Taco Stuffed Shells

This is my picture:

Based on it, you might think…hmmm…maybe, maybe not.

Here is her picture:

That should do a better job of showing you how yummy these are.

1lb ground beef
1 package taco seasoning
1 4 once package cream cheese
12 large pasta shells
1 cup salsa
1 cup taco sauce
1 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)
1 cup Monterey jack cheese (shredded)
1 ½ cups tortilla chips (crushed)
3 green onions (chopped)
1 cup sour cream

Step 1: In a fry pan cook ground beef and add taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions. Add cream cheese cover and simmer until cheese is melted. Blend well. Set aside and allow to fully cool. While burger is cooking cook the pasta shells, drain and toss well with butter.
Step 2:  Pour salsa in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
Step 3: Stuff each shell with the meat mixture. Place the stuffed shells in the baking dish and cover the tops of the shells with taco sauce.
Step 4: Cover and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Step 5: After 30 minutes, uncover, and sprinkle crushed chips and shredded cheddar and Monterey jack cheeses on top.  Cook for about 15 more minutes. Serve with sour cream, additional salsa, black olives or whatever you think goes good with tacos!

Bubble Up Enchiladas

I saw this on pinterest this afternoon, and what good timing – we were running so long with house projects today. This came together super quick, and we had everything already.  In fact, make your own biscuits or rolls and this is 100% food storage friendly.

image via

This is also lower calorie, so yeah for that.  The original recipe used ground turkey, but we used one can of chicken since we’ve been buying it for food storage and I am looking for ways to disguise it. :)

1 – 12.5 oz can chicken
1 – 10 oz can enchilada sauce
1 – 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 can buttermilk biscuits
1 1/4 cups cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350.
Combine meat, enchilada sauce, tomato sauce. Cut each biscuit into 8 pieces and stir in. Add 3/4 c cheese and stir in.
Bake for 25 minutes. Add the rest of the cheese to the top and bake 10 more minutes.

Adapted from the original I saw on pinterest, at chef-n-training.

chicken tamale casserole / dinner tonight 3.23.11

It cracks me up to post a really bad picture (again!) but a few months ago I did our “what we ate for dinner” calendar as we went and did a picture each night – super nice to go back and get dinner ideas from pictures.

There’s a better picture at Cooking Light, where I got the recipe.

Dinner: chicken tamale casserole/yellow saffron rice/(not fancy black beans because we ran out of cans!! whoops)

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Cooking Light’s Chicken Tamale Casserole (we LOVED this)

• 1  cup  (4 ounces) preshredded 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese, divided
• 1/3  cup  fat-free milk
• 1/4  cup  egg substitute
• 1  teaspoon  ground cumin
• 1/8  teaspoon  ground red pepper
• 1  (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
• 1  (8.5-ounce) box corn muffin mix (such as Martha White)
• 1  (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
• Cooking spray
• 1  (10-ounce) can red enchilada sauce (such as Old El Paso)
• 2  cups  shredded cooked chicken breast
• 1/2  cup  fat-free sour cream

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Combine 1/4 cup cheese and next 7 ingredients (through chiles) in a large bowl, stirring just until moist. Pour mixture into a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

3. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until set. Pierce entire surface liberally with a fork; pour enchilada sauce over top. Top with chicken; sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces; top each serving with 1 tablespoon sour cream.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

354 (36% from fat)

Fat:

14.1g (sat 7.1g,mono 3.3g,poly 1.2g)

Protein:

18.9g

Carbohydrate:

36.3g

Fiber:

2.5g

 

Michelle’s Chicken Enchilada Casserole

My friend, Michelle, brought this over when Emerson was born.  New favorite, also because we usually have all these ingredients on hand. SO GOOD.  I made it last night, halved the ingredients and baked it in an 8″ square pan.

4 cups chicken breasts, cooked and diced or shredded (or if you like more meat, do that – 1 chicken breast per person)

28 oz green enchilada sauce

1-2 cans of cream of chicken soup (original recipe called for 1, if you like it more saucy, add 2)

1-2 cans (4 oz each) diced green chiles (depending on personal pref)

1/4 c chopped green onions

2 c shredded cheese

1 small bag corn tortillas

Mix enchilada sauce, cream of chicken soup, green chiles, and green onions.  This is your sauce. You’ll layer everything in a casserole dish.  First layer is tortillas – enough to cover the bottom of the pan, tear to fill in gaps. Second layer is half the chicken, third layer is half the sauce, fourth layer is half the cheese.  Repeat.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until warmed through.

Ugly Taco Nachos

They’re ugly, and they’re the guts of a taco on a nacho.  They were dinner tonight.

We had taco meat, olives, tomatoes, corn, black beans, avocados, and nacho sauce (velveeta mixed with salsa and melted) over chips.  Voila.

