This is the best enchilada recipe (courtesy of one of my favorite Food Network chefs, Tyler Florence). You can adjust the heat by changing the amount of chipotle peppers. I usually add 3 with the seeds and it is perfect for us. Serve with some Spanish rice and/or beans and you've got absolute yumminess!

Chicken Enchiladas

3 Tbls. cooking oil (I use canola)
1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp. cumin powder
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. Mexican Spice Blend
1 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 small can diced green chiles
4 canned chipotle chiles, seeded and minced (adjust to your taste preference)
1 28-oz. can stewed tomatoes (I substituted a 14-15 oz. can of tomato sauce)
1/2 tsp. all-purpose flour
Corn tortillas (the original recipe calls for 16, I get about 12 when I make them)
1 large can of enchilada sauce
1 cup shredded Cheddar and Jack cheeses
Garnish: Chopped cilantro leaves, chopped scallions, sour cream, chopped tomatoes

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Coat large saute pan with oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken over medium heat, for about 7 minutes per side or until no longer pink. Sprinkle chicken with cumin, garlic powder, and Mexican Spice before turning. Remove to a platter and allow to cool.

Saute onion and garlic in chicken drippings until tender. Add corn and chiles. Stir well to combine. Add canned tomatoes, saute 1 minute.

Pull chicken breasts apart by hand into shredded strips and add to saute pan, combine with vegetables. Dust the mixture with flour to help set.

Microwave tortillas on high for 30 seconds (I do 4 at a time for about 20 seconds, fill and then continue with another 4 tortillas). This softens them and makes them more pliable. Coat the bottom of 2 13x9-inch pans with a ladle of enchilada sauce. Using a large, shallow bowl, dip each tortilla into enchilada sauce to lightly coat (I sometimes skip this step to save time). Spoon 1/4 cutp of chicken mixture into each tortilla, roll up and place seam-side down into prepared pans. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese.

Bake for 15 minutes until cheese melts. Garnish with cilantro, scallion, sour cream and chopped tomatoes.

Serve with Spanish rice and beans.

Enjoy!

Fresher Fish Tacos

What to do when there is a sale on tilapia and you buy 10 pounds of fish? Have a FIESTA!

Fresher Fish Tacos:
4 servings (serving size: 2 tacos)

Fish:
1 1/2 pounds white fish (I prefer tilapia)
Cooking spray
ground cumin
smoked paprika
ground red pepper
chili powder
cajun seasoning
dash of salt and garlic powder

Lime-Cilantro Crema:
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped FRESH cilantro
4 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 garlic clove, minced

(If you're looking for a little bit lighter version, use reduced-fat sour cream and mayonnaise!)

Additional Fix-ins!:
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1 bag pre-shredded cabbage
Lime wedges
Avocado
Your favorite tomatoe salsa (My favorite can be found at Ridley's. Their fresh made salsa is absolutely devine!!)

Preperation:

To prepare crema, combine ingredients in a small bowl and store in fridge.

To prepare tortillas, heat a large, dry skillet over medium-high heat, toast tortillas one at a time until crisp and slightly charred on each side. Wrap in a cloth napkin to keep warm.

To prepare fish, preheat large skillet. Sprinkle both sides of fish with seasonings. (I never pre-measure the seasoning for my meat or protein, just go with my instinct. If you don't want super spicy fish, ease up on the chili powder, red pepper, and cajun seasoning. Or, make your own mixture!) Coat skillet with cooking spray. Cook fish about 4 minutes on each side until it flakes easily with a fork. Break fish into chunks and place in a bowl. Keep warm.

Top tortillas with golden fish, crunchy cabbage, a dash of crema, zesty salsa, a slice of avocado, and a spritz of lime!

Layered Mexican Bake

from Kraft

I found this recipe in their 500 calories or less dinners. I tried a few of them and this was the only one good enough to share.

