Mexican Pot Pie

Ingredients:

2 C Masa Harina

1 1/2 t Baking Powder

1/2 t Salt

1/2 C Cold Lard or Butter, cut into pieces

2 C Water or Beef Stock

1 lb Ground Beef

1-2 T Olive Oil

1 Large Onion, chopped

15 oz Can Diced Tomatoes, undrained 

4 oz Can Mild Green Chiles

3 Garlic Cloves, minced

1/2 t Dried Oregano

1/2 t Cumin

1/2 t Paprika

1/2 t Salt

1/4 t Black pepper

12-16 oz Canned or Frozen Corn

1/2 C Sour Cream

1-2 C Shredded Cheddar or Jack Cheese

Directions:

In a medium bowl, mix together Masa Harina, baking powder and salt. 

Cut in Lard or butter. 

Add water and mix until it forms a wet dough. Set aside. 

In a large pan, cook ground beef and onion in olive oil. 

Add diced tomatoes, garlic, oregano, Cumin, Paprika, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. 

Add corn. Stir in sour cream. 

Grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Pour beef mixture into casserole dish and spread evenly. 

Sprinkle shredded cheese over top of casserole. 

Spread Masa mixture over top of cheese. 

Bake for 40-50 minutes or until firm and the edges have become golden brown. 

Serve with salsa and more sour cream. 

Green Tomato Salsa Verde

Ingredients:

1 T Lime juice

1 Garlic clove, minced

Pinch Chili powder

Pinch Cumin

1/2 t Dried Cilantro (or 1 T Chopped Fresh Cilantro)

1/2 Small Jalapeño, chopped

1/4 Diced Red onion

1 1/2 C Green tomatoes, diced

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Combine all ingredients. Chill for at least one hour. 

* Adapted from http://wonkywonderful.com/1/post/2013/09/green-tomato-salsa-verde-recipe.html

Slow-Cooker Beef Tamale Casserole

Ingredients:

1 lb Ground beef
1 Medium onion, chopped
4 oz Can Diced green chilies
11 oz Can corn, drained (or 1 3/4 C frozen corn)
1 t Mexican Seasoning
10 oz Can Red enchilada sauce (or 1 1/2 C Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce)
12 Corn tortillas
2 C Shredded cheese (monterey jack, cheddar, etc.)

Directions:

Spray slow-cooker with non-stick spray.

In a skillet, cook ground beef and onion until no longer pink. Drain, if necessary. Stir in green chilies, corn, mexican seasoning, and enchilada sauce. (This can be refrigerated overnight)

Place 4 tortillas in bottom of slow-cooker; top with 1/3 meat mixture. Sprinkle on 1/3 of the shredded cheese. Repeat twice except for last layer of cheese.

Cover; cook on low 3-4 hours or high 2-3, or until bubbly. Turn off heat. Top with remaining cheese. Cover and allow cheese to melt.

Top with sour cream and sliced green onions.

Yield: 6 Servings
Weight Watchers PointsPlus: 7 Points

* Adapted from http://www.landolakes.com/recipe/3476/slow-cooker-beef-tamale-casserole

Taco Salad Dressing

Ingredients:

1 C Sour cream

1/4 C Mild salsa

1/4 t Mexican Seasoning

1/8 t Dried Cilantro

Combine all ingredients. Refrigerate overnight. 

* My Recipe

Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce

Ingredients:

2 T Vegetable or Canola oil
2 T Flour
4 T Chili powder
1/2 t Garlic powder
1/2 t Salt
1/4 t Cumin
1/4 t Oregano
2 C Chicken broth

Directions:

Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour and stir together for one minute. Stir in the remaining seasonings. Gradually add chicken broth, whisking constantly to remove lumps. Reduce heat and simmer 10-15 minutes, or until thick.

Use immediately or store refrigerate in an air-tight container for up to two weeks.

* Adapted from http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/red-enchilada-sauce/

Green Chili Shredded Beef Enchiladas

Ingredients:

3 C Shredded beef

28 oz Can Green chili enchilada sauce

4 oz Can diced green chilies

14 oz Can creamed corn

4 C Shredded cheese (sharp cheddar, colby-jack, etc.), divided

1 C Sour cream

1/2 C Diced green onions

1 Onion, finely chopped

2 Garlic cloves, minced

1/4 C Cilantro, chopped

2 t Cumin

Salt and pepper, to taste

8 Burrito-size flour tortillas, room temperature

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine shredded beef, diced green chilies, corn, 3 C cheese, sour cream, green onions, onion, garlic, cilantro, and cumin. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Ladle enough green enchilada sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish to coat. 

Dip each tortilla in enchilada sauce and fill with beef mixture. Roll tightly and place in casserole dish. Repeat for all 8 tortillas. 

Cover with any remaining beef mixture. Pour on the rest of the enchilada sauce being careful to evenly coat the ends of the tortillas. Top with cheese. 

Can be refrigerated overnight. 

Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly and heated through and cheese is melted. 

* Adapted from http://www.dessertnowdinnerlater.com/2012/03/cheese-green-chili-enchiladas/

Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:

3 C Chicken, cooked and cubed or shredded

2 t Cumin

4 Garlic cloves, minced

1 t Mexican Seasoning

1 Red onion, chopped and cooked until translucent

15 oz Can Corn kernels, drained

4 oz Can Fire-roasted green chilies

28 oz Can Diced tomatoes

1 t All-purpose flour

34-36 Corn tortillas

28 oz Can Red Enchilada Sauce

3 C Shredded cheese, Mexican blend

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine chicken, cumin, garlic, seasoning, onion, corn, chilies, tomatoes, and flour. Cover and refrigerate for one hour. 

Ladle one scoop of enchilada sauce into the bottom of two 9x13 casserole dishes. 

Microwave half of the corn tortillas for 30 seconds on high. Dip corn tortilla in enchilada sauce and then fill with chicken mixture. Repeat with all tortillas until both casseroles are full. 

Pour remaining sauce evenly over all of the enchiladas. Top with shredded cheese. 

Cover with aluminum foil. 

Bake at 350 degrees until mixture begins to bubble. Uncover and continue to cook until cheese is melted. 

Serve topped with sour cream and green onions.

* Adapted from http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/chicken-enchiladas-recipe.html

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:

4 C Chicken, cooked and chopped

2-8 oz Pkgs Cream cheese, softened

1/2 C Chicken broth

16 oz Sour cream

1 1/2 lb Cheddar cheese, shredded

4 oz Canned green chilies

5 Green onions, sliced (including chives)

24 Corn tortillas, softened

Directions:

Mix chicken, cream cheese, broth, sour cream, chilies, and green onions together in a large bowl. 

Fill each tortilla with 2-3 T of the mixture and lay side-by-side in two greased 9x13 casserole pan. Reserve about 1/3 of mixture for topping. 

Top with remaining mixture. 

Sprinkle more cheese on top if desired. 

Bake uncovered for about 25 minutes at 350 degrees or until bubbly and nicely browned. 

Serves 8-10. 

* My recipe

Sarah's Awesome Guacamole

Ingredients:

3 Avacados

3 Garlic cloves, roasted and pressed

3 T Lemon juice

3 T Lime juice

1 t Onion powder

1/4 t Cayenne pepper

1/4 t Salt

Directions:

Mash Avacados. Combine all other ingredients. 

 

* My friend Sarah's recipe

Mexican Stuffed Pepper Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1 lb pound ground beef
• 3 green peppers, coarsely chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 T Mexican Seasoning
• 2 C rice, cooked
• 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes, with liquid
• 1 15 oz can corn kernels, drained
• 1 15 oz can black or pinto beans
• 2 C mozzarella cheese, divided
• Dried cilantro

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Cook meat in frying pan with onions until meat is almost completely browned. Add peppers. Cook over medium-low heat until beef in completely cooked and peppers begin to turn tender. Add seasoning. 
3. In a 3 qt casserole, stir together the rice, sauce, diced tomatoes, corn, beans, and 3/4 C cheese.
4. Add in the beef mixture and stir until combined. Cover with remaining cheese (or more if desired). Sprinkle dried cilantro on top of cheese.  
5. Bake for 25 minutes or until heated through and cheese begins to brown. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.

 

* Adapted from http://www.a-kitchen-addiction.com/stuffed-pepper-casserole/

Mexican Pizza

Ingredients:

Quick and Easy Pizza Dough
2 T Mexican Seasoning
1 (14 oz) Can Tomato sauce
1 Pound lean ground beef
1 Medium onion, diced
1 Large bell pepper (or several smaller multi-colored peppers), diced
Dried cilantro
Crushed tortilla chips
Sliced black olives
Diced tomato
Cheddar cheese (or dairy-free cheddar cheese shreds)

Directions:

Cook crust according to directions. 

In a large skillet brown ground beef. Add onion and bell pepper. Cook until onion becomes translucent. Add tomato sauce and Mexican seasoning and simmer for several minutes. 

Spread ground beef mixture over crust. Top with cheese. Sprinkle black olives, diced tomatoes, tortilla chips, and cilantro on top and continue baking until cheese has melted sufficiently. 

* My recipe

Slow Cooker Steak Fajitas

Ingredients:

1 Pound Sirloin Tip (cut into 2 inch strips)
2 T Mexican Seasoning
2 t Vegetable oil
1 t Beef bouillon granules (or one cube)
1/8 C Hot water
1 T Cornstarch
1 Medium onion, thickly sliced
2 Large Bell Peppers, thickly sliced
1 (14.5 ounce) Can Diced tomatoes, with liquid

Directions:

Sprinkle strips of sirloin with Mexican seasoning. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the vegetable oil and brown the seasoned beef strips.

Transfer to a slow cooker.

Mix bouillon with hot water until dissolved, then mix in cornstarch until dissolved. Add any remaining Mexican seasoning. Pour into the slow cooker with meat. Stir in onion, green peppers, and tomatoes.

Cover, and cook on High for 3 to 4 hours, or on Low for 6 to 8 hours.

*Adapted from http://trickschefs.com/showthread.php?tid=412

Crockpot "Refried" Beans

Ingredients:

2 Pounds Pinto beans, dry (approx. 5 C)
1 Large onion, chopped
1 t Garlic powder
2 1/2 T Salt
1 t Black pepper
4 t Cumin
10 C Hot water

Directions:

Rinse the beans in a colander. Pick out any bad beans.

Combine all the ingredients in the crockpot. Remove any floating beans. Cover, and cook on high for 4 hours AND on low for 2 hours (or more to cook beans to desired doneness). 

Uncover, and remove extra liquid. Leave enough liquid to reach the desired consistency when the beans are puréed. 

Purée beans in a food processor. 

Optional: To make the beans into a dip, add jalapeño hot sauce (this will no longer be nightshade-free), lime juice, salt, and cilantro to taste when pureeing!

Serve warm. Store in air-tight containers in the refrigerator and use within 2 weeks, or freeze in ziplock bags for later use.

* Adapted from http://penniesandpancakes.blogspot.com/2012/09/crockpot-refried-beans-019-per-cup.html

Yield: About 16 cups.

Spanish Rice and Sausage

Ingredients:

2 T Vegetable oil
1 Onion, diced
2 Garlic cloves, minced
1 Pound Smoked sausage, cut into bite-size pieces
1 1/2 C Uncooked white rice
2 C Water
8 Oz Tomato sauce (or to taste)
1 T Mexican seasoning
Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. 

Stir in the sausage; cook and stir until the sausage is crisp. 

Mix in the rice, water, tomato sauce, seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed, about 20 minutes.

* Adapted from  http://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/marthas-spanish-rice-and-sausage/

Super Easy Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

1 T Oil (your choice)
1 Medium white onion, diced
1 Poblano pepper, diced (optional)
1 15 oz Can cream-style corn
1 15 oz Can corn kernels
1 15 oz Can diced tomatoes
2 10 oz can rotel
1 15 oz can chicken broth (more as needed)
4 chicken breasts, boiled and diced
1 t Cumin
1/4 Bunch cilantro, chopped fine
2 15 oz Can black beans
Salt and pepper, to taste
Tortilla chips

Directions:

Cook onion (and poblano) in oil until onion is translucent.

Put remaining ingredients (except chips) together and simmer for 20 minutes.

Top with tortilla chips.

 

* Adapted from http://www.yummly.com/recipe/external/Super-Easy-Tortilla-Soup-Food_com-109294

Guacamole

Ingredients:

3 Haas avocados, halved, seeded and peeled
1 lime, juiced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced

Directions:

In a large bowl place the scooped avocado pulp and lime juice, toss to coat.

Drain, and reserve the lime juice, after all of the avocados have been coated.

Using a potato masher add the salt, cumin, and cayenne and mash. Then, fold in the onions, jalapeno, tomatoes, cilantro, and garlic. Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved lime juice.

Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour and then serve.

* From http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/guacamole-recipe/index.html

Beef Tongue Tacos

Ingredients:

1 beef tongue
1/2 white onion, sliced
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bay leaf
salt to taste

1 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 Roma tomatoes
3 poblano peppers
1/2 onion, diced
2 (10 ounce) packages corn tortillas
Salsa
Mexican seasoning

Directions:

Place the beef tongue in a slow cooker and cover with water. Add the onion slices, garlic, and bay leaf. Season with salt. Cover and cook on Low overnight or 8 hours. Remove the tongue and shred the meat into strands.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the tomatoes, peppers, and onions in the hot oil until softened on all sides. Add tongue meat to skillet. Cook another 5 to 6 minutes. Add Mexican seasoning to taste.

Build the tacos by placing meat mixture into 2 softened corn tortillas. Top with salsa and, optionally, cheese and sour cream.

Serve with side salad of shredded iceberg lettuce, corn, onion, black beans, and diced tomatoes with Mexican seasoning to taste. Top with sour cream if desired.

* Adapted from http://allrecipes.com/recipe/delicious-beef-tongue-tacos

Taqueria Carne Asada Tacos

Ingredients:

18 soft corn tortillas
1 lb flank steak
Lime wedges

Marinade:

2 tablespoons white vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
1 small lime, juiced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Relish:

1/4 white onion, chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 lime, juiced

Salsa Puree:

1 large tomato, chopped
4 oz can of diced green chiles
1/4 white onion, quartered
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 poblano pepper, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Lay the flank steak in a large glass baking dish. In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, lime juice, and olive oil. Season with salt, black pepper, white pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, oregano, cumin and paprika. Whisk until well blended, then pour over the steak in the dish. Turn over once to coat both sides. Cover with plastic wrap, and marinate for 1 to 8 hours.

In a small bowl, stir together chopped white onion, cilantro, and the lime juice. Set aside to use as a relish for the tacos.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. 

Place the tomatoes, onion, poblano, and clove of garlic onto a baking sheet. Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes, until toasted but not burnt. Place the roasted vegetables, and green chiles into a blender or food processor, along with salt and pepper. Puree until smooth.

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cut the marinated flank steak into cubes or strips. Cook, stirring constantly, until the meat is cooked through and most of the liquid has evaporated.

Warm the tortillas in a skillet for about a minute on each side to make them pliable. Tortillas may also be warmed in a microwave oven. Arrange two or three tortillas on a plate, and lay a generous amount of beef over them. Top with a sprinkle of the onion relish and a large spoonful of the pureed salsa. Add cheese if you like. Garnish with lime wedges, and serve.

* Adapted from http://allrecipes.com/recipe/taqueria-style-tacos---carne-asada/  
 

 

Cilantro-Lime Rice

Ingredients:

1 cup white rice
1/2 lime, juice of
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro
3 tsp vegetable oil

Directions:

In a medium pot, cook rice as directed on package while adding the salt and 1 tsp of the oil with the water.

In a medium bowl, combine chopped cilantro, lime juice, rice and remaining oil and toss until completely mixed.

Makes 4 servings.

* Adapted from http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/03/chipotle-cilantro-lime-rice-4-pts.html

Chicken Sour Cream Enchiladas

Ingredients:

4 C Cooked chicken
2 Cans Cream of chicken soup
1 Can (3 1/2 to 4 oz) Green chiles, diced
1 1/2 Lb Cheddar cheese, grated
5 Green onions, sliced (including chives)
16 Oz Sour cream
24 Corn tortillas

Directions:

Mix above ingredients in large bowl. Save 1/3 mixture for topping.

Soften tortillas (either in hot oil or microwavable tortilla warmer). Fill each tortilla with 2-3 T of mixture and roll. Place in two greased 9x13 pans side by side. Put remaining mixture on top.

Bake in 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes or until bubbly and nicely browned. Sprinkle more cheese on top if desired.

Other options:

• Can add Stokes Pork and Chili sauce in place of 1/3 topping.
• For gluten-free - Combine 2 C milk, 2 T butter, 2 Cubes chicken bouillon, and 1/2 Tsp ground pepper. Heat together. In a separate bowl, create paste using about 1/3 C gluten-free flour and water. Add paste to hot ingredients. Use in place of cream of chicken soup.

* From my mom's recipe box