Creamy Southwestern Chicken Nachos

The kids devoured these, so…success.

• 1 small bag frozen corn
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 large frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 16-oz jar medium salsa  (Medium salsa is a must, mild isn’t flavorful enough)
• 1 8 oz package of cream cheese
• tortilla chips
• Any other additional toppings you desire such as chopped cilantro, diced avocado, diced green onion, sliced olives, etc.

1. Pour bag of frozen corn in bottom of crock pot. (Can corn can be used in place of the frozen.  Just drain it and put the chicken in first followed by the corn)
2. Place frozen chicken breasts on top of corn and cover with rinsed and drained black beans and jar of medium salsa.
3. Cook on high for 1 hour, and then on low for 4 hours.
4. Shred chicken with forks and mix in cream cheese until melted and creamy.
5. Serve with tortilla chips and add toppings to individual servings.

From Real Mom Kitchen.

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

I had wanted to try these ever since Melanie at My Kitchen Cafe posted them in March.  They were so good! I only made two changes.  This recipe is a keeper.

6 tablespoons honey
5 tablespoons lime juice (1 large lime)
1 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded (I used 3 small chicken breasts)
8-10 flour tortillas
1 pound monterey jack cheese, shredded (I had only cheddar today, so used that)
16 ounces green enchilada sauce
1 cup heavy cream (I used 1/2 cup sour cream instead)
Mix the first four ingredients and toss with shredded chicken. Let it marinate for at least 1/2 hour (I tossed mine together in a ziploc bag in the morning and let it sit in the refrigerator all day). Pour about 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9X13 baking pan. Fill flour tortillas with chicken and shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas. Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the cream and leftover marinade. Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top.

Layered Fiesta Casserole

Sometimes I jump on here to look up a recipe I need, and am shocked not to find it, since it’s an oft made favorite.  We’re having this for dinner tonight and I was surprised I hadn’t posted it yet.  The original is from Kraft food & Family Fall 2005.  I love it because it’s fast, easy, versatile (leave out some peppers, throw in some black beans, add some Mexican rice) and freezes fabulously (and makes a great dinner to take to a friend!).  Tonight I’m making three of these, and sticking 2 in the freezer for later.

1 lb extra lean ground beef
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 jar (16 oz) salsa
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen corn, thawed
12 corn tortillas (6 inch)
1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar, divided

Preheat oven to 375.  Brown meat with peppers, stirring frequently; drain.  Stir in salsa, tomatoes and corn.  Bring to boil.

Spoon 1 cup meat mixture in bottom of 9X13″ baking dish,  Top with 6 tortillas, overlappin gas necessary.  Spoon half of remaining meat mixture over tortillas, top with 3/4 cup of cheese.  Top with remaining 6 tortillas and meat mixture.  Cover with foil.

Bake 25-30 minutes or until heated through.  Remove from oven, uncover.  Sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese.  Let stand 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

**NOTES FOR FREEZING:

1) This works well in a 9″ round cake pan, which we usually have more of than 9X13s, and makes freezing easier.

2) layer your dish with foil, then saran wrap BEFORE you start to layer the food, and make sure there are “tails” of saran and foil coming over both edges.  Layer everything, cover with the saran and foil, and freeze BEFORE baking.

3) When the casserole is frozen through, take it out of the pan and then use your food saver (or zip loc) and label before freezing.

4) The extra 3/4 cup of cheese that you put on at the end of the recipe?  Stick the shredded cheese in a snack size zip lock bag and place it on top of the frozen casserole before you food saver (or zip loc) the food closed.

5) On baking day: peel off the saran and foil and place the frozen casserole in the pan you’ll be cooking it in to defrost, you won’t be able to get it off later without making a huge mess, and follow cooking directions above.

Crab Tacos

We love love these.   They’re easy and are fresh and perfectly summery.

4 Roma tomatoes, halved, seeded and sliced (I used 2 ample handfuls of grape tomatoes)
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 large jalapenos, halved, seeded, sliced, divided
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, divded
3 T fresh lime juice
1 t olive oil
1/2 c chopped onion
8 ounces cooked crab, shelled
8 taco shells or tortillas
1 cup lettuce, thinly sliced
1 cup shredded jack, cheddar, OR mozz cheese
1 avocado, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped gr onion

Put tomatoes, garlic, one jalapeno, 1/4 cup cilantro and the lime juice in food processor or blender and combine to desired thickness.  Add salt and pepper. Set aside.

In large skillet, heat oil, saute onion and remaining jalapeno until soft, about 4 minutes.  Add crab, cook until warm (2 minutes).

Warm tortillas, fill with crab, top with lettuce, cheese, avocado.  Sprinkle with green onion and cilantro.  Add salsa.

from Sunset Magazine, April 2008

4 pts per taco

Mexican Noodle Casserole

I tried this recipe mostly because 1) I was curious, but didn’t think it could be good (who puts noodles in Mexican food?), and 2) if it turned out half way decent, it was going to be a great food storage recipe.   The flavor turned out to be really good, the kids loved it, but Nathan was hung up on the “who puts noodles in Mexican food?” thing.  He still liked it enough, and the kids loved it, so I’ll be making it again.

2 pkgs chicken ramen noodles, with 1 seasoning packet
1-2 cups diced chicken breast/leftover turkey
1 c shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup diced green chiles
1/4 cup sliced black olives
1 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar
1/2 cup crushed corn chips
Preheat oven to 400.  Grease in 8″ square baking dish.  Cook noodles in water according to package – rinse with cold water and drain.  Run through them with a fork and knife unless you want a seriously slurpy mess.  Combine noodles with seasoning packet, Monterey Jack cheese, chiles and olives.  Stir in sour cream.  Spoon mixture into baking dish and sprinkle with Cheddar and top with corn chips.  Bake 20 minutes or until brown and bubbly. Serves 4.

Chicken Enchiladas

My 15 minutes of fame in college came from this recipe.  At least it wasn’t from wet t-shirt contests, right?

2 c. chicken, cooked, chopped
10 flour tortillas
1 pt. sour cream,
2 cans cream of chicken soup (don’t add water)
1 c. olives, sliced
4 oz. canned green chilis, diced
1 lb. cheddar cheese, grated

Mix sour cream and soup together. In a separate bowl, mix together chicken, chilis, olives and 2/3 of the cheese. Add 2/3 sour cream and soup mixture to chicken mixture, reserving 1/3 for topping. Put mixture into tortillas, roll up and place in baking dish (I usually have to use a 9X13 and an 8″ square). Cover with remaining soup mixture, and top with remaining 1/3 cheese. Bake at 325 for 30 minutes.

(note: if you use lowfat ingredients, the enchiladas will come out runny)

If made with lowfat soup and ff sour cream, recipe makes 10 servings, each with 500 calories, 22 g fat and 2 grams fiber – 12 points.

Seafood Enchiladas

from Light and Tasty magazine, September 2006

• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup (8 ounces) reduced-fat sour cream
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend, divided
• 2 cups coarsely chopped real or imitation crabmeat
• 8 flour tortillas (6 inches), warmed
• 1/2 cup chopped tomato
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1/4 cup chopped ripe olives

In a large saucepan, cook onion and garlic in butter over medium heat until tender. Combine sour cream and flour until smooth; gradually add to onion mixture. Stir in the broth, chilies, coriander and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 2-3 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in 1/2 cup cheese.
Place crab in a bowl; stir in 1/2 cup sauce. Spoon equal amounts on tortillas; roll up tightly. Place seam side down in an 11-in. x 7-in. x 2-in. baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Top with remaining sauce.
Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand for 5 minutes. Top with tomato, green onions and olives. Yield: 8 servings.

Beef Taco Rice Skillet

Easy one dish meal.  It says that it serves 5, but we thought it was easily enough for 6 large servings.

Beef Taco Rice Skillet
1 lb lean ground beef
1 envelope taco seasoning (or 1 oz bulk taco seasoning)
1 ½ cups water
1 cup salsa
1 cup frozen corn
1 ½ cups uncooked instant rice
3/4 cup shredded taco-seasoned cheese
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 medium tomato, chopped

Cook beef until brown; drain.  Stir in taco seasoning, water, salsa and corn.  Heat to boiling, stir in rice.  Boil 1 minute; remove from heat.  Cover; let sit 8 minutes.  Fluff mix with fork; sprinkle cheese.  Cover; let stand 1-2 minutes or until cheese melts.  Sprinkle lettuce around edge of skillet; sprinkle tomato in circle next to lettuce.  Serve with sour cream.

Tortilla Pie

From Light & Tasty Magazine, April/May 2002

Tortilla Pie

• 1/2 pound lean ground beef
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) Italian or Mexican diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro or parsley, divided
• 4 flour tortillas (8 inches)
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a nonstick skillet, cook beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in tomatoes, chili powder and cumin. Bring to a boil; remove from the heat. In a bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese and 2 tablespoons cilantro.
Place on tortilla in a 9-in. round cake pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. Layer with half of the meat sauce, one tortilla, all of the ricotta mixture, another tortilla and the remaining meat sauce. Top with remaining tortilla; sprinkle with cheddar cheese and remaining cilantro. Cover and bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted. Yield: 6 servings.

241 calories, 8 grams fat, 1.8 fiber, 15 g carb, 14 g protein
Fast and easy and pretty good.   Serve with salsa corn (frozen or canned corn tossed with some salsa and microed – how easy is that?)

This is a really easy dinner to freeze ahead and defrost later.