Mexican Chili

I am still here :)  I bet you were beginning to wonder.  We are still putting the finishing touches and doing some trim work on our kitchen remodel.

Mexican Lasagna

If you like burritos you will Love this Mexican Lasagna.  When Bill and I were eating this we were thinking of other ingredients that could have been added..... jalapeno peppers, Mexican rice, salsa or if you like tomatoes.  We garnished ours with sour cream and Bill would have liked to add shredded lettuce to the top of his too.

Fiesta Ravioli

Fall is in the air.  We went from scotching hot a few weekends ago to being cold this past weekend. So cold we had long sleeves and jackets on at the car show on Sunday.  I am also getting in the mood for soups and anything pumpkin!

Mexican Meatball Soup

I have for you another great crockpot recipe.  I have joined a facebook page called Tasty Slow Cooker Recipes  On this facebook page you will find lots of wonderful slow cooker/crockpot recipes posted by myself and my blogger friends.

Chicken Taco Soup

Chicken Taco Soup

3 boneless chicken breast, cooked and diced
5.25 oz can black beans
5.50 oz can dark kidney beans

5.50 oz can great northern beans
5.50 oz can pinto beans
5.50 oz can chili beans
5.25 oz can fiesta corn
15 oz can tomato sauce
28 oz can Rotel tomatoes
1 pkg taco seasoning
2 1/2 C water
2 t chicken soup base
1/2 onion chopped
2 jalapenos, diced

Place cooked chicken and all other ingredients in crock pot. Cook on low for 5 to 7 hours.  Mine was ready after 5 but we were not ready to eat so mine was in the crock pot on low for 7 hours.

Notes:  I used left over chicken I had already cooked so this was super fast for me to throw everything in the crock pot.  You can also use rotisserie chicken for this soup. If desired garnish with tortilla chips, sour cream or shredded cheese.

Steak Burrito Bowl

This is my version of Chipotle's Steak Burrito Bowl.  We have gone from snow to unseasonably warm.  Last night we grilled out steaks.  I bought a cut of steak that we had not had before, Chuck Eye Center Eye Steak boneless.  Bill said he thought they were going to be tough.  So to tenderize them some I sprinkled McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak seasoning.  I put the steaks on the grill and rubbed the tops with the seasoning, let them cook for a bit and then flipped and put more seasoning on the flipped side.  They smelled heavenly cooking on the grill.  The steaks were really good.  I had grilled them until they were just a little red in the center.

While eating Cally and I decided that the steak reminded us of the steak that is in the Chipotle's Burrito Bowl.  I had a couple steaks left over after eating and decided I was going to experiment with making my own version of the Steak Burrito Bowl.

I put these bowls together for Bill and I for supper tonight and they were lip smacking good!!!  I just used minute rice and flavored it with half a juice of lime and sea salt.  The rice was nice and tangy.  The pinto beans I bought in a can and just had to warm.  I then cut up the left over steak and warmed it.  Cally had read on the Internet that Chipotle's sour cream is whipped sour cream.  I took my mixer and whipped up the sour cream until it was smooth and thin.  Bill also had salsa on his bowl.  I did not think of it but you could also add shredded lettuce and jalapenos if you prefer.  Then top it all off with cheese of your choice.

Steak Burrito Bowl
serves 4

1st Layer:
rice
for the rice:
2 C minute rice
2 C water
1/2 lime juiced
1/2 t sea salt

Boil 2 C water.  When boiling take water off the burner and put in 2 C minute rice.  Cover and let sit for about 5 minutes or until the water is absorbed.  Juice the 1/2 lime in a separate bowl and add the 1/2 t sea salt.  Stir the lime juice around until the sea salt is dissolved.  Add the lime juice/salt mixture into the rice and fluff with a fork.

2nd Layer:
Pinto Beans
I used 2 (19.75 oz) cans La Costena Whole Pinto Beans, warm the beans, drain and add them on top of the rice.

3rd Layer
Steak
I used my left over steak.  About 4 to 5 oz per bowl.

4th Layer and 5th Layers
Whipped Sour Cream and Salsa

5th Layer
Cheese

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas and Cilantro Lime Rice

We had a great weekend.  The only thing that would have made it better is if Cally would have been home.  Billy has been coming home on the weekends to help at the Knoll Top Tree Farm.  Billy has worked at the tree farm since he turned 16.  A few years back Matt started working at the tree farm with Billy.  They work at the tree farm from 9 am until dark.  So after a long day at the tree farm on Saturday Billy and Matt both came back to the house for dinner.  It has been unseasonable warm around here so we were able to grill out hamburgers on Saturday.

Here are some pictures of Billy and Matt working at the tree farm.  The customer cuts their tree and pulls it up to the barn.  In the picture above our cousin Greg is pulling his tree up to the barn,  Once at the barn the guys will put the tree on the shaker.  It vibrates and shakes the tree so all the loose needles fall off then they put it through the baler which will put a netting around the tree.  Lastly the guys help the customers put the trees in or on the vehicles.

We took our littlest beagle with us Saturday.  He was excited to see Billy.

I saw a recipe on a blog awhile back for Creamy Chicken Enchiladas but when I went back to find it I can not.  So this recipe is what I came up with.  It was really good.  I like that it was baked in whipping cream.  The whipping cream kept them really moist.  The Cilantro Lime Rice tasted just like the rice I have had at Chipotle.  Also on the plate is refried beans with Taco Bell taco sauce and cheese on top.  They taste just like Taco Bells pintos and cheese.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

2 C cooked and shredded chicken

1  8oz cream cheese

1 10oz can rotel tomatoes

1/2 C chopped onions

1/2 t garlic powder

oil, for sauteing onions and rotel tomatoes

6 tortillas

1 C whipping Cream

8 oz Monterrey Jack cheese ( I used 4 cheese Mexican)

Saute onions and rotel tomatoes in oil until onions are tender.  Add garlic powder and stir well.  Add the cream cheese and stir until melted.  Lastly add the chicken and mix all together.

Place 1/6 of the mixture on each tortilla and roll up to close.  Place each tortilla in a greased 9x13 pan.  Pour 1 C whipping cream over enchiladas and cover with foil.  Bake in a 350 degree over for 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and take off the foil.  Sprinkle the cheese over top of the enchiladas and place them back in the oven until the cheese is melted

Cilantro Lime Rice

Chipotlefan.com

1 Toil

2 t fresh cilantro, chopped fine

1/2 lime

1/2 salt (sea salt)

1 C long grain white rice

2 C water

Saute the rice in oil until almost translucent.  Add water and bring to a boil.  As soon as the water begins to boil, turn the heat down low.  Simmer, covered for 15-20 min or until all water is absorbed.  Turn off heat.  Don't peek.  Leave it covered for 30 minutes. This is what makes it fluffy.  Remove lid, let some of the steam out.  It may be helpful to transfer rice into a mixing bowl for the next step.  Mix salt and lime juice together until salt is dissolved.  Pout it over rice, fluff with a fork.  Sprinkle in cilantro and toss will to evenly coat with cilantro and lime mixture.

Beef Enchiladas and Cinnamon Crisp Chips

Friday Bill and I took Cally on a college visit to Mt Union.  Wow what a beautiful college.  Cally loved it.  We got a tour of the college from the Golf coach.  Mt Union wants Cally to play golf for them on the women's golf team.  She is excited about this opportunity.  She has had several colleges contact her about playing on their golf teams since the golf season has ended for her high school career.  Mt Union has a very competitive golf team and she is excited to get the chance to play on a winning women's golf team! She has not committed yet but I think she is really close to making this final decision.  I will be happy when this is all decided and planned out.

Beef Enchiladas

1 lb beef, browned and drained
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 can 31 oz can refried beans
2 cans 10 oz enchilada sauce
6 flour tortillas
16 oz pkg shredded cheddar cheese

Brown the beef and drain.  Fix taco meat according to package directions.  Spray a p x13 pan with cooking spray.  Assemble the Enchiladas...take tortilla and spread 1/6 of the can of refried beans, then 1/6 of the taco beef, and a handful of cheese,  roll up the tortilla and place in the pan.  Repeat with the next 5 tortillas.  After all enchiladas are in the pan, pour both cans of enchilada sauce over the enchiladas.  Cover with the remaining cheddar cheese.  Bake in 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until hot.  Serve with taco sauce and sour cream if desired.

Cinnamon Crisp Chips

4 flour tortillas
1/2 C sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
butter cooking spray

Mix sugar and cinnamon together.  Spray tortillas with cooking spray, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.  Cut tortillas in wedges.  Place on a baking sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes.

Taco Stuffed Pasta Shells

If you like Mexican and Pasta you will love these Taco Stuffed Pasta Shells.  It is like eating tacos with a fork.    This is one dish that Bill likes taking for lunch.  They heat up really well as left overs.  I pack left over supper every night for Bill's lunch the next day.  It really saves us a lot of money by him being able to pack and heat up his lunch each day.

This post is linked to Kelly the Kitchen Kop’s Real Food Wednesday blog carnival

Taco Stuffed Pasta Shells

1 box (12 oz)  Jumbo Pasta Shells
2 lbs ground hamburger or turkey
2 pkgs (1 oz each) Taco seasoning
1 jar 7.5 oz taco sauce
12 oz bag shredded cheddar cheese
1 C crushed fritos

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Brown meat and drain.  Prepare meat with the taco seasoning according to package directions.  Boil pasta shells for 12 minutes.  Drain shells.  Take shells and fill them with the taco meat and place them in a 9 x 13 greased baking dish.  Continue filling the shells until all the meat is used.  Pour taco sauce over each shell.  Cover dish with foil and bake in oven for 15 minutes.  Take shells out of oven and place cheese in each shell.  Then place crushed fritos in each shell.  Put back in the oven for 10 minutes.  Garnish with sour cream and more taco sauce.

Taco Casserole and Christmas Decorations

Today was a busy day around our house.  Cally and I did some Christmas shopping early this morning, then back home for lunch.  We had a simple lunch of grilled ham and turkey sandwiches, potato salad and chips.  I love having a grilled sandwich on cold days.  It was cold here in OH this morning, we woke up to 18 degrees.

We put up our Christmas tree today.  It was weird to be putting up our tree and hearing the farmers out in the fields around us picking their corn.  It has been too wet here in our area for the farmers to have picked all of their fields.  They have had to wait for the ground to freeze before they were able to get their combines in the field and not sink in the mud.  I think this is the latest I can ever remember there being corn still up in the fields.

I have been sending some goodies with Billy to work at the Christmas Tree Farm this year.  As a thank you Bev sent home a gorgeous wreath that she made for me.  We have hung it on our front door...I just love it!

Well on to our Taco Casserole we had for dinner.  This is a fast and easy meal and it is very good if you like Mexican food.

Taco Casserole

1 roll seamless crescent rolls
2 lbs ground Turkey (can use beef also)
2 pkgs Old El Paso taco seasoning
1  enchilada sauce
8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
crushed fritos

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place crescent rolls in the bottom of a 9X13 pan.  Bake crust for about 12 minutes.  Meanwhile brown turkey and then add the taco seasoning according to package directions.  Take crust out of the oven and begin layering the casserole.  Put tacoed turkey over the crest, then pour the enchilada sauce, next add the shredded cheese and finally the fritos on top.  Return the casserole to the oven for about 20 minutes.