Sunken Burritos

Well, if you know me at all, you know I love just about anything Mexican. So when I happened upon a recipe for burritos using some of my favorite ingredients - chicken, black beans, yellow rice, red peppers - I knew we were going to love it.

I've made these burritos twice now and they came out great both times. I think they're ranking up among one of our favorite meals. They're pretty easy to throw together, and I served up the extra yellow rice for a side. Probably the most important thing to be aware of is to not over-stuff the burritos or you'll have a mess. I'm including the original recipe below, but I cut the ingredients in half and ended up with 6 HUGE burritos. I also skipped grilling the chicken because I'm not the grillmaster of the family (that title is reserved for the hubby). Instead, I cooked the chicken in a skillet and then cut into strips. I also left out the ancho chile powder because I only had the chipotle on hand.

Tell me this doesn't look sinfully delicious!!



Sunken Burritos
(recipe from Good Things Catered)

Ingredients:
4 large chicken breasts
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. chipotle chile powder
1 Tbsp. ancho chile powder
1 Tbsp. cumin
1 tsp. salt
10 extra large flour burrito tortillas
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, sliced into strips
1 green pepper, sliced into strips
1 red pepper, sliced into strips
1 can black beans, strained and 1/2 of liquid reserved
1 box Zataran's yellow rice
4 c. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 small can red enchilada sauce

1. Light grill on high and preheat oven to 350 degrees, preparing a 9x13 pan. Cook rice according to package directions.

2. In small bowl mix together spice mixture. Pound out chicken breast to equal thickness throughout. Coat chicken with spice mixture evenly on both sides. Turn grill down to medium low and place chicken on, breast side up. Cook, turning once, until cooked through, about 15 mins. depending on the size of the chicken. Remove from grill and set aside, letting cool slightly.

3. In medium nonstick skillet over medium high heat, add oil and heat. Cook pepper and onion, salted and peppered to taste, until cooked to a tender crisp, about 10 minutes. In small saucepan add beans and reserved liquid, heat through over low heat. Slice chicken into strips 1/2 inch wide.

4. Assemble burritos: On large tortilla, add chicken, vegetables, rice, beans, top with cheese and roll, tucking in sides first. (Do NOT overload - this is a common problem). Place burrito in prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining burritos. Spoon enchilada sauce over burritos and tops with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, until cheese is melted, about 15 minutes.

Makes 10 servings.

Healthy Green Chile-Chicken Casserole

This is a really delicious, and HEALTHY casserole that the whole family will love. With chicken, tortillas, green chiles, and low-fat cream of chicken soup, it's creamy and has a lot of great flavors. I'm currently trying to lose all of that stubborn baby weight and have been trying out a lot of new low calorie dishes. But I hate the typical diet food that doesn't have any flavor. This one far exceeded my expectations and was great!

This dish makes 12 large servings, with only about 330 calories in each one. And it can be prepared ahead - just cover with cooking spray-coated tin foil and refrigerate until needed. If you go that route, you'll need to bake it covered for an hour, then uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes until bubbly. And it makes for great leftovers!


Green Chile-Chicken Casserole
(from Cooking Light magazine)

1 and 1/3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 cup canned chopped green chiles, drained
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup fat-free sour cream
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (10 1/2-ounce) cans condensed 98% fat-free cream of chicken soup, undiluted (such as Campbell's)
1 garlic clove, minced
Cooking spray
24 (6-inch) corn tortillas
4 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (about 1 pound)
2 cups (8 ounces) finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Combine the first 9 ingredients in a large saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

3. Spread 1 cup soup mixture in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 6 tortillas over the soup mixture, and top with 1 cup chicken and 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat layers, ending with the cheese. Spread remaining soup mixture over cheese. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Black Bean Dip

This week I made the Black Bean Dip for the group My Girl, Paula. This seemed a lot like other cheese dip recipes I've made in the past, but had the addition of beans, which sounded fantastic.

It didn't turn out to be the most fabulous looking dip, but it was really tasty and easy to whip up. I liked that it was a little "different" than my normal cheese dip. I'm glad that I tried this one, and I may make it again in the future if I want something different, but I think I'll stick with the other dip that is always a sure-fire hit and uses a few less ingredients!


