Freezer Meals Day 9- Mystery Meal

Sweet mother of Abraham Lincoln this dish is good.  I tell you what, I think I am just going to turn this blog over to my husband.  His food is absolutely amazing!!  I've been in a "I don't want to cook cause my kitchen is a mess" mood this week.  I cleaned it all up and made some tamales earlier this week.  By the end of the tamale run, not only was my kitchen a mess, but so was the rest of my house.  I've never been good at cleaning as I go.  A trait I am trying to acquire.

By the time tamale day is over, I'm wiped out and don't feel like cleaning.  3 days later...I turn into a tornado. (after everyone and their mom has seen my messy house and I'm so embarrassed I finally decide to do something about it) I put the kids to bed and plow through the house cleaning every nook and cranny. Anyway... still feeling like I don't want to cook, my hubby decided to get creative tonight.  I had a few different dishes that I had on the list to try for this week, but just wasn't feeling it.  So we decided to switch gears and let Trever take a wack at a new dish.  And of course he passed with flying colors.  There are quite a few steps to this one, but they go pretty quick. Especially if you have the rice made up ahead of time. 

So here is the deal... We are not sure what to call this.  So we are going to have a contest.  Not sure what the winner will get.  Maybe just the satisfaction of naming one of my dishes.  We will see. But leave a post with your desired recipe name. Trever and I will choose and let you know. The contest will run until next Saturday the 14th.  Be sure to check in daily for all of the fun names!

Mystery Meal

Rice

½ pablano pepper seeded, ribbed and finely chopped

2 tsp minced garlic

1/8 large onion finely chopped

Salt to taste

2 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp olive oil

3 cups cooked rice *

1 tbsp lime juice

Heat oil in a pan, add pepper, garlic, onion, salt, and sugar. Saute until tender. 3-4 minutes.  Stir in cooked rice.  Add 1 tbsp lime juice.

Chicken Marinade-

3 tbsp lime juice

3 tbsp water

1 ½ tsp salt

½ pablano pepper (seeded, ribbed and finely chopped)

1 tbsp prepared minced garlic (not the dried minced)

1 tbsp sugar

2 lbs of chicken (raw and diced)

2 tbsp olive oil

 In a medium bowl combine marinade ingredients.  Toss in chicken.
Stir to coat.  Let sit 5-10 minutes.

Heat olive oil into a frying pan.  Bring to medium heat. Toss in chicken, discarding the liquid. Cook for about10 minutes or until cooked through.

Jalapeno Cream Cheese (we just used half of this recipe and saved the rest for another meal)

1 8 oz package cream cheese

8 oz sour cream

2-3 jalapenos (ribbed and seeded) **

Salt to taste    

2 tbsp sugar

1/8 large onion finely diced

3 tbsp lime juice

1-2 tbsp chopped cilantro

Soften cream cheese and blend in a blender well. 

additional ingredients needed

1/2 cup monterey jack cheese shredded

1 cup tortilla chip pieces

Layer

in a 9x9 (you can do a larger pan to make it thinner if desired) aluminum pan, put rice in the bottom, packing it down firmly. Add cooked chicken to the top of the rice.Top with jalapeno cream cheese. Sprinkle with Monterey Jack cheese

Cover with foil and label.  Freeze

To thaw, Bake covered at 350 for 35-45 minutes or until heated through. Uncover and broil on high for 3-5 min. until cheese is golden.

If making fresh... just skip to the quick broil to crisp the cheese.

Top with tortilla chip pieces.

* Day old rice is best, but if it's fresh, after steaming/cooking it... spread it onto a cookie sheet and bake at 250 for 15 min. This will dry it out a little bit and keep it from clumping so much.

** Each Jalapeno has a different heat content from what I've found.  Also it depends on how well you clean out the ribs and seeds.  Make sure to clean them out well (I like to use rubber gloves to avoid catastrophy) I would start with one.  Taste it and add more according to tastes.  Trever added 3 and it wasn't spicey at all, but again, it just depends.

Freezer Meals Day 7 - Honey Lime Enchiladas

Fussy teething baby means no commentary today.  Just try them, they are good! :)

Honey Lime Enchiladas

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

1 pound chicken, cooked (seasoned with salt and pepper) & shredded (I used a rotisserie chicken)
8-10 flour tortillas
1 pound Monterrey jack cheese, shredded ( used cheddar)
16 ounces green enchilada sauce
1 cup heavy cream (I left this out)

Whisk the first four ingredients and toss with shredded chicken in a Zip-lock bag. Let it marinate for at least a 1/2 hour. Longer is better. Pour about 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9X13 baking pan.
Fill the tortillas with chicken, saving marinade, and shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas. Lay rolled tortillas in the pan. Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the cream and leftover marinade (if there is any). Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top.

Recipe adapted from Dinner on a Dime

Freeze in a foil pan covered in foil, before cooking.  To thaw, cook at 350 for about 45 min, remove foil and cook another 30.  Or thaw on the counter and cook as directed above. Remember to label your foil!

Freezer Meals Day 3- Jake's Burritos

Can I just say that these have got to be the best burritos that I have ever tasted! No lie, and I am the burrito Queen. Hey, I can whatever makes me sleep at night right? And they are super easy too.  When I first heard there was ground beef in them, I was thinking, I'll pass! I tried them anyway and even writing about them is making my mouth water.

Our buddy Jake made these for us.  He told me about this unknown treasure.  Actually, apparently a lot of people know about this one but I somehow missed the meeting on it.  It's a Wal Mart brand, white corn and black bean salsa.  Can we say heaven?  It's sooo good!

Jake's Burritos

1 Jar (Wal Mart Brand) White Corn and Black Bean Salsa

1 can Black Beans

1 Lb Ground Beef or Turkey

Shredded Cheddar Cheese (if desired)

Tortillas

Brown the beef in a skillet and then add beans and salsa.  Heat through.  Fill tortillas with meat mixture. Roll into burritos and place in a baking dish.  Top with cheddar cheese (if desired) Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until cheese is melted.  Serve warm

To Freeze, place burritos into a foil baking dish and top with cheese.  Cover with foil and plastic wrap (if planning on freezing for longer than a month or so) and label. Freeze for about  3 months.

To thaw:  Remove plastic wrap but keep foil on.  Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes or until thawed.  Then remove foil and bake for another 25-30 minutes. (you can also thaw on the counter and cook as directed above)

Lime Turkey Tacos

In an effort to eat a little healthier, I've decided to give ground turkey a try.  Years ago, a friend of mine was experimenting with some ground turkey and had some lime flavored olive oil that she used to sauté the meat in.  It was actually pretty good.  I'm also a fan of turkey bacon. Other than that, besides the usual thanksgiving dinner, I'm just not a fan of the stuff.  The texture of say, turkey meatballs, is just too grainy for me.  I'm sure it's an acquired taste... but I'm just such a beef girl, it's hard to switch!

I have been trying to clean out my freezer to load up on some delicious freezer meals for next month. So I pulled out my bag of  Refried Beans
 that I made and froze last month, some ground turkey that I had on hand, and some tortillas that needed to by used, and Voila! A delicious new meal was born!  I have to say... It was so yummy!  Of course healthy is still a foreign concept for me... so if you are REALLY trying to be healthy, you can bypass the deep fried tortilla part! You can use the meat flavoring to turn it into a Taco Salad, or even use it on chips or regular taco shells.  (I know chips and taco shells are super healthy either)

Who knew that cleaning out the freezer would make such a yummy last minute meal.  What will I come up with next!



Lime Turkey Tacos

1 lb ground turkey

1 med onion diced (1-2 tbsp dehydrated onions)

1 tbsp olive oil

4-5 tbsp lime juice

¼ tsp salt

1 cup Pace salsa

Refried Beans

Small flour tortillas (optional)

Oil for frying (optional)

Brown meat together with olive oil and onions.  Then add lime juice, salt and salsa until heated through.  Create a taco by frying the tortilla in a skillet (with about a half inch of oil) Remove tortilla when golden brown.  Drain on a paper towel and immediatly add beans and meat, along with other desired toppings.  Fold in half and serve.

Mini Daddy

I'm sure you are saying "what the what is a Mini Daddy?" For those of you Gila valley fans, you know exactlly what I am talking about, don't ya?  There are a few restaurants in Safford/Thatcher, that have these gargantuous tostades, called Big Daddy's.  At least they seemed gargantuous when I was a kid.  They also have some smaller ones called "Little Daddy's".  I made my version of a "Mini" Big Daddy tonight for dinner.  Can you say yummo?

I tell you what, anything deep fried, and I mean anything... is delicious!  Even ice cream!  ooohh that give me an idea of something else to post in the future! Anyway, I love their deep fried huge tortillas on those Big Daddy's.  They are so yummy!  /they totally make the dish.  So those of you tryibg to eat healthy... better find a different post to try,

Mini Daddy

Small flour tortillas
oil for frying

Toppings (as desired)

Green Chile Meat or taco meat

Refried Beans

shredded cheese

sour cream

diced tomatoes

shredded lettuce

Deep fry tortilla on medium high heat until golden brown and crisp.  Top with beans, meat and desired toppings. 

Cheese Crisp Tacos

The quote "Cheddar makes everything better" comes to mind on this one.  Cheese crisps, mean two different things to me and my husband, at least they used to.  My cheese crisps are a crunchy tortilla with cheese melted on it.  His is crispy cheese.  Go figure.

I'm now a sucker for a nice cheese crisp, Trever style! The secret to making these delectable snacks of scrumptiousness, is Dixie. No no, not the good ol land of Dixie, but the paper plates.  There is something about the Dixie plates that allows the cheese to melt without sticking to the plate. I'm sure its the waxie surface. 

My husband was experimenting with these one day, and in the words of Emerill... "BAM" this crunchy, cheesy sensation was born.

Cheese Crisp Tacos

1 lb ground beef (or turkey)

1/2 medium onion (diced)

2 cloves garlic

cheddar cheese

toppings of your choice

Brown meat and onion together until no longer pink.  Add garlic. Stir well and cook one minute.  Remove from heat.  Using a Dixie plate (whichever size you like) cover the bottom of the plate with a layer of cheese.  Microwave on high for about1-1 1/2 minutes. Checking on it every 30 seconds. It's done when the cheese is still soft but no longer gooey.

Dab a paper towel onto the cheese to remove excess grease.  Remove cheese (quickly) and fill with desired meat and toppings. Fold over. The cheese will harden as it cools. 

Roasted Salsa Verde

Yesterday was the first day of our produce co-op! It was such a huge success.  I am so excited to continue to work out the bugs and save many families so much money on their fruits and vegetables.  If you are interested in the co-op check it out Here.

Each time we get a new basket, we will get an "item of the week" for the participants to try. This will be a  little known fruit or vegetable so that you will be able to try new things but still get the things you want in your basket. I will be posting recipes for the item of the week, each time we get something new.  This week we chose tomatillos to be the featured item.  There are a few recipes that I have posted already that use tomatillos and even a salsa Verde.  Green Chile Burritos, Homemade Tamales, and Cilantro Lime Ranch Dressing


For those who don't know my husband, you are missing out! Seriously, this guy is AMAZING!  Each time I find a new favorite food, especially when it's a re-occurring pregnancy craving, he will perfect the dish until I am fully satisfied.  This way, I can have it whenever I want and we don't have to run to a restaurant to pay for it. This salsa, just so happens to be one of those dishes! 

I love when he cooks for me.  He loves to cook for me too!  He is amazing at creating his own recipes to give it the perfect blend of flavors.

This recipe MUST be roasted!  When you roast jalapenos and garlic, it changes the spice and the flavor.  This salsa is super mild, even though there is so many jalapenos in it.  If you don't want to roast them, then you will end up with way too strong of a garlic flavor and a VERY spicy salsa.  So with that being said... Here is out item of the week, tomatillos in a delicious roasted salsa Verde. 

Roasted Salsa Verde

1 Cup pureed roasted tomatillos (about 25-30 of them)

1/2 yellow onion roasted

3 roasted jalapenos

4 cloves roasted garlic

1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves

1/8 tsp cumin (just a dash)

1 tbsp plus 1 tsp lime juice

Salt to taste (we used about 1 1/4 tsp)

1 1/2 tbsp sugar

Peel the husks off of the tomatillos and discard. Cut tomatillos in half and place cut side down on a foil lined cookie sheet.  Cut onion in half and peel off skin. Place garlic cloves on the cookie sheet.  (if you want to roast the entire head, cut off the top and place it on the cookie sheet, as shown below)

Cut stems off of jalapenos, cut out the seeds and the ribs and cut them in half. (For spicy salsa, leave in seeds and ribs)  Place cut side down on the cookie sheet.

Set oven to broil on high.  Place cookie sheet in the oven and cook until skins and outsides or scorched.  (just a few minutes, so watch it good!)  Remove from oven and immediately place items in a plastic or paper bag. Close the end and let the items sit for about 10 minutes.  At this point, you will be able to remove the scorched skins and discard.  The tomatillos will almost be pureed at this point.  Toss all items into a blender or food processor, and add the rest of the ingredients.

Tip:  Make sure to taste as you go, And adjust according to your liking

Pulse until pureed. Chill and serve.  Great with chips, or even in the Homemade Tamales and Green Chile Burritos.

This is what they will look like roasted.   We doubled the recipe, so you should have about half of this. 

Sara's Chili

It's day one of the biggest loser contest that my husband and friends will be doing.  I wanted to post a nice protein packed dish for ya today. 

 My dear vegan friend Sara, shared this recipe with me a few years ago.  I created my own version of it that I posted a while back. Worlds Best Chili .  Her recipe is much healthier.  We figured out that this dish has about 375 calories per serving.(1 1/2 cups) It's a filling dish and is a great way to get loads of protein without eating all of the calories that red meat has to offer.  This dish would even be healthier if you soaked your own beans and didn't used the canned ones.  This is a quick and easy version for ya though. 

Sara's Chili

2 Cans Pinto Beans

2 Cans Diced Tomatoes

1 Can Black Beans

1 Can Dark Red Kidney Beans

1 Can Light Red Kidney Beans

1 Can Red Beans

1 Can Chili Beans

Crushed Red Pepper to taste (I did about 1/4 tsp)

Onion Powder to taste (I used 1 tsp)

Pour all ingredients into a crock pot. Do not drain. Cook 8-10 hours on low or 4-6 hours on high.

Serve with your favorite toppings

Make a double batch and freeze it for a rainy day!!



Green Chile Burritos

I've enjoyed taking a couple of days off the past few days.  I've been recovering from last weeks class! Wow what a success!!!  I've also been focusing on potty training my little one.

I've been working on my iron levels to get them back up to par again, so I don't get so wiped out.  I have been so blessed to be able to do so much more than ever this pregnancy.  I've really been enjoying all of the fun things I've been able to do.  My kids have never been happier, and I have never been happier. 

Our freezer meal class this past week was a burrito extravaganza.  We had a great turn out!  We made Green Chile Burritos, Chile lime Chicken Burritos, Breakfast Burritos and Bean and Cheese Burritos.  Each person walked away with at least 32 burritos to store for a rainy day.  Boy oh boy was it fun!  The downer to my little story is that I forgot to take pictures of the different burritos!!!  So if anyone has any pictures, please feel free to send them my way.  This one is one I took a while ago before I perfected my recipe. But you get the general idea.

All 4 of these burritos freeze really well and will last up to 3 months or more in the freezer.

Green Chile Burritos

1 Large pork shoulder roast

1 large Can of Green Enchilada Sauce (I use Las Palmas)

1 bottle of Salsa Verde (make sure the main ingredient is tomatillos)

1 large can (or 2 small) diced tomatoes (with green Chiles is preferred)drained

4 cans diced green chiles (drained)

Cook the meat in the crock pot on low for about 8 hours (4 on high) or until the meet is shredable. Drain juices from the meat and then shred the meat. Add all other ingredients. Scoop into burrito size tortillas, roll and serve. To freeze, roll each burrito in plastic wrap or foil.  Makes about 2 dozen burritos.  

To re-heat, cook on high (make sure to remove foil FIRST) in the microwave for about 4 minutes from frozen, until cooked through. 

Tip: You can use any type of cut for this.  The butcher told me shoulder is best for shredding, but all work. You can also use beef too. (pictured above) 

Crock Pot Creamy Southwestern Chicken Nachos

Here is another great one for our last day of Crock pot week!  This is another one that I found at Real Mom Kitchen.  It's super easy and really yummy.  Next time I think I would add some diced tomatoes to the pot as well.

Crock Pot Creamy Southwestern Chicken Nachos

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
other toppings such as chopped cilantro, diced avocado, diced green onion, sliced olives, etc.

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)

Place frozen chicken breasts on top of corn and cover with rinsed and drained black beans and jar of medium salsa.

Cook on high for 1 hour, and then on low for 4 hours.

Shred chicken with forks and mix in cream cheese until melted and creamy.

Serve with tortilla chips and add toppings to individual servings.

Refried Beans

I love making my own refried beans.  I think its ridiculous to pay 1-2 dollars per can when you can make a whole crock pot for about the same price! These beans, freeze really well, you can also can them.  I like to make a huge batch and make up a ton of burritos and freeze them.  They make a great lunch for my hubby to take to work.

I also like to make mine nice and creamy and smooth.  If you like them chunkier, ditch the blender and go for a potato masher or something similar.  I love to stir in a cube of butter at the end, to make them really creamy.  Actually I add a cube per blender full, but if you are wanting to watch calories... you can easily take that out.  You can also add cream or even cream cheese if you like, instead of butter.

If you want to freeze just the beans, simply pour them into desired sized portions, into a Ziploc bag and freeze for up to three months.  I also like to freeze them with some cheese, in little Tupperware portions for a quick chips and dip snack. 

This recipe is for a huge crock pot full of beans.  If you want less, just cut the recipe in half. 

Refried Beans



6 cups beans dried

1-2 tsp crushed red pepper

¼ cup salt

6 cups water

2 tbsp ground cumin

1 large onion chopped

4 cloves garlic

2 cubes butter (or more if you want)

Soak beans overnight. Drain water and add all ingredients above except butter into a large crock pot.  Cook on low for 10-12 hours or high for about 6 hours.  Making sure to replenish water if they are drying up.  You will want to cook them until tender and the liquid is creamy.  Let cool and blend beans (using desired amount of liquid in the crock pot) in a blender with a cube of butter for each round of beans that go into it. Add more liquid if necessary. They will thicken as they cool.  Store in freezer containers or as burritos.

Tip: You don't have to soak the beans overnight. You can just put them straight into the crock pot if you are more pressed for time.  The advantage to soaking them, is that the beans are able to release their gaseous properties in the bowl instead of in your belly!

Homemade Tamales

Tamales are one of my favorite foods.  I was so sick of spending an arm and a leg to buy them, so I called up a friend of mine and asked her to show me how to make them.  Wow! I called the right woman. She can whipped these puppies out like there is no tomorrow!  I'm so glad that I called her. She showed me some major short cuts.  One of which, was ditching the part where you fold both ends and tie them with twine.  She also cuts out TONS of the lard. She told me that most people use way too much and you only need enough to make the masa stick. I also LOVE that she flavors her masa.  It adds so much more umph to the tamale. I changed up the recipe a little bit, to use things that you can find in the normal grocery store.

For the masa- just get any of the dried masa in a bag you find in your local store. Usually near the flour. If you find some that is already moist (Some stores have it that way), you can still use it, just add all ingredients except for most of the chicken broth.  Just use enough broth to get the consistency to be like creamy mashed potatoes.

A little bragging note for me.  My husband loves to take Tamales to work for his lunch.  He has some guys at work who were poking fun at him, that his wife made tamales.  He told them just to try a bite.  Immediately they quit teasing and said, that the tamales were way better than their wives tamales. Ahhh, that made me feel like a million bucks. he he he

Don't get intimidated by making these.  I've tried to do a detailed step by step guide for you. With pictures. As always, you are free to email me with any questions or post on our wall on Facebook if you get stuck. I'll respond asap. You don't need to buy any fancy spatulas, or pots.  All you need is a pot that you can steam things in.  I use my spaghetti pot, because it has a colander in it that is raised from the bottom. If you don't have something like this, the tamale pots are pretty cheap.

This time, I made green chile chicken ones.  Flavor your meat, however you like it.  This flavor of masa goes with anything. This is also a batch that makes about 80 regular sized tamales. It's way better to make a ton at once and freeze them. So if you don't want that many, the recipe can easily be cut in half.  Or even doubled. I made them 4 days ago and they are already half gone!  I should have doubled it!!!  My 16 month old will frequently eat two in one sitting.  Needless to say, they are a huge hit in our little family.

Homemade Tamales



Green Chile Chicken- 

16 cups (about 8-9 lbs) chicken cooked and shredded

3 (7 oz) cans green chilies

1 Jar  Salsa Verde (I use Herdez)

1 cup chicken broth

1 tbsp salt

Masa

9 cups masa

2-32 oz boxes chicken broth minus 1 cup

1 cup lard melted

1 can el pato (I used the green one)

1 lg can stewed tomatoes

6 bay leaves

3 tbsp dried parsley

2 tbsp salt

4 roasted tomatoes

Corn husks

Optional add ins- Green olives, jack cheese (I like Monterey) roasted Anaheim peppers,(my hubby loved these in it!) sliced potato(i don't use)

First: flavor the chicken (or other meat) I like to put all of my chicken into a crock pot and cook it. Then drain most of the juice (keep a little bit to keep the meat moist) then add the flavors(green chiles etc). 

Second- roast your tomatoes.  Just do it in a skillet.  You just want to blister the edges and crisp it up a bit.  It adds a little roasted flavor to your masa.  Not a necessary step but I like it.  (when you toss them into the blender, just leave the peels on. No need to take them off)   

Optional: You can also roast your Anaheim peppers this way too. Then slice them up in strips and add them to the tamale before you close it up. (adds some yummy flavor!!!)

Start you lard melting. In a small pan on low heat, melt lard.  (PS.  I only used 1/2 cup lard and they turned out pretty well but could have used a bit more, to keep the tamale in tact. So that is why I put one cup)

Add, el pato, stewed tomatoes, bay leaves, parsley, salt, and roasted tomatoes to a blender and blend well.   Pour it into a large bowl with your 9 cups of masa in it. Add melted lard and then add broth until you get the consistency of creamy mashed potatoes.  Mix well. Don't be afraid to