernel corn, drained

1 can black beans, drained

2 (14.5 oz) cans stewed tomatoes, not drained

1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

freshly ground black pepper

Garnish

sour cream

grated cheese

I a large stockpot over medium heat warm the oil and add the minced garlic. Stir about 1 min, dont let garlic burn. Add all three onions and the celery and saute, stirring frequently, until the onions are soften and sweet, about 10 minutes.

Add chicken broth, bouillon, water and just bring to a boil. Remove meatballs from the refrigerator. Turn soup down to a simmer and slowly add meatballs to soup, add carefully and only a few at a time. Return soup to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 more minutes. While meatballs are cooking, skim off any foam that floats on the surface with a spoon, discard.

Gently stir in lemon and lime juice, paprika, cayenne pepper and salt. Add beans, corn and tomatoes. Again, bring soup to a boil on high heat, reduce to simmer and simmer uncovered for about 5 more minutes.

Just before serving add fresh cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and add sour cream and cheese. Great served with warm corn tortillas and lime wedges.

Original recipe courtesy of Bob Gelb (Nordstrom's friends and family cookbook)

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Chicken Enchiladas

My husband usually comments that there's "too much cheese" when I make enchiladas. I never think there can be "too much cheese", but I did my best to make these enchiladas more husband friendly. The result was a very yummy enchilada recipe that still had enough cheese for my taste. However, if you love a lot of cheese, just double the cheese ingredients. You can make these enchiladas in a 9X13 pan or put it in 2 or 3 smaller pans like I did. I froze 2 extra in 8X8 pans to freeze for future dinners.
Ingredients:
10-15 small flour tortillas
1 large can green enchilada sauce
4 chicken breasts, baked and cut up or shredded(about 4 cups of chicken)
1 small can diced green chilies
1 onion, finely chopped
4 oz softened cream cheese(I used light this time)
1 & 1/2 cups shredded cheddar/Jack cheese

Directions:
Mix cream cheese, onion, chilies and 1/2 cup shredded cheese in a large bowl. Add chicken and mix again. Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of a greased 9X13 pan. Heat flour tortillas 5 at a time in the microwave for about 35 seconds, till soft. Put some of the chicken mixture in a tortilla, roll up and place seam down into the pan. After the pan is filled up, cover the enchiladas with remaining sauce. Bake at 375, covered for 30 minutes. Take out and add remaining shredded cheese to top. Bake uncovered for about 10 more minutes.  (times will vary if using a freezer meal)

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"Re Fried" Beans in the Slow Cooker

I've been wanting to try and make my own re fried beans for some time now. I found a recipe that I thought would be simple and since it received great reviews, I decided to give it a try. They were so good! Everyone loved them! This recipe makes enough to freeze some for later use.
Recipe courtesy of AllRecipes.com

Ingredients:

1 onion, peeled and halved 3 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed 1/2 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped 2 tablespoons minced garlic

5 teaspoons salt 1 3/4 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin, optional 9 cups water

Directions:

1.	Place the onion, rinsed beans, jalapeno, garlic, salt, pepper, and cumin into a slow cooker. Pour in the water and stir to combine. Cook on High for 8 hours, adding more water as needed. Note: if more than 1 cup of water has evaporated during cooking, then the temperature is too high.
2.	Once the beans have cooked, strain them, and reserve the liquid. Mash the beans with a potato masher, adding the reserved water as needed to attain desired consistency.

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Tex-Mex Lasagna

This week was my pick for our facebook group's ROTW. I decided to go with a recipe I found for Tex-Mex Lasagna. It was really good and my whole  family liked it! I did make a few changes which are shown in bold. I made one lasagna for our dinner tonight and 2 additional lasagna's in an 8X8 pan for later use. I'm trying to make more meals that can be put in the freezer. I'll explain how you can make freezer meals later this week! It cost me about $7.00 to make 3 small lasagnas, which feeds our family of 4. Add a side of beans and that's only about $3.00 a meal!

Ingredients

• 1  pound  lean ground beef
• 1  cup  frozen diced onion, red and green bell pepper, and celery(I chopped 1/2 cup fresh onion, and omitted the peppers and celery)
• 3  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  tablespoon  chili powder
• 1  teaspoon  salt-free chipotle seasoning blend(I didn't have this on  hand. I sprinkled some garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, salt and pepper)
• 1  (24-oz.) jar mild salsa( I used hot salsa. It was HOT, but yummy)
• 1  (15-oz.) can dark red kidney beans, drained(I used a can of seasoned black beans)
• 1  (10-oz.) can enchilada sauce
• 1  (10-oz.) package frozen whole kernel corn, thawed(I used 1 can of ranch beans, since I knew my family would rather not have corn in it)
• 16  (6-inch) fajita-size corn tortillas(I cut these into 1 inch pieces to make it easier to layer)
• 4  cups  (16 oz.) shredded Mexican four-cheese blend
• Toppings: sour cream, chopped tomatoes

Preparation

1. Cook first 5 ingredients in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, 10 to 12 minutes or until vegetables are tender and beef crumbles and is no longer pink.
2. Stir in salsa and next 3 ingredients. Cook 5 to 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
3. Layer 1 cup beef mixture, 2 tortillas (overlapping edges), and 1/2 cup cheese in a lightly greased 7- x 5- x 1 1/2-inch baking dish. Repeat layers once. Repeat procedure with 3 additional 7- x 5- x 1 1/2-inch baking dishes. Cover dishes with nonstick aluminum foil.
4. Bake, covered, at 350° for 30 minutes; uncover and bake 5 more minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serve with desired toppings.
Note: To use a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish, prepare recipe through Step 2. Omit 4 corn tortillas. Layer one-third beef mixture, 6 tortillas (overlapping edges), and 2 cups cheese. Repeat layers with one-third beef mixture, remaining 6 tortillas, remaining beef mixture, and ending with remaining 2 cups cheese. Bake, covered, at 350° for 40 minutes; uncover and bake 10 more minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe courtesy of MyRecipes.com

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Mexican Chicken Lasagna

A few days ago I went to a Pampered Chef party where they served Mexican Chicken Lasagna as the recipe for the night. It is basically just a enchilada casserole(which I've made before) but one of the ingredients was cream cheese which I have never put in my enchiladas. I thought they were great! I very nice twist to a basic enchilada recipe. I searched for and found the actual recipe on recipezaar.com. The original is made in the microwave using one of their special microwavable dishes(a deep ceramic oblong dish with a lid). I baked mine in the oven using a standard 9X13 pan. This is a very rich and cheesy recipe, which I love, but I know not everyone has the same love for cheese that I do. You can always cut the cream cheese and shredded cheese amounts in half.

SERVES 8 , 1 lasagna

• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, lightly packed(I left the cilantro out)
  
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 2 cups monterey jack cheese, shredded, divided(I like using half cheddar, half jack)
  
• 1 medium onion (about 2/3 cup chopped)(I used half this much)
  
• 1 (28 ounce) can enchilada sauce
• 12 (6 inch)  corn tortillas
• 3 cups cooked chicken (diced or shredded)
• fresh cilantro leaves, chopped (optional) 

These directions use Pampered Chef tools, but you can use any knife, bowl, etc...that you have at home.

1. Chop cilantro with Chef’s Knife. Place cream cheese in Classic Batter Bowl. Microwave on HIGH 30-45 seconds or until very soft. Add cilantro and 1½ cups of the Monterey Jack cheese; mix well using Small Mix ‘N Scraper®. Chop onion using Food Chopper; set aside. Spread 2/3 cup of the enchilada sauce over bottom of Deep Covered Baker. Pour remaining enchilada sauce into Stainless (4-qt.) Mixing Bowl; set aside.
2. To assemble lasagna, using Sauté Tongs, dip four tortillas into enchilada sauce in mixing bowl and arrange over sauce in baker overlapping as necessary. Scoop half of the cream cheese mixture over tortillas using Small Scoop; spread using Small Spreader. Top with 1 cup of the chicken and one-third of the onion. Repeat layers one time. Dip remaining four tortillas into sauce and arrange over second layer. Top with remaining chicken and onion. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over lasagna and sprinkle with remaining ½ cup Monterey Jack cheese.
3. Microwave, covered, on HIGH 12-15 minutes or until center is hot. Let stand 10 minutes. Sprinkle with additional chopped cilantro. Cut into squares using Utility Knife; serve using Mini-Serving Spatula.(I baked mine at 375 for 35 minutes, using a glass 9X13 pan)

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Easy Cheesy Taco Cups

I found this recipe last summer in a magazine (which one? I do not know as I just tore it out and stuck it on my fridge). It was presented by a gentleman named Byron Kasper. It originally called out for bbq sauce and I will give that variation at the bottom but I changed it to fit my family's tastes and they love tacos. You can make this from start to finish in less than 30 minutes and your family will love it, especially the kids. It is great for a quick weekday dinner and you may already have the ingredients on hand. To make it lighter just substitute lean meat of your choice, light cheese and reduced fat biscuits. The picture does not show the true way I serve this to my family because when I added the tomatoes and hot sauce it looked like I had murdered someone in the kitchen. Sometimes red photographs a little gruesome, but please feel free to add salsa, tomatoes, cilantro, or anything else you would add to your taco, just remember to add it after it comes out of the oven. Oh I forgot to add, it is made with only 5 ingredients!

Ingredients:

3/4- 1 lb ground beef, turkey, chicken (your choice)

1/4 cup taco seasoning or 1 packet of the prepackaged kind

1 16.3 ounce can of refrigerated biscuits (use reduced fat, you cannot tell a difference)

3/4 cup shredded cheese of your choice, I use the mexican blend if I make tacos and jack if I do the bbq style.

1 tsp sour cream (or what ever extra you like on your taco)

Preheat oven to 400〫In a skillet, brown the meat over medium heat, drain. Pour drained meat back in pan and heat over medium heat, add taco seasoning and 1/2 cup water. Stir until mixed. Grease a 6 jumbo muffin pan and place a piece of each biscuit dough in each cup, stretching the dough up the sides. Divide the meat mixture among the biscuit cups, sprinkle each with cheese and bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Various: 3/4 cup beef, 1/2 cup bbq sauce of your choice, 1 TBL brown sugar, and cheese of your choice.

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Burrito Filling

A few weeks ago Kimberly posted her review for spicy black bean empanadas. The recipe was one of the recipe's of the week from our Facebook group. It was such a delicious recipe that I decided to make a similar version of it tonight and use it for burrito filling. I used a lot of the same ingredients and I also added a few things. It tasted great and it was a nice change from the packaged mix that I usually use when I make burritos.

Ingredients:

1lb ground beef

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 garlic clove, minced

1&1/2 teaspoons chili powder

1&1/2 teaspoons cumin

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1 15oz can pinto beans, drained

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder*

1/4 teaspoon onion powder*

1/4 teaspoon salt*

1/4 teaspoon pepper*

1 cup shredded cheese(I used cheddar/jack mix)

*Onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper are approximate measurements. I added these to taste. Add more or less to fit your taste.

Brown beef in pan. Once it is almost cooked through, push meat to side and add minced garlic and onion. Saute for a few minutes until tender. Mix together and add remaining ingredients(except cheese). Cook on low for 8 minutes. Mix in cheese. Once melted, wrap up in warm flour tortillas. Tastes great with guacamole and sour cream.

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ROTW- Spicy Black Bean Empanadas

This was our ROTW for last week, I think you can still click on the link at right and it will take you there, if not then here is the link for our Spicy Black Bean Empanadas This was a great recipe, the filling was delicious, so much so that I bought big portobello mushroom caps to stuff with this recipe's filling later next week. The black beans and the cheese melded perfectly with the cumin and cilantro, I wanted to make these again immediately after we finished our last bite.

Ingredients

* 2 (17.3 ounce) packages Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Sheets (I used the new precut disk ones)
* 1 egg
* 1 tablespoon water
* 1/2 pound ground pork or turkey ( I used 3/4 lb ground pork, 1/2 lb was not enough stuffing)
* 1 small red pepper, diced
* 4 medium green onions, chopped
* 2 clove garlic, minced
* 1/2 cup tomato sauce (I used 1 1/2 TBL of Tomato paste and 1/4 cup water, I like the flavor better)
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1 teaspoon chili powder
* 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper ( I used hot sauce, a dash of Franks or even the Asian chili sauce)
* 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (I used light mexican blend to save some calories and I love that blend)
* 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
* 1 cup sour cream
* 1 cup guacamole

Directions
1. Thaw the pastry sheets at room temperature for 40 minutes or until they're easy to handle. Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with vegetable cooking spray. Stir the egg and water with a fork in a small bowl.
2. Cook the pork in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until the pork is well browned, stirring frequently to break up meat. Add the diced red pepper, green onions and garlic. Cook until tender. Stir the tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder and crushed red pepper into the skillet. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 8 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the cheese, 1 cup of the beans and cilantro. Let cool.
3. Unfold 1 pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll to a 16x12-inch rectangle. Cut into 10 (2 1/2-inch) rounds. Top half of each round with 1 teaspoon cheese mixture. Brush edges of pastry with water. Fold over and press the edges with a fork to seal. Place the empanadas on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining pastry and cheese mixture. Brush with the egg mixture.
4. Bake for 18 minutes or until golden.

Serve with sour cream, guacamole and remaining beans.

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Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Soup

Ok, so the picture is not good, but the soup tasted great. I made this soup a couple weeks ago. It was one of our ROTWs. It is a "light" recipe, but it is not lacking in flavor AT ALL. My entire family loved it, even my very picky husband and children. I did make a couple of changes to the recipe. I'll put those in Italic.

2	cans (10 3/4 oz each) condensed 98% fat-free cream of chicken soup with 30% less sodium
1	can (10 oz) Old El Paso® enchilada sauce(I used the next size up, I believe 14 oz)
2	cups milk
1	cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (4 oz)
1	package (9 oz) frozen cooked southwestern-seasoned chicken breast strips, thawed, chopped (2 cups)(I could only find this in the lunch meat section, not frozen)
3/4	cup crushed tortilla chips

1.	In 3-quart saucepan, mix all ingredients except tortilla chips. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly heated and cheese is melted.
2.	Top individual servings with tortilla chips.

I also mixed in about 1/2 cup of salsa while the soup was heating up. 

Recipe courtesy of BettyCrocker.com







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Cheater Chili Rellenos

My husband is Mexican and his family makes some of the greatest Mexican food and while I have picked up a few recipes here and there, I have not fully master the full depth of flavor that his family gets into their meals. One of my favorite Mexican dishe is chili rellenos, the real, authentic, full-bodied ones made with Anaheim chilis and homemade enchilada sauce. My aunt taught me to make these little cheater ones and I have to say they are really good and easy. Serve with a canned enchilada sauce and these make a great appetizer or with a side of rice and beans they can be a quick meal.

1 can whole green chilis

1 package of egg roll wrappers

1 small block of Monterey Jack cheese, cut into 2 1/2" x 1/2 thick sticks

oil for frying

1 small can enchilada sauce

1 - 2 tsp honey

heat oil to 350〫

Heat enchilada sauce and honey on the stove in a small pan until hot.

Open can of chili, drain and discard liquid. Gentle open the cut end of the green chili and stuff a stick of Jack cheese inside. Open egg roll wrappers and turn the wrappers so that one corner is facing you. Lay the stuffed green chili on the lower 1/3 of wrapper, take the corner closes to you and wrap around the chili until the wrapper is just covering the chili. Take both side corners of the egg roll wrapper and fold over the partially wrapped chili. It should look like you are making a burrito. Once three corners are in place, roll the chili in the rest of the egg roll wrapper. Seal corner with a touch of water. Carefully place in hot oil and fry for approximately 3 min or until egg roll wrapper is browned.

Remove carefully and drain on a wire rack placed over a sheet pan lined with newspaper or paper towels. Serve with a side of enchilada sauce mixed with the honey and warmed in the microwave for dipping.

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