Fajita Quesadillas

This was by far one of the easiest, tastiest, and quickest lunches I have had in a while!  Don't you just love those meals that you can throw together in less than 15 minutes, yet it tastes like you put lots of effort into it?  Well my friends these Quesadilla's are just that!  

One thing I love about Quesadillas is there are so many different flavors that you can stuff inside of them.  Like sweet and spicy chicken or BBQ chicken, but I think that these fajita quesadillas my just be my favorite so far!

Recipe: (Yields 4 Quesadilla's)

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (sliced into thin strips)

1 pkg Fajita Seasoning

1 green bell pepper (sliced into thin strips)

1/2 red onion (sliced into thin strips)

1 large garlic clove

1 (14oz) can refried beans (you could use black beans also)

1 tsp. Cumin

1-1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)

8 fajita sized tortilla

Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Slice the chicken into thin strips and season with the fajita packet.  Cook chicken till no longer pink in the center (about 6-8 minutes).  When the chicken is done, remove it from the pan and set aside.  

Take the remaining oil and place it into the pan you just cooked the chicken in.  When the oil is heated, place the onion and pepper in and saute for about 3-4 minutes.  Now toss in the minced garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for another minute or two.  

While the veggies are cooking,  place the beans and cumin into a bowl, and microwave for 30 second intervals 3-4 times, stirring in between each cycle.  

To assemble, spray the bottom of a skillet (I just wash out the one I cooked the veggies and chicken in) with cooking spray.  Then take about 2 tbsp. of beans and spread them on the first tortilla, topping with a l/3 cup of cheese, some veggies, and chicken, and top off with the other tortilla (spraying the top of that with cooking spray so when you flip it, it doesn't stick to the pan)  You can also put tomatoes, sour cream, corn, pico de gallo, guacamole, or some salsa inside too, to add some extra flavor! Enjoy!

Taco Casserole

I was going through some of my old photos, and realized that I had forgotten to post about this delicious casserole.  It may have been because this photo really doesn't do the dish justice, but trust me when I say, This dish is good!

It's super simple to throw together, and most of these ingredients I am sure most of you have on hand right now.  This is the perfect meal for those nights that you are either in a hurry or don't feel like slaving away in the kitchen.

Recipe:

1 pound Lean Ground Beef

1/2 of an onion (diced)

1 (1oz) pkg. of Taco Seasoning

1 (14oz) can Whole Kernal Corn (drained)

1 (10oz) can Rotel Tomatoes (not drained, if you like things spicy use HOT Rotel Tomatoes)

1 (14oz) can Black Beans (drained)

1 cup Cheddar Cheese (shredded)

1 pkg. of Cornbread (prepared but not baked; so you will also need the ingredients for the cornbread, I'm pretty sure you will need an egg and some vegetable oil. The portion amounts will differ due to the brand of cornbread you use also.)

In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the onion and beef. When the meat is done cooking place on a paper towel to drain any excess fat.  Next in a bowl, mix together the taco seasoning, corn, rotel, cheese and beans. Now add in the cooked meat and stir till everything is well combined.  

Pour the meat mixture into a lightly greased casserole dish or an 8x8 dish.  Prepare the cornbread as directed on package and pour over the top of the meat/bean mixture.  

Bake @*425 for 20-30 minutes or until the cornbread is lightly golden brown.  Serve with salsa and sour cream.

My Dad's Famous Taco's

My dad can whip up some majorly "Mean" tacos! And when I say "Mean" I mean amazing! They are so simple and so good that they always have you asking for seconds! 

I don't know if I have ever mentioned, but my dad, well he's a pretty good cook! And I'm not just saying that because he is my dad. He really can cook! He is one of the best BBQ'ers that I have ever met. He can make the best smoked ribs, amazing steaks, chicken n dumplings, and well, these tacos! 

One thing that I love about these tacos, is that they don't require a ton of different spices and seasonings, yet they are so fresh and flavorful, that like I said before, you will definitely, be asking for seconds!

Recipe:

1 pound ground beef (I used 93/7)

1 head of iceberg lettuce (washed and chopped)

3-4 Roma Tomato's

1/2 of a red onion (diced)

2 garlic cloves (minced)

1 1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese (shredded)

Salt and Pepper

10-12 Corn Tortillas

Olive Oil

Place the ground beef, garlic and salt and pepper into a large saute pan. Cook over medium heat till the meat is no longer pink (about 5-8 minutes).  Then wash and slice all of the vegetables and set aside.

When the meat is done cooking, drain any excess fat and quickly wash the pan. (You will use this pan to heat up your tortillas)  Now in a large bowl, combine the meat, vegetables, and cheese and toss together till it is all well combined.  

Now drizzle about 1 Tbsp. of olive oil into your saute pan.  Place 1-2 tortillas into your pan and let them heat up over low-medium heat.  (you will need to add olive oil in between cooking each tortilla) When you flip the tortilla over lightly salt one side of the tortilla. (this just gives it an added touch of flavor).  Place about 2-3 Tbsp of your meat/veggie mixture into each tortilla. Top off with your favorite hot sauce and Enjoy!

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

Happy Cinco de Mayo!!!! 

My husband and I are major mexican food fans and will definitely be having a mexican feast for dinner tonight!  This recipe would make a perfect dish for Cinco de Mayo and If you are looking for something on the lighter side these wraps are just that! These babies are full of flavor and super easy to make!
For more Mexican Dish Ideas Click here, here, here, and here and here! 

Recipe:

1 cup (cooked) Rice

1 cup boneless skinless chicken breast (cooked & shredded)

1/2 tsp. chili Powder

1/2 tsp. Garlic Salt

1 tsp. Cumin

1/4 cup Cilantro (finely chopped)

2 green onions (minced)

1/2 of a red pepper (diced into small pieces)

1/2 of a (140z) can of black beans

Juice of 1 lime

2 cups Mexican Blend Cheese

Sour Cream

4 burrito size flour tortillas (or 6-8 taco size for smaller portions)

Cook the rice as directed on package.  Once the rice is done, stir in the seasonings.  Cook chicken desired method then shred.  Add the chicken along with the cilantro, green onions, red pepper, and black beans into the rice mixture.  Give it a good Stir.

Take 1 tortilla at a time, (lightly spray the side of the tortilla that will be touching the griddle w/cooking spray) layer a bit of the shredded cheese, about 1 Tbsp. of sour cream, and about 1/2 cup of the chicken/rice mixture (give or take a little more) and fold the edges up and roll till all the seams are tucked in.

Lightly spray a griddle or frying pan with cooking spray between each wrap.  Cook each wrap for about 1-2 minutes per side or until the tortilla is nice, crispy, and golden brown.  Serve with Salsa and Guacamole for Dipping.

(Recipe Source: Mal D)

Tex-Mex Chicken Roll-Ups

I absolutely love these chicken roll-ups. They are super quick and easy to throw together and I'm SURE your whole family will just love them!  We make these quite often cause they are just one of those go to meals that you almost always have all the ingredients on hand. They are also great as leftovers for lunch the next day.

Recipe:

2-3 large Chicken Breasts (sliced into thin strips)

1 (1 oz) package fajita or taco seasoning

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 (10 oz) can whole kernal corn

2 cups Minute Rice

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 cups salsa verde

1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese (shredded)

1/4 cup fresh Cilantro chopped (optional)

Corn or Flour Tortillas (also good served with tortilla chips)

Sour Cream and Salsa for dipping

In a large skillet heat oil on medium heat. Drain Corn and add it to the oil, letting it cook for just a few minutes to carmelize a bit. Transfer to a plate to cool.

Next, take sliced chicken and mix well with the seasonings till well coated. Place into the same skillet that the corn was just in and cook till no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes.  Meanwhile, In another skillet bring the rice, broth, and salsa verde to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and cover, simmering for about 5 minutes. 

Lastly, place the chicken, corn, and shredded cheese back in with the rice and stir till well combined. Serve wrapped in a tortilla topped with sour cream and salsa.

(Recipe Source: Mal D.)

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

(K so this picture really doesn't do these justice! They really are so saucy and delish!)

 My husband and I, well we LOVE Mexican Food!  If the Hubs had the choice between Chinese, Italian, or Mexican food for dinner he would hands down pick Mexican any night of the week! We love it! When I came across this recipe a while back over on the Sisters Cafe I knew I had to give it a try. And can I just tell you that we have eaten these for dinner so many times since, I've lost count. I've made just a few changes to the original recipe to make them my own and we've really liked them.  I think the corn tortillas give them a more authentic mexican flavor.

Recipe:
For the Chicken Marinade:
2-3 large chicken breasts (cooked and shredded)
1/3 cup Honey
1/4 cup Lime Juice
1 Tbsp. Chili Powder
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 (4oz) can diced chilis

For the Enchilada Sauce:
1 (14oz) can Green Enchilada Sauce (I prefer Las Palmos brand)
1 (7oz) can salsa verde
1 cup shredded cheese (I prefer Cheddar)
1/3 cup fresh queso fresco cheese (mexican cheese you can buy it at your local grocery store)

8-10 Corn Tortillas

Cook chicken then shred. (I usually just boil mine. It feel it shreds well that way, but you could bake it or grill it even).  Mix together all ingredients for the marinade and pour over the shredded chicken. Next take 3 or 4 tortillas and heat in microwave for about 40 seconds. (This allows them to roll easier with out breaking). Take each tortilla and sprinkle a little shredded cheese and about 1-2 Tbsp of the chicken mixture and roll them up. Mix together the enchilada sauce and the salsa verde and pour half of the sauce into a 9x13 pan. Place the enchiladas into the dish and cover with the remaining sauce. Top off with shredded cheese and Bake @ *350 for 35 minutes. Serve with South of the Border Rice.

South Of the Border Rice

This is the perfect side dish if your feeding a crowd! It made so much I wasn't sure what to do with all of it, except of course eat it cause it was sooo good! Thanks for sharing this recipe with me Mal! We loved it! I served this with Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas. Recipe to come tomorrow...

Recipe:
2 cups cooked rice
2 (10 oz) cans cream of celery soup
1 (16 oz) sour cream
1 tsp. salt
2 (4oz) can of diced chilis
10 oz of shredded Cheddar Cheese

Cook the rice as directed on package. Mix together the rice, soup, sour cream, juice from the chilis, and salt.  Now, layer half of the rice into an 8x8 baking dish, then 1 can of chilis and half of the cheese. Repeat.  Cover and refridgerate over night.  When ready to bake, preheat oven to *350 and bake for 35-40 minutes. Serve with enchiladas, tacos, or just any dish that rice would pair well with. Enjoy!

(Recipe Source: Maloree D.)

Bean Burritos

I decided to make bean burritos for lunch the other day, well, because I'm getting tired of having a grilled cheese sandwich with maybe a slice of turkey here and there everyday. Do any of you suffer from the same old lunch time routine and are out of ideas like I am???  Gosh, well if you have any great ideas for quick and easy lunch ideas PLEASE feel free to throw some my way! In the meantime, here is my lovely bean burrito recipe.

Recipe:
1 (16oz) can refried beans
1 (4oz) can diced green chilis (drained)
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (divided)
4-6 taco size tortillas
1 (7oz) salsa verde (optional)
1 Tomato (chopped) (optional)

Mix all ingredients together with 1/4 cup of the shredded cheese. Place a couple of spoonfuls of the bean mixture into the center of tortilla and top with a little shredded cheese. Fold 2 sides of the tortilla down and then roll it up so all of the beans are sealed away nice and tight!  Sprinkle tops with a little more cheese. (Optional: pour salsa verde over the top of the burritos. Gives a little extra flavor! Yum!)
Bake @ 350 for 12-15 minutes. You can serve them with sour cream and salsa.
* Now if your like my husband and insist on meat you can add a little chicken or steak in these babies and thats yummy to!
** I have to tell you that one of the reasons I made these were because my little girl is a super picky eater (and I'm talking super picky!) and she loved these.

Easy Street Chicken Tacos

Really these tacos were so easy and quick to put together and mighty tasty too if I must say. I could've done more with them but I used everything that I had on hand and they were just as delicious if I would've had a tomato and avocado too. Happy Friday! Hope you all have a lovely weekend!

Recipe:
1 lb. Chicken Breasts (diced small)
1 package of McCormick Chicken Taco Seasoning
1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp. olive oil (for cooking the chicken in)
1/4 cup Cilantro (chopped)
1/2 of a small Onion (chopped)
6-8 Corn Tortillas
1 Tomato (optional, I didn't have one)
1 Avocado (also optional didn't have one at the time)
Salsa for topping

Dice the chicken into small cubes. Heat 1Tbsp of Olive oil in a large skillet. Cook the chicken till no longer pink (about 4-6 minutes) When the chicken looks done add in the seasoning and 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat and let simmer (about 5-7 minutes) stirring occasionally. Heat tortillas in the microwave around 30-45 seconds. Place about 2-3 spoonfuls of chicken inside tortilla and top with toppings of your choice! Serve with a side of rice and beans or chips and salsa. Enjoy!