Black Bean Dip
(from Paula Deen)

2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. chopped onions
1 (4 ounce) can green chilies, chopped
1 tomato, diced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
1 teaspoon Paula Deen's house seasoning
1 (15 ounce) can black beans with jalapenos
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 (4 ounce) package Velveeta Mexican cheese, diced
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, diced

1. Melt the butter in a skillet. Add the onions and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the green chilies, tomato, cilantro and House Seasoning and cook for 5 minutes longer. Add the beans and cheeses, and simmer until hot and bubbling. Serve hot with tortilla chips.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Taco Soup

I made this Taco Soup as part of the group My Girl, Paula. Each week we cook from Paula Deen's cookbook The Lady and Sons, Too. It's been a really fun group so far. I'd had the cookbook sitting around for a while and really wanted to try cooking more from it. Mission accomplished! And I bet you would never guess that out of the five weeks I've been cooking along with the group, there's only been one recipe that's used butter! Seeing as how everyone thinks Paula cooks with butter so much, I was pleasantly surprised to keep the butter in the fridge 4 out of the 5 weeks so far.

This Taco Soup was really delicious. The ingredients include ground beef, beans, tomatoes, corn, green chilies and taco seasoning. It's all combined into a slow cooker and left to cook all day. I love slow cooker recipes - so easy and convenient. This soup sort of reminded me of chili. I served it with tortilla chips, cheddar cheese and sour cream and that made it sooo delish.

The recipe makes a ton, but since I wasn't feeding an army, I cut it in half and we STILL had leftovers. This is a recipe that we all liked and I'll definitely be making again!


Taco Soup
(from Paula Deen)

2 pounds ground beef
2 cups diced onions
2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans pinto beans
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can pink kidney beans
1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can tomatoes with chiles
2 (4 1/2-ounce) cans diced green chiles
1 (4.6-ounce) can black olives, drained and sliced, optional
1/2 cup green olives, sliced, optional
1 (1 1/4-ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 (1-ounce) package ranch salad dressing mix
Corn chips, for serving
Sour cream, for garnish
Grated cheese, for garnish
Chopped green onions, for garnish
Pickled jalapenos, for garnish

1. Brown the ground beef and onions in a large skillet; drain the excess fat, then transfer the browned beef and onions to a large slow cooker or a stockpot.

2. Add the beans, corn, tomatoes, green chiles, black olives, green olives, taco seasoning, and ranch dressing mix, and cook in a slow cooker on low for 6 to 8 hours or simmer over low heat for about 1 hour in a pot on the stove.

3. To serve, place a few corn chips in each bowl and ladle soup over them. Top with sour cream, cheese, green onions and jalapenos.

Makes 12 to 16 servings.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

For the entire past two weeks I have been addicted to watching the Olympics. It seems like all of the good stuff is on late at night, and since my son is a stubborn early riser (5 a.m. - ouch!), I can never stay up long enough to watch it all. But thanks to the invention of DVR, I've been taping it all and watching it during the day while doing my normal things. With all of the fun of the Olympics, I've been getting lazy and resorting to a lot of one-dish fast and easy meals. But this casserole is way too delicious to write off as something just "thrown together."

This casserole is just plain awesome! I really like one-dish meals that are hearty and satisfying and good for any occasion. This casserole is comprised of layers of tortillas, beans, chicken, and cheesy goodness. It's all topped off with a salsa and cilantro mixture. I opted for some spicy salsa which gives it that extra kick, but you can go for mild if you're not a fan of the heat. And as a bonus, this makes for really great leftovers!

Look at this cheesy goodness...


Chicken Enchilada Casserole
(adapted from Cooking Light magazine)

1 Tbsp. canola oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 and 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
Dash of ground red pepper
2 (15.5-ounce) cans Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups shredded skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 cup thinly sliced green onions, divided
18 (6-inch) tortillas, divided
Cooking spray
2 cups (8 ounces) preshredded reduced-fat 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese, divided
1 cup low-fat milk
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 (16-ounce) jar green salsa
10 Tbsp. reduced-fat sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion; cook 3 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in cumin, chili powder, garlic salt, and pepper; cook 1 minute. Stir in beans; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add chicken, 1/2 cup green onions; stir well.

2. Layer 6 tortillas on bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spread 2 cups chicken mixture over tortillas; sprinkle with 3/4 cup cheese. Repeat layers once. Top with remaining 6 tortillas.

3. Combine milk, chopped cilantro, and salsa in a blender, and process until smooth. Pour over top of tortillas. Cover and bake at 350° for 35 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese, and remaining 1/2 cup green onions. Bake for 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Serve with sour cream.

Makes 10 servings. About 350 calories per serving.

Spicy Steak And Corn Soft Tacos

I really love tasty, quick cooking meals for weeknights, and this recipe is just that. I'm a big fan of tacos, enchiladas, anything with a Mexican flair. I found this in my Bon Appétit cookbook. You may have noticed that a lot of the recipes I've made lately have originated from Bon Appétit. Here's my explanation - I got their cookbook that is 750 pages of great recipes that all have been published in the Bon Appétit magazine. It's great, and almost every recipe sounds good to me. Get yourself a copy!

This one was extremely quick and easy. You can have it all finished and on the table in under 20 minutes. I usually add a few things and make a few tweaks to the recipes I find, but this one had everything that sounded good in a taco. Steak? Check. Onion? Check. Bell Pepper? Check. Corn? Check. So here it is just as I found it and just as delicious as can be.




Spicy Steak And Corn Soft Tacos
(from Bon Appétit magazine)

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium red onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1/2 pound top sirloin, flank, or skirt steak, cut into 1/4-inch-thick, long narrow strips
3/4 cup frozen corn kernels, cooked according to package directions, drained
1 jalapeno chile, stemmed, minced with seeds
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 and 1/2 Tbsp. minced fresh cilantro
Corn or flour tortillas
Grated cheddar cheese
Chopped fresh tomatoes
Sour cream

1. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper; sauté until soft, about 10 minutes. Transfer to plate. Add steak to same skillet and sauté until no longer pink, about 1 minute. Return onion and pepper to skillet. Add corn, jalapeno, cumin, and chili powder; stir until heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and mix in cilantro. Transfer steak mixture to bowl. Cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm.

2. Cook tortillas directly over gas flame or electric burner until just beginning to char in spots, about 30 seconds per side. Transfer to napkin-lined basket. Serve hot tortillas, steak mixture, cheese, tomatoes, and sour cream separately, so tacos can be assembled at table.

Serves 2.

Tacos with Chorizo and Potato Filling

Have I ever mentioned how much I love Mexican food? These tacos are SO good! The recipe uses just a few ingredients and seems so simple, yet the flavors are so great and it really just works.

If you're not familiar with chorizo, it's a type of sausage. There is both Mexican and Spanish chorizo, and be sure to use the Mexican chorizo for this. The recipe calls for using a waxy potato, which would be a fingerling potato or a red potato. Waxy potatoes aren't as starchy and don't fall apart as easily when cooked. Be sure to cook up the potato a little bit beforehand. I opted to fry up my potato chunks in a skillet and they came out nice and golden brown. Warm up your tortillas in a 325 degree oven for about 5 minutes or wrap them in a damp cloth and microwave for about 30 seconds.

The chipotle chile is listed as optional in the recipe and I decided to add it in. It gives the tacos a little more of a spicy kick. I like a little spice, but not the mouth on fire type of spicy. These turned out just perfect - not too hot. So I'd recommend throwing in the chile, I don't think you'll be sorry!

I added a little shredded cheese and sour cream to ours and it was great. Feel free to add your own personal favorite taco toppings - lettuce, tomato, salsa, cilantro, etc. My husband asked if I could make this more often, so it's obviously a keeper. Yum!


Tacos with Chorizo and Potato Filling
(From My Mexican Kitchen by Diana Kennedy)

About 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 Mexican chorizo (about 3 ounces), casings removed
About 1 rounded cup diced cooked (al dente) waxy potatoes
1 chipotle chile in adobo, chopped (optional)
Salt
4 warm tortillas or taco shells

1. Place the vegetable oil in a small skillet. Crumble the chorizo, add to the pan, and cook over low heat for a few minutes until the fat has been rendered. Add the potatoes and chile (if using) and continue to cook over medium heat, scraping the bottom of the skillet from time to time to prevent sticking, until the potato is well seasoned, about 8 minutes. Season with salt to taste. Set aside to cool a little before using.