3/4 lb. extra-lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 tsp. chili powder
1-1/4 cups TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick 'N Chunky Salsa
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen corn
3 high-fiber whole wheat tortillas (8 inch)
1/2 cup BREAKSTONE'S Reduced Fat or KNUDSEN Light Sour Cream
3/4 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese, divided
make it!
HEAT oven to 375ºF.

BROWN meat with onions and peppers in large skillet on medium-high heat. Stir in chili powder; cook 1 min. Add salsa and corn; mix well. Simmer 5 min.

SPREAD 1 cup meat sauce onto bottom of 8- or 9-inch square baking dish; top with layers of 1 tortilla, 1/2 cup meat sauce, sour cream and 1/4 cup cheese. Cover with 1 tortilla, 1 cup of remaining meat sauce and 1/4 cup of remaining cheese; top with remaining tortilla and meat sauce. Cover with foil.

BAKE 25 min. or until casserole is heated through. Top with remaining cheese; bake, uncovered, 5 min. or melted.

Taco Soup

This recipe is SO easy because it is mostly canned! ;) And it makes a TON

1 lb ground beef

1 large onion chopped

1 can pinto beans (undrained)

1 can black beans (undrained)

1 can red beans (undrained)

1 can corn (undrained)

1 can tomato sauce (15 oz)

1 can Rotel spicy tomatoes

2 small cans chopped green chili

1 package taco seasoning mix

1 1/2 cup water

1 bag Fritos

Shredded cheddar cheese

Cook meat & onions in large pot, drain fat. Stir in everything except Fritos and cheese. Bring to boil and let simmer for 15 minutes uncovered. Serve in bowl and top with Frito's and cheese.

Foil Pack Chicken Fajita Dinner

From Kraft Foods

Super easy meal you can throw together ahead of time and refrigerate.

1-1/2 cups instant white rice, uncooked
1-1/2 cups hot water
1 Tbsp. TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Taco Seasoning Mix
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)
1 each green and red pepper, cut into strips
1/2 cup TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick 'N Chunky Salsa
1/2 cup KRAFT Mexican Style Finely Shredded Taco Cheese

HEAT oven to 400ºF.

FOLD up all sides of each of 4 large sheets of heavy-duty foil to form 1-inch rim; spray with cooking spray. Combine rice, water and taco seasoning; spoon onto foil. Top with remaining ingredients.

BRING up foil sides. Double fold top and ends to seal each packet, leaving room for heat circulation inside. Place in 15x10x1-inch pan.

BAKE 30 to 35 min. or until chicken is done (165ºF). Let stand 5 min. Cut slits in foil to release steam before opening packets.

EASY Tortilla Soup

 We made this last night and aside from being terribly easy, it was delicious! I got this recipe from another recipe blog.

Tortilla Soup by Linda Smith Ingredients:

1 lb. cooked chicken or browned hamburger meat (Or one can of canned chicken)
2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can chicken broth
1 can corn
1 can Ranch Style Beans
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 can Ro-Tel

Combine all of the above ingredients and simmer on medium heat to a boil. Pour over chips and sprinkle cheese on top.
Try to get the low sodium versions of all the canned stuff. There is enough salt on the chips. Also, thinner restaurant style chips get too soggy. Tostitos are the best. You can "customize" this recipe. For example, you can add chunks of avocado, or even a dollop of guac on top after you serve it, or add cilantro or let it chill and use it as a dip. It also doesn't matter if you like more corn, or more beans, although if you take any of the ingredients out, it will change the flavor. It also keeps really well in the fridge.

It's good! Try it!

Bean Dip

1 - 8 oz cream cheese
1- 16 oz Velveeta
2- 16 oz refried beans
1-3 oz can green chilies
1- 12-16 oz jar of salsa
1 can beef

Dump in crockpot. Heat th0roughly. If you like bean dips, you'll love this!

Enchilada Casserole

This is a quick version of enchiladas. You can use any meat you like, whether ground or shredded. Serve with Mexican rice and refried or black beans and all of your favorite condiments.

1 lb. meat (I usually use ground turkey)
Mexican seasoning to taste
12 corn tortillas
1 29-oz. can enchilada sauce
2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese

Cook meat in a skillet along with Mexican seasoning. Spray a 13x9x2 inch pan with non-stick cooking spray. Pour 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce in bottom of pan. Lay 4 tortillas on top of the sauce. Note, there will be some overlap of the tortillas and uncovered space in the pan...no problem. Layer 1/2 of the meat mixture over the tortillas, 1/3 of the cheese over the meat, and 1/3 of the remaining enchilada sauce over the meat/cheese. Repeat. Place final 4 tortillas on top of the second layer of meat, cheese and sauce, cover with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Enjoy!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

From We're Just That Good

4 frozen chicken breasts

1 onion, chopped

3 corn tortillas, cut up

1 can corn, drained

2 cans chicken broth

1 can diced tomatoes, drained

1 cup salsa verde

1 can diced green chilies

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. cumin

salt and pepper to taste

tortilla chips, sour cream, and cheddar cheese

Cook in crockpot for 7 hours until chicken shreds with a fork. Garnish with crumbled tortilla chips, sour cream, and cheddar cheese

Chicken and Corn Chili

Recipe #2 that I'm trying this weekend. Use your imagination and season as you like. Serve with grated cheese, sour cream, cilantro, avocadoes, etc. Don't forget the tortillas!

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 jar (16 oz.) salsa
2 teaspoons garlic powder (I think I'm going to use the real thing though)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
1 can (11 oz.) Mexican-style corn (I think I'll go for the frozen, as I like it better than canned corn)
1 can (15 oz.) pinto beans

Directions:

Place chicken and salsa in the slow cooker the night before you want to eat this chili. Season with garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Cook 6-8 hours on Low.

About 3-4 hours prior to serving, shred the chicken with 2 forks. Return the meat to the pot and continue cooking.

Stir the corn and the pinto beans into the slow cooker and simmer until ready to serve.

Cafe Rio, YUM

Wow, 4 posts in a row. I guess i'm the only one not super busy with Christmas right now.

Well I found this on the Recipe Queens' website . I hope it's legit because i definitely have to try it now. Here's the entry:

Cafe Rio Shredded Pork Salad with Ranch Dressing
OK, I had not been to Cafe Rio until 6 month ago and the food indeed is yummy. My friend gave me this recipe which she got hand me down from all over Utah and she promised that this is the exact recipe for their Shredded Pork Salad with the green dressing. Real copy or not, this is divine. Enjoy!

Pork

Night Before:

3 ½ to 4 lb. Pork Roast
2 Tbs Brown sugar
1 to 1 ½ tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt

Mix together and rub on pork roast. Put in crock pot on low. Cook all night.

Next morning, add:
1 can coke
1 cup chicken stock
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped

Keep cooking all day in crock pot on Low.

About an hour before serving, shred roast and add:

1 cup brown sugar

Salad Dressing:

1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch dressing Mix
8 oz. can Salsa Verde
2 cloves garlic
¾ cup Mayo
¾ cup sour cream
¼ tsp Tabasco Sauce
¼- ½ cup fresh cilantro

Mix in blender. Add lime juice to taste. Mix ahead of time and chill it for several hours. It can be thinned with buttermilk if needed.

I serve this over Shredded Lettuce and crunched up tortilla chips and top with beans, pork, dressing, cheese. The dressing makes a ton.... Yum

Sour Cream Enchiladas

So yummy!

Ingredients:

2 Cups of Cheese
2 Cups of shredded (or) chunked chicken, (You can use ground beef, if you prefer it.)
Tortillas
Small container of Sour Cream
1 can of Cream of Chicken Soup

Instructions:

Turn oven to 350 degrees.
Cook chicken or use the canned chicken. (I do always have some of that for emergency fast meals.)
Mix container of Sour Cream and can of Cream of Chicken Soup together, and add in the chicken.
Spread on tortilla and add black beans and cheese.
Roll the tortillas, and put them in casserole dish.
Smother the top of the enchiladas with the leftover mixture.
Cook for 20 minutes.

We really like these. They are easy to make and are easy to improvise with. We have put tomatos, salsa, and chiles inside the enchiladas. It always turns out well. :)

White Chicken Enchiladas

Our family loves enchiladas and this is a new recipe but has quickly become one of our favorites. It looks like a lot to do but it is actually really simple. We serve it with some spanish rice and it's great. Enjoy! (Sorry, I forgot to take a picture.)

Mix in a bowl:
1 cup onion
2 Tbsp butter
2 cups chicken (I usually do 3 chicken breasts, shredded)
4 oz diced chilis
1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)

In a saucepan:
3 Tbsp butter
1/3 cup flour (add to melted butter)
1 tsp coriander
3/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups chicken broth

*allow this mixture to come to a boil and thicken a little

Add to sauce pan mixture:
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups monterey jack cheese (more if you really like cheese)

Put about 1/2-1 cup of liquid in the chicken mixture
Wrap chicken mixture in flour tortillas(soft taco size) and line up in 9x13 pan. Cover tortillas with remaining sauce.
Bake @ 350 for about 20-25 minutes.

Crock Pot Chicken Tacos

This one is so easy and is also a family favorite (from Pats Aunt Linda Eyre).

1 24 oz jar of Pace Picante sauce (medium or mild)
1 -2 cups brown sugar
4 chicken breasts
stir all together in crock pot and cook for 4-8 hours remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to crock pot and cook an additional hour.

Make tacos with flour tortillas, shredded cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, olives, beans, and anything else your little heart desires!

***a must have for our family with these tacos are the uncooked flour tortillas from Costco. The brand is tortilla land. You cook them on your stove and they are so yummy!

Taco Star

This recipe is one my mother in law has mastered! I think it is a Pampered Chef recipe too. Super yummy and again really fast!

1/2 lbs. ground beef cooked and drained
1 package (1.25 ounce) taco seasoning mix
1 C shredded cheddar cheese
2 tbsp water
2 packages (8 ounces each) refrigerated crescent roll dough

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Combine meat, seasoning and water in frying pan.
3. Arrange crescent triangles on round baking stone, having the point facing outward and flat part of triangle facing center.
It should look like this.

4. Put meat around the flat parts of the triangles, and turn the pointy parts of the crescent rolls over the meat.
It should look like this.

5. Serve by cutting pieces and put on plate with lettuce, tomato, cheese, Fritos, and ranch dressing.

Chicken Enchiladas

This is a recipe I found in a healthy cookbook I have. It is surprisingly really yummy!

3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

4 green onions, sliced

2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded and minced

3 cans (10 0z each) green enchilada sauce

4-6 (reduced carb.) tortillas

1 cup cheddar cheese

2 cups lettuce, shredded

1/2 cup salsa

1/2 cup light sour cream

1 tomato, diced

1 can ripe olives, sliced

Preheat oven to 350. 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.

coat a large skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat add green onions, cilantro, and jalapeno, saute for 2 minutes. Add shredded chicken and 1 can of enchilada sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through (about 5 minutes).

pour the remaining two cans of enchilada sauce in a medium bowl and microwave until warm, about 2 minutes. Dip each tortilla in sauce and fill with desired amount of chicken mixture. Roll up and place seam side down in prepared baking dish.

Pour remaining heated sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake until enchiladas are heated through and cheese is melted (about 15 minutes).

Divide lettuce onto plates and place the enchilada on top. Top with a spoonful of salsa, a dollop of sour cream, tomatoes, and olives. Serve and Enjoy!!!

(Oh, I also added 1 can of green chilies to the chicken mixture)