The Best Enchiladas!

 I just have to say, Amber's Kitchen is my new favorite source for recipes!  I started following her for bread recipes and then started branching out and trying her main dishes.  Every one I have tried has been our favorite!  Please check her out!  (Her cinnamon rolls are perfection!). With my husband's allergy to chicken, I really haven't had the nerve to try chicken enchiladas with turkey.  I just didn't think they would turn out right.  But after I saw the cream sauce to pour over these enchiladas, I just had to try them.  So I cooked my turkey all day in the crock pot so it was just falling apart and then added it to the recipe.  My husband looked pretty skeptical at first, but after the first bite gave me some of the biggest praise I've received since cooking without chicken, pork, and beef.  So I definitely had to save this recipe!

Ingredients:

*4 cups of shredded chicken breast
*1/2 teaspoon salt
*1/2 teaspoon chili powder
*1/2 teaspoon cumin
*2 tablespoons honey
*2 granulated lime packets or the juice of one lime
*8-10 soft taco size tortillas
*1.5 cups grated cheese 
*4 tablespoons butter
*1/2 cup flour
*1 16 oz. jar salsa verde (or use a large jar of enchilada sauce)
*2 cups chicken broth
*1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:
1. In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and mix. Then add the salsa verde and whisk together until we’ll combined. 
2. When it starts to thicken, add the two cups of chicken broth and continue to whisk over medium heat for a couple of minutes. 
3. Add heavy cream and remove from heat. 
4. Season the shredded chicken with salt, chili powder, cumin, lime, and honey. Mix together. 
5. Layer tortillas with chicken, then cheese. Roll up. 
6. In a 9x13 inch baking pan, pour in half of the sauce. Set the rolled up enchiladas inside, then pour out and spread the other half of the sauce and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. 
7. Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes, uncovered. Serve immediately!

Mexican Street Corn Soup

My husband enjoys this soup because of all the different toppings you can add to it.  I got the original recipe from thestayathomechef and then added black beans and Monterey Jack cheese to it to make it even more fun. 

INGREDIENTS

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 small sweet onion chopped
• 1 jalapeno minced (optional)
• 5 cloves garlic crushed
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 4 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
• 6 cups frozen corn kernels
• 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream half and half, or milk
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 cup freshly chopped cilantro

Toppings:

Crumbled cooked bacon

cotija cheese

fresh squeeze of lime juice

jalapeno slices

tortilla chips, fritos, breadsticks, or oyster crackers

more cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS

• Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add in the onions and minced jalapeno and sauté for about 5 minutes, then stir in garlic and cook an additional 1 minute.
• Stir in the flour, cumin, and chili powder and cook 1-2 minutes. Whisk in the chicken stock until smooth and bring to a boil. Add in the corn, sugar, and salt. Once it returns to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer 10 minutes.
• Stir in cream and monterey jack cheese and cilantro. Serve topped with crumbled bacon, cotija, and jalapeno slices.

Extra good taco salad!

We love taco salad!  It is one of my stand-by meals for nights when I don't have much time because I usually make taco meat in bulk and then freeze it in portions perfect for one dinner.  So all I have to do it warm it up, toss the salad together, and serve!  I will admit that my girls do not like salad so I just fix them a quick fried taco instead.  THIS recipe caught my eye because it included cilantro and sweet peppers which I LOVE but have never included in my taco salad.  We liked this recipe so much that I have decided to replace my normal recipe with this one.  A couple of changes I made this time: I always buy green-leaf lettuce for salads; we just like it better than the other types.  My husband does not like cold beans, chicken, and corn, so I mixed them together, topped them with a bit of salsa and warmed them in my toaster oven before adding to the rest of the veggies.  And he does not like avocados so I reserved those for myself.  And we don't like raw onions.  I also made up my own version of the dressing because we don't like mayonnaise and I make my own taco and ranch seasonings.  I'd tell you what I did, but I never measure :)

• Ingredients for salad:
• 2 cups shredded chicken or taco meat
• 1 green bell pepper, diced (I prefer a bit of each of the stoplight peppers because they are sweeter and add color!)
• 1 can black beans, rinsed (I used my own soaked and cooked beans)
• 1 can sweet yellow corn (or 1 cup frozen corn, thawed)
• 2 roma tomatoes, diced (I skipped this because I added a bit of salsa)
• 4 green onions, sliced
• 1 head ice berg lettuce, washed and chopped (I prefer green-leaf lettuce)
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 2 ripe avocados, diced
• 1 cup crushed tortilla chips
for the dressing:
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2/3 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp ranch seasoning
• 1 tbsp taco seasoning

1. In a large bowl, combine all salad ingredients together, excluding the tortilla chips.
2. In a small bowl stir all dressing ingredients together.
3. Pour dressing over salad, starting with about half of the dressing.
4. Toss to combine, then gradually add more dressing until it is dressed to your liking.
5. Top with tortilla chips. Enjoy!

New Favorite Recipe: Honey Lime Enchiladas

I've been meaning to try out this recipe for quite a while now and I'm ever so glad that I did! The flavors are just delicious! I have to admit that I made a few changes (of course!) It was actually the grocery store's fault -- they were out of green enchilada sauce so I just decided to go with mango salsa instead. And it was a great substitution! Mark thought it was delicious! Many thanks to The Girl Who Ate Everything for the recipe!

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup lime juice

1 Tablespoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded
8-10 flour tortillas, (I use the soft taco tortillas because they fit perfectly in the pan)

1 pound monterey jack cheese, shredded

2 cups green enchilada sauce or mango salsa

1/2 cup heavy cream

toppings of choice (sour cream, cilantro, avocado, rice and beans, quinoa, etc)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the honey, lime juice, chili powder and garlic powder together and toss with the shredded chicken. Let it marinate for at least 1/2 hour.

Butter pan. Pour enough enchilada sauce or salsa on the bottom of each baking pan to create a thin layer on the bottom. Fill flour tortillas with chicken and a generous amount of shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas.

Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the cream and leftover chicken marinade (you might not need to use all of the enchilada sauce depending on how saucy you like yours). Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas and top with reserved cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top. Can be served with whatever toppings you like (sour cream, rice and beans, avocado, ect)

chicken grilling packets with lime and cilantro marinade

My friend Lauren sent me this awesome recipe containing my favorite lime and cilantro! Everyone at my house thought it was great!

rice or quinoa

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
2.5 Tbsp fresh lime juice (I juiced a lime and then added a bunch of zest as well)
1.5 Tbsp olive oil

a tsp of chil powder

tsp of cumin in the marinade1/4 tsp salt
Toppings of choice: black beans, salsa, lettuce, sour cream, cheese, avocado, etc
Pound out chicken to tenderize. Slice or cube chicken. Make marinade in ziploc and add chicken. Marinate from 30 min to a few hours...I did like 4 hrs. Empty bag onto foil, wrap it up and throw it on the grill!!

We ate it over soaked brown rice with black beans, salsa, lettuce, s.cream and cheese! YUM! If you want extra limey taste squeeze another lime on top of the chicken before serving.

Healthy and Frugal Dinner: Black Bean Salsa

We had a taco bar at my house last night and some friends brought this amazing black bean salsa to share. It was fabulous on our tacos, but would be great on its own as well. I absolutely love the fresh flavors of lime and cilantro that permeate this dish! The recipe comes from Passionate Homemaking (Lindsey has yet to post a recipe that I did not like! You should really subscribe to her blog!) Enjoy!

1 cup cooked black beans (or 1 can, drained)

1 fresh tomato, diced
1 cup fresh corn
1/2 cucumber, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1/4 cup or more chopped cilantro
2 Tbls. lime juice (or lemon!)
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
Sprinkle of red pepper flakes, salt & pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, to taste
4 tortillas (If using homemade, make sure they are thin enough to roll up!)
Salsa, sour cream and guacamole, if desired

Stir fry the onions and garlic until translucent. Add the beans and remaining ingredients. Heat through before laying on tortillas with other toppings, as desired.

Stuffed Peppers With a Mexican Flair

I love stuffed peppers! But my husband is not a huge fan of the normal rice and beef and tomato sauce version. So I thought I'd try something different and he really liked it! (Of course, he decided to eat it with chips, and that makes everything wonderful in his book :) But this dish would also be great served over quinoa or rice, and I ate the leftovers wrapped up in one of my home-made tortillas and it was delicious! You could even make it a vegetarian dish if you skipped on the ground beef. I got the recipe from Kitchen Stewardship, a great blog for finding healthy recipes and learning about nutrition! I substituted my own taco meat for the ground beef and seasoning packet because I wanted to avoid all the MSG and fake seasonings in those packets. My girls won't eat the peppers, but I saved them a mixture of the taco meat, corn, and beans before adding in the salsa. They loved it with a little bit of quinoa and cheese added.

Ingredients:
3-5 bell peppers, green or colored, halved, seeds removed
1/2 pound ground beef (or a full pound)
1 Tbs. taco seasoning (or follow package directions for 1/2 pound beef)
1 1/2 c. frozen corn (optional)
2 c. black beans (dried and prepared or about 1 can)
1 16 oz. jar salsa
1/4 c. diced red onion
(optional) other vegetables: diced red pepper, zucchini, leafy greens, etc…anything you have on hand to enhance the mixture
shredded cheese

Directions: Mix all the ingredients except cheese (I warmed mine and mixed on the stove top) and simply fill the raw peppers, adding a little water around them in the casserole dish to soften them up while it bakes. Bake 30 minutes, covered, before removing the cover for 5-10 minutes to brown the cheese.

Taco Seasoning Mix

We were planning to have taco salad this week, so I decided to try out a new recipe. While at my parents' house a while back, I watched an Alton Brown show about tacos. (Yes, I LOVE the Food Network!!! But we don't have cable so I only get to watch it at my parents' house :) His tacos looked so good that I had to try the recipe. Mark thought it was great, and I like it because I can mix up a bunch of the dry ingredients ahead of time for whenever I want to make taco meat in a hurry!

Seasoning mix:

• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons hot smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Put all of the ingredients in a small jar and shake to combine. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

Yield: 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons

Other ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 16 ounces ground sirloin
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 recipe Taco Seasoning Mix (recipe above)
• 2/3 cup low-sodium beef broth (I used some home-made chicken stock and a few Tbs of tomato sauce)
  
• 2 Tbs oil (I used olive)
  

Directions: Heat oil on med. heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion and cook until softened and lightly browned around the edges, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the ground meat, 1 teaspoon salt, and garlic. Cook until browned, about 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, to break up the meat. Add Taco Seasoning Mix and beef broth. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until sauce is slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.

I found the recipe @ http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/all-american-beef-taco-recipe/index.html

Don't eat Mexican without fresh lime juice and cilantro!

I just had to write about how I am currently addicted to freshly squeezed lime and cilantro. I've been adding it to all sorts of random mexican-like things and it just makes my food seem so fresh and delicious. I first got the craving after making Chicken Taquitos, and then our friends Mary and Samy made us a yummy Gordito dinner and offered us fresh limes to squeeze and cilantro to sprinkle on the top... and I was hooked! Here are a couple of my favorite ways to use it:

Easiest Taco Dinner: Place chicken breasts and a jar of salsa in a crockpot on low all day. (Read the ingredients in your salsa or you will mistakenly get HFCS!) Serve with your favorite type of tacos/tortillas/gorditos/rice/quinoa and any/all of the following add-ons:

sliced avocado
sour cream or cream cheese
sliced lime
cilantro
diced cucumbers
soaked and cooked beans
lettuce
shredded cheese
*Remember to squeeze the lime juice on last!

My favorite easy lunch:
Fill a pita or tortilla with turkey or chicken breast, top with a bit of salsa and cheese, sprinkle on some cilantro, and squeeze some lime juice on top just before toasting in the toaster oven.

Easy chip dip:
Slowly heat equal portions of salsa and cream cheese on stove top on med-low, mixing regularly. Or bake in oven, at about 350 for 20 min, layered with cream cheese on the bottom and salsa on the top. Sprinkle cilantro and drizzle with lime juice right before serving. You can also add shredded cheese if desired.

Lynne's Layered Mexican Dip

My MIL makes this easy, yummy dip often when we come to visit :)

Ingredients:
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
either a can of chili or homemade hot dog chili
1 can of diced Mexican style tomatoes with diced green chilies
1 bag pf Mexican shredded cheese
sour cream

Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Spread cream cheese in the bottom of a medium baking dish. Layer the chili and then the tomatoes. Top with the shredded Mexican cheese and bake for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Serve hot with nachos or whatever chips you like and sour cream on the side.

Cara's quinoa and black beans

I've never actually made a recipe using quinoa before; I always just use it in place of rice or with maple syrup for breakfast. But Cara sent me this recipe to go with her awesome Chicken Taquitos and I am so glad we tried it! We all enjoyed it, but Karlie in particular ate a ridiculous amount :) I followed the recipe pretty well but I skipped on the cayenne pepper, though :) I also soaked my quinoa overnight in 2 Tbs. of yogurt and 1 cup of warm water to make it healthier before rinsing and adding to the recipe.

Ingredients

* 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
* 1 onion, chopped
* 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
* 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
* 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* salt and pepper to taste
* 1 cup frozen corn kernels
* 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
* 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned.
2. Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with vegetable broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes,
3. Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the black beans and cilantro.

This recipe is part of Kelly's SUYL side dishes!

Cara's Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

My friend Cara sent me this recipe and we all really enjoyed it! Mark said it is one of the "most authentic Mexican-tasting dishes" I've made :) That is probably because of the cilantro, which I haven't used very much before but definitely will now! We used mild salsa instead of green salsa and I actually fried the tacos instead of baking them because Mark likes 'em crispy ). We paired it with Cara's quinoa and black beans recipe and it was quite a hit! It will definitely be a staple on my meal plan now!

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
2 Tbsp sliced green onions
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup shredded Mexican flavored cheese
small flour or corn tortillas
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.

Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until crisp and golden.

Serve with salsa, sour cream or guacamole.

**To freeze: Before baking, chill the taquitos on the baking sheet in the fridge. Once completely cooled, wrap each taquito individually with plastic wrap. Place in a labeled freezer bag and freeze. To bake a frozen taquito (no need to thaw first): Preheat oven to 425˚F and bake for 20 minutes.

Tex-Mex Beefy Hashbrown Casserole

This is a recipe that my Mom made for my Dad recently and he just raved about it. So I thought I'd try it out for Mark. I 'll let you know how we like it :)

1 lb ground beef
1 red pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 pkg taco seasoning mix (I'll just use my home-made Taco meat instead)
1/2 cup water (this is for mixing with the seasoning, so I'll skip it :)
4 cups cubed hashbrowns (I'll probably just grate some potatoes :)
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen corn -- make sure you get organic or it will be GMO!
8 oz Velveeta, cut into cubes (as much as I love Velveeta, I will not use it because it is FAKE cheese and so very bad for you! I'll just use cheddar :)

Heat oven to 350. Brown beef with pepper and onion. Drain; return to skillet. Stir in taco mix and water. Add potatoes, corn and water. Mix well. Put in a 9x 13 baking dish; cover. Bake 20 min. Stir. Bake uncovered another 15 minutes til heated through. This can also be done as a skillet meal.

Taco soup made healthier

This post is part of the Whole Food for the Holidays Progressive Dinner! My family LOVES taco soup! Even my picky toddler will gobble it down if I tone down the spiciness with some sour cream or cream cheese. We have really enjoyed THIS recipe but since I'm trying to make all my recipes healthier, I wanted to do without the packaged taco seasoning. And I had a leftover cup of butternut squash that needed to be used, so I thought I'd give it a try. I also randomly decided to throw in some spinach to see if anyone minded. I was utterly amazed that it didn't bother them at all and my husband actually said that it was the best taco soup I had made yet! So hopefully I can remember how I did it :)

Ingredients:
1 pound taco meat
1 cup (or more, depending on how thick you want it) of home-made chicken stock
1 jar organic salsa
1 green pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 can organic Italian style diced tomatoes (make sure you look at ingredients to make sure there is no HFCS!!!)
1 1/2 cup soaked, cooked beans (we like black beans, but you can use whatever you like)
1 1/2 cup frozen organic corn
1 cup of butternut squash puree (optional)
1 box frozen spinach, thawed and drained (optional)
chili powder to taste if it is not spicy enough for you

Directions: If you are making taco meat, saute the green peeper and onion with the ground beef until tender, adding in the other ingredients as the recipe call for them. Then add the taco meat along with all the above ingredients in a crock pot and cook on low all day. If your taco meat is already made, just throw it along with everything else into the crock pot. Serve with shredded cheddar cheese and chips or on top of quinoa.

Home-made Enchilada Sauce

For my freezer stocking task this week, I planned to make a bunch of enchiladas. However, when I went to the store to buy the ingredients, I couldn't find a sauce without soybean oil or HFCS, two things I try to avoid as much as possible. So I decided to look for a recipe to just make it myself. I chose this one because it uses cocoa powder as a secret ingredient and, well, that just sounded like a yummy idea to me! I also used home-made chicken stock instead of the water to give it more nutrients and flavor. It turned out just fine and I will be using this from now on!

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 3 cups water
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

Directions: Combine all dry ingredients in a small bowl. Stirring constantly, slowly add enough of the water to make a thin paste. Pour into pan and add rest of water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Stir in tomato sauce.Use in your favorite enchilada recipe. The amounts on the ingredients are very flexible. For instance, if I am feeding my kids who do not like"spicy", I will halve the chili powder and double the tomato sauce. Experiment to suit your taste, but don't leave out the cocoa!

*For a quick meal, we will soften a corn tortilla in a bit of hot oil, drag it through the sauce, and lay it flat on a plate. Cover it with grated cheddar cheese, sprinkle with chopped onions and sliced black olives. Then cover with another softened sauced tortilla and melt the cheese in the microwave for 1 minute on high.

Lime Chicken Tacos

This awesome recipe came highly recommended by my sis-in-law, Terra, who got it from THIS blog. It has become a favorite for my family and for taking to potlucks as well! We love all kinds of tacos, and this one is super easy and delicious! The lime flavor adds a kick that my husband loves. I add a bit of extra juice just because we love it so much :) I also like to add diced pineapple and beans to the mix to make it tastier and feed more people. It is a great gluten-free dish if you eat it as soup or with quinoa instead of a tortilla!

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts

3 Tbs lime juice

1 Tbs. chili powder

1 cup frozen corn

1 cup chunky salsa

1 can diced pineapples, drained

1 can black beans

12 flour tortillas, warmed

sour cream, lettuce, shredded cheese, avocado, cilantro and any other toppings you like

Place the chicken in a 3-qt. slow cooker. Combine lime juice and chili powder; pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until chicken is tender.

Remove chicken; cool slightly. Shred and return to the slow cooker. Stir in corn and salsa. Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes or until heated through.

Serve in tortillas with sour cream, cheese and lettuce if desired.

I’m very excited to be part of the Whole Foods for the Holidays Progressive Dinner, hosted by Stephanie at Keeper of the Home today.

Fried Tacos

We make these all the time because they are so easy, especially since I keep taco meat in the freezer most of the time. The key ingredient to making them super yummy is the cream cheese! My family thinks fried tacos are so much better than plain old tacos :)

Ingredients
tortilllas
cream cheese
taco meat
beans
cheddar cheese
Olive oil
whatever else you like on tacos

Directions:
Put oil in a pan on stove on medium heat. Spread cream cheese on a tortilla, then taco meat and whatever toppings you like. Put 2nd tortilla on top. Place in pan and fry in oil, flipping when crispy. Cook other side til crispy. Enjoy!

This recipe is part of Kelly's Korner SUYL

Sweet Chicken Tacos

Oh, we loved these! Its such a yummy sauce and this chicken would be great (and gluten free!) served over quinoa or rice, or just on a hamburger bun as well as on tacos :)

3 tbsp. Butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tsp. dried mustard
1 c. Ketchup
2 tbsp. White wine Vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar instead)
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 c. Brown Sugar (I used about 3/4 cup maple syrup instead)
about 2 lbs chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

Melt butter on medium low heat. Add onions and saute. Mix all ingredients (except chicken) until sugar is melted. Then add chicken and let simmer until juices are absorbed in chicken.

Serve with:

Flour Tortilla's
Shredded Lettuce
Diced Tomatoes
Shredded cheddar cheese
Sour Cream and Guacamole
Enjoy!

found at: http://24hourmenu.blogspot.com/2008/07/sweet-chicken-tacos_20.html

Homemade Taco Meat

I was excited to find this recipe for home-made taco meat. Its cheaper and better for ya than the packaged stuff :) It was a little too spicy for my family, though, so I cut the chili powder in half and did away with the cayenne pepper completely :)

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oi
1 onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced (I use a tablespoon of the bottled minced garlic)
2 tablespoons chili powder (adjust to your personal taste)
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt
1 pound (90 percent lean) ground beef (or use a higher fat beef and rinse the meat)
1/2 cup smooth canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
8 taco shells

Directions: Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until softened, about five minutes. Stir in the garlic, spices, and 1 teaspoon salt and cook until fragrant about thirty seconds. Stir in the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon until no longer pink, about five minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce, broth, vinegar, and sugar until thickened, about ten minutes. Season with salt to taste. Divide the filling evenly among the taco shells and serve passing any desired accompaniments separately.

Make-Ahead Version: The filling can be fully prepared, cooled, covered tightly and refrigerated for up to three days. Reheat over medium-low heat, adding additional water to adjust the consistency. I also froze half of it for later use :)

recipe found at: http://www.momadvice.com/blog/2008/11/best-taco-meat-in-world.htm

Mom's Taco Bake

My mom started making this frequently whenever my brother came home to visit because he liked it so much. Its very easy, and yummy, too! I only put the chips on top, though, because my husband is very particular about his chips and does not want them getting soggy!

Ingredients:

1 tube of crescent rolls
2 cups (divided) corn chips
1 ½ lb. ground beef
1 can tomato sauce
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded mexican cheese

Directions: Unroll crescent rolls into 9×13 inch greased dish, seal seams by pressing together
Sprinkle with 1 cup corn chips
Brown beef, drain, stir in tomato sauce and taco seasoning
Bring to boil, simmer about 5 minutes
Spoon over chips
Add sour cream, cheese & chips
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes