Crunchy Black Bean Tacos

Got these off Pinterest. They have become a staple in our home! So easy, yummy, & healthyish!;)

Ingredients:
2 C black beans (I just use one can, drained. Would use 2 cans if wanting to make more...one can makes about a dozen)
1/2 C red onion, minced
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2tsp salt
1/2tsp garlic powder
shredded cheese (Monterey jack or whatever you prefer)
chopped cilantro (eyeball it to your preference)
olive oil
corn tortillas
toppings (sour cream, salsa, avocado, etc.)

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, add beans along with red onion, cilantro & spices. Lightly mash all ingredients together (sometimes I forget to mash & it works fine anyway)
2. In a large non-stick skillet, add a few TBS of oil & heat on med-high heat.
3. Add one corn tortilla at a time & let it get hot in the oil (I flip tortilla over a couple of times to oil it up on both sides)
4. Spoon your bean mixture to one half of the tortilla & top with shredded cheese.
5. Using a spatula, carefully fold the tortilla over so it forms a shell. Press down lightly on the tortilla so it holds its shape.
6. As the first tortilla cooks, slide it to the side & do a second one (I can usually do about 3 at a time...if you had a griddle you could do even more at once).
7.  Cook each taco for several minutes on each side until they are nicely browned and crispy.
8. I place a paper towel over a plate & as I finish a batch, I set them on the paper towel to the side until all are cooked.

Serve with your favorite toppings & sides!
Enjoy!

Oven Baked Tacos

Found this recipe on pinterest and have made it several times--we really enjoy it, so thought I'd share it here!

Ingredients:
1lb ground Beef
1 can refried beans
8oz can tomato sauce
diced onion
diced green chiles
taco seasoning
shredded cheese
(sour cream, lettuce, tomato, etc. for optional toppings)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In large skillet brown ground beef and onion
3. Add refried beans, tomato sauce, taco seasoning, green chiles to the pan and mix together
4. Spoon taco meat mixture into taco shells and place in 9x13" baking dish standing up
5. Sprinkle cheese over top of taco meat in each shell and place in oven
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese has melted and tacos are heated through.

Vegetarian Enchilada Bake

Found this recipe on Taste of Home website (via Pinterest :) I tweaked original recipe slightly). Made it tonight and wished I had doubled it! This was healthy, easy & we loved it--I will definitely make it again!

Ingredients:
1 C shredded zucchini
1 finely chopped red bell pepper
1 small onion chopped
1 tsp olive oil
minced garlic
3/4C frozen corn
3/4C black beans (rinsed & drained)
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cumin
3/4C salsa
fresh chopped cilantro
corn tortillas
shredded cheddar
sour cream (optional)

Directions:
1. In a large skillet, saute zucchini, bell pepper, & onion until soft. Add garlic & seasonings (use more or less of those seasonings to your liking). Add corn, beans, salsa, cilantro & mix together.
2. Place corn tortillas on the bottom of your baking dish (coated with cooking spray). Spread 2/3C vegetable mixture; sprinkle with cheese, repeat layers twice.
3. Bake, uncovered @ 350degrees for 20-25minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.
Let stand for 10minutes before serving.

Mexican Cornbread

Here is Trent's mom's recipe for Mexican Cornbread. Made this over the holidays with our tamales.
Trent raved about it (I think I might try it next time without the bacon drippings)

1Cup yellow cornmeal
2 eggs well beaten
1Cup milk
1/2 tsp. soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1 can cream style corn
1/4 Cup bacon drippings

Mix all above ingredients & set aside.
Saute 1/2 lb. ground beef--drain
1large chopped onion
1/2 lb. grated sharp cheddar cheese
2-4 chopped jalapeño peppers--seeded & deveined

Mix with other ingredients; heat 2 iron skillets w/oil & sprinkle a thin layer of cornmeal on the bottom. Pour batter in & bake at 360 degrees for 45-50 min. Or until it is done.

Costa Vida Dinner

We love the food at Costa Vida in Colleyville! website here

After having their sweet pork the last time, I can home determined to try to recreate it at home. This recipe was SOO very easy and tasted almost just like it. Very yummy for tacos!

I served it inside tortillas with guacamole, cheese, cilantro lime rice (see recipe after the pork recipe), diced tomatoes, and pinto beans (black beans would be good too).

Enjoy!
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Costa Vida Sweet Pork

4 lb. pork roast (I used a pork butt roast)
2 cups brown sugar
1 (12-14 oz.) jar salsa
2 cans Dr. Pepper (I am sure regular coke would work too) (24 oz. or 2 1/2 cups)

Place roast in crock pot, fill half way with water and cook for 6-8 hours
Discard water.
Shred meat and return to the crock pot

Combine sugar, salsa, and coke in a separate bowl.
Add mixture to the meat in the crock pot.
Cook an additional 3 hours. Stir occasionally.

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Cilantro Lime Rice

2 cups white rice
3 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup lime juice
chopped fresh cilantro (I used some of my jarred freeze dried cilantro that I keep in the fridge)

Bring water, cilantro, and lime juice to a boil. Add rice. Cover and turn on low for about 20 minutes. (Basically just the same as cooking regular white rice)

Fluff with fork before serving.

Sopapilla Cheescake

I made this last night for a preschool dinner and apparently from the responses, this recipe is a little different that others for this same dessert.  It goes great as a dessert with Mexican food!

Here is my version:

SOPAPILLA CHEESECAKE


• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

• 1 cup white sugar

• 1 teaspoon Mexican vanilla extract

• 2 (8 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent rolls

• 3/4 cup white sugar

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature

• 1/4 cup honey

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Prepare a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Beat the cream cheese with 1 cup of sugar and the vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth.

3. Unroll the cans of crescent roll dough, and use a rolling pin to shape each piece into 9x13 inch rectangles. Press one piece into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Evenly spread the cream cheese mixture into the baking dish, then cover with the remaining piece of crescent dough. Stir together 3/4 cup of sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Dot the mixture over the top of the cheesecake.

4. Bake in the preheated oven until the crescent dough has puffed and turned golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle with honey. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into 12 squares.

Chicken, Black Bean & Rice Bowl

Made this tonight-it was easy and yummy; here's what I did:

Made Lisa F's spanish rice (posted on here earlier)...although I will say that I upped the salt & cumin to 1 tsp instead of the half that was on the original to give it more flavor and that is the way to go! Anyway, made this rice & let it simmer while cooking the rest.

Ingredients:

boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced

taco seasoning packet

onion, diced

bell pepper, diced (I used red & yellow because I had it on hand, but any would work)

1 can black beans, drained & rinsed

chopped cilantro

In a large skillet I sautéed in olive oil the onion, bell pepper & diced up chicken. I sprinkled half of the packet of taco seasoning over this, stirring frequently & let it cook until the chicken was no longer pink and onions/bell pepper were soft. Then I added in the black beans & cilantro and mixed it all together, serving it over the spanish rice. Yumm-o!

Homemade Spanish rice

Also from Lisa...

Ingredients:

1 C rice (not minute)

1/4 C oil

8oz can tomato sauce (& 3 cans of water)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp garlic powder

Directions:

1. mix the 3 seasonings together in a small bowl, set aside.
2. in a skillet, saute the rice in the oil until it is lightly browned

3. when the rice has browned, add your water & tomato sauce to the skillet

4. toss your seasonings in, stir & bring to a boil--reduce to a simmer, cover your skillet & cook for approximately 20 minutes

This goes great with those enchiladas! Soo much better than a boxed version!

Chicken, Black Bean & Bacon Enchiladas

These are sooo yummy! I have to thank Lisa F. for this recipe and the Spanish rice that goes great with it (I'll include on a separate post)!

Ingredients:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut in small cubes

3 slices bacon, cooked crisp & crumbled (this is actually step #2 below)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 C picante sauce, divided

1 (16oz) can of black beans, drained & rinsed

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 C sliced green onions

8-12 flour tortillas

1 1/2 C shredded monterey jack cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 & lightly grease a 9x13 pan

2. *cook crisp the 3 slices of bacon, remove bacon to paper towel to cool, then crumble it

3. stir fry chicken & garlic in the fat left over from cooking the bacon (until chicken is no longer pink / may also drain off some of the bacon fat if there is too much)

4. stir in 1/2 cup picante sauce, 1/4 C water, beans, red pepper, cumin & salt. Simmer over low heat for approx 10 min, stir in green onions & crumbled bacon.

5. Spoon 1/4 C mixture down center of each tortilla, top with the cheese, roll up & place seam side down in the baking dish. Spoon remaining picante sauce evenly over enchiladas.

6. Bake at 350 for 15 min--then top with the remaining cheese & bake for 5 more minutes.

7. Serve & top as desired (i.e. shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, black olives, sour cream)

*(side note for myself: the bacon boosts the flavor, but if wanting the bacon flavor to stand out more, may try increasing the amount of crumbled bacon from 3 slices to 5??)

Incredibly Yummy & Easy Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

1 cup Picante Sauce
2 cans (10 3/4 ounces each) Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups frozen whole kernel corn
1 can (about 15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 soup can water
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 corn tortillas (6-inch), cut into strips
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Instructions

Stir the picante sauce, soup, chicken, corn, beans, water and cumin in a 4-quart slow cooker.
Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours or until the chicken is cooked through.
Stir the tortillas, cheese and cilantro into the cooker. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Serve with additional cheese, if desired.
Time-Saving: Or you may cook this recipe on HIGH for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 4 hours 15 minutes

Mexican Chicken and Rice Dinner

Here is a recipe that I got from a friend. It is so easy and really good.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts ( I used chicken tenders)
1 cup salsa
1 pkg of taco seasoning
2 cups water
2 cups minute rice, uncooked
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 cup shredded cheese (optional)
sliced black olives (optional)

Bring chicken, salsa, taco seasoning mix and water to a boil in a large skillet. Cover and let simmer for ten minutes. Return to a boil. Stir in rice and corn, cover and cook on low for 5-7 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and black olives if desired.

Turkey Stuffed Poblano Peppers

I have been on a hunt for yummy recipes for ground turkey (primarily ones that help in the flavor department). I am trying this one tonight and thought I would post. I have a few others I need to get up too that I have found to yummy (& easy).

3-4 Poblano Peppers, cut in half and seeds removed

1 lb lean ground turkey

1/2 medium onion, diced small

1-2 garlic cloves

1 Tbsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp smoked paprika (optional)

1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup frozen corn

~4 oz. easy melting grated Mexi-style cheese, your choice

Preheat oven 425 and place peppers face down on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Roast peppers 15 mins. Let cool.

Brown turkey meat with onion, garlic, and seasonings. Smash black beans and add to meat mixture. Add corn. Stir everything to mix well. The smashed black beans help to hold the mixture together.

Fill peppers with mixture and top with grated cheese. Bake at 350 for 15 mins or until cheese is melted and maybe a little brown on top.

Serve with salad or fruit and rice.

Taco Pasta Salad

I saw this in a magazine over Christmas break and made it today...easy and the possible additions to it are infinite!

2-3 cups bowtie pasta, cooked and cooled.
1 (15.5 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn (I used the white & yellow mixed)
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup prepared salsa (I used a little more than this)
2 teaspoons taco seasoning mix (I used a little more like 3)

In large bowl combine pasta, black beans, corn, cheese, sour cream, salsa, and taco seasoning. Mix well, chill and serve with tortilla chips.

* Kevin likes all salads to have meat in them, so I grilled some chicken and added that to mine. But I think cooked ground beef would be good too.

* I had some grape tomatoes that I cut up in it as well...a good addition! Chopped green pepper would also be good (but I didn't have any).

* I also think it would be good served on a bed of romaine lettuce (Cheddars restaurant does a pasta & green salad that is one of my favorite things) and then tossed together.

Enjoy!

Turkey Spinach Enchiladas

I always tell myself that I will make time to post my favorite recipes on here, but I guess having a whole night & morning to myself while the kids are away with Daddy camping is what it takes to make it really happen!

This is a pretty healthy mexican dish that I first tried while visiting my friends Jenny & Brad. I thought it was yummy & easy, so it's a new favorite for me.

1 lb all natural ground turkey
small jar organic salsa
1 box frozen spinach
1 box fat free cream cheese
1 pkg taco seasoning
corn tortillas
several handfuls of Mexican blend shredded cheese
1 can enchilada sauce

Brown turkey & drain. Add taco seasoning according to package directions (usually adding 3/4 c water). Add defrosted & drained spinach, cream cheese, & salsa - cook over med/low heat until blended & melted. Spoon mixture into tortillas & place into sprayed casserole dish. Top w/ enchilada sauce & shredded cheese. Bake at 350 until cheese melts - about 15 minutes.

Here's my added two cents... if I'm shopping that week at walmart the only organic salsa they carry is Pace picante sauce - I use about 1/2 of the 16 oz jar. I use McCormick's taco seasoning which contains no MSG. I don't completely drain the spinach & use that water in place of adding water to the taco seasoning. My mom likes to top these w/ some queso instead of enchilada sauce/shredded cheese & she says that they are great that way. I'm trying them tonight w/ whole wheat tortillas made in the Central Market bakery - I think that will be a yummy substitution too. Enjoy!

Chicken Enchiladas

This is really easy and yummy.  It is a good casserole to take to friends!

8 Flour Tortillas

1 cup cooked chicken, cubed (to make this VERY easy you can use a can of shredded chicken breast)

8 oz sour cream

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 small can(4 oz) diced green chilies

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (or colby/Monterey Jack cheese)

1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray or grease a 9x13 baking dish.  Mix cream soup, sour cream and chilies.  Set aside 3/4 cup of this mixture.  Add chicken and 1 cup cheese to the main mixture.  Scoop 1/2 cup of this mixture into each tortilla.  Roll the tortilla and place seam side down in baking dish.  Add milk to the 3/4 cup mixture set aside earlier and pour over enchiladas covering the top completely.  Bake 25-30 min.  Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup of cheese and bake until cheese melts.  Let cool for 5-10 min before serving.

Enjoy!

Grilled Chicken Quesadillas with Black Beans and Corn

We love to eat quesadillas around our house. This is a little twist on just regular ones I make (we love the black bean and chicken quesadillas at Frescos, and these are similar to them).

We all enjoyed them last night and since it is still like summer outside, we are still grilling out a lot!

GRILLED CHICKEN QUESADILLAS WITH BLACK BEANS & CORN

1-2 cups chopped cooked chicken (I grilled mine ahead of time with a little bit of Dale's marinade on them)
1 cup salsa
1-2 cups grated cheese (I only used 1 last night and they would have held together better had I used more cheese)
1/2 cup canned black beans, drained
1/2 cup canned corn, drained
melted butter
flour tortillas (we love to get them from Rosa's)

Preheat grill (although I think they would be fine to cook in a skillet inside on the stove). Combine chicken, salsa, cheese, beans, and corn in a bowl. Brush melted butter over one side of each tortilla, lay buttered side on grill. Spread chicken mixture over unbuttered side and top with another tortilla, buttered side up. Grill 3-4 minutes on each side or until cheese is melted and tortillas are browned.

Cut into wedges to serve.

Taco Chicken Bake

8 ounces skinless boneless chicken breast -- cut into 12 pieces
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 3/4 cups chunky tomato sauce (15oz can)
1 1/2 tsp taco seasoning mix
1 tsp dried parsley
1/4 cup sliced ripe olives
1/2 cup whole kernal corn
1 1/2 cups hot cooked noodles, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup fat free sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8x8 inch baking dish with olive oil flavored cooking spray. In a large skillet sprayed with cooking spray, brown chicken pieces, onion, green pepper, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomato sauce, taco seasoning, parsley flakes and olives. Add corn and noodles. Mix well to combine. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Evenly sprinkle cheese on top. Bake 20-25 minutes. Let stand for a few minutes. Cut into 4 pieces and top with 1 tablespoon sour cream.

A recipe from Tara G!

hey i had a recipe for your blog - we make this all the time and LOVE it!

Black Bean Burritos

1 lb ground turkey
1 can of Rotel
1 can of black beans, partially drained
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 packet of ranch dressing

Brown turkey meat in a large skillet and drain off extra grease. Add rotel, beans, taco seasoning and ranch to skillet with the turkey. Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep from sticking.

Serve wrapped in a tortilla - you can top with sour cream, guacamole, and cheese.

Crock Pot Fajitas

3-4 boneless roast, coated with chili powder
1 chopped onion
2 1/2 c uncooked dry pinto beans
2 cans rotel
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 4 oz can chopped green chiles
1/2 t oregano
salt to taste
1 c water

Layer in the order in the crock pot. Cook on low for 12-18 hours. Stir when done and just before serving. Serve in tortillas with all the desired fajita fixings!

** This can also be done with chicken breast

Mexican Lasagna

I have tripled this recipe and frozen it in 9x9 pans.

1 pound ground beef
1 can mushrooms
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 pkg Taco Seasoning
8 oz can Tomato Sauce
2 Tbsp Picante Sauce
8-10 Lasagna Noodles
2 Tbsp Onion
Tortilla Chips crushed

Cook lasagna noodles until done. Set aside and cook meat. Drain and add taco seasoning, oniond, salt, pepper, mushrooms, tomato sauce and picante. Grease 9x9 dish and layer noodles, meat, cheese and repeat. (If you want to freeze it, freeze at this point) When ready to eat, thaw and top with broken chips. Heat at 350 for 10-20 minutes until hot though and cheese is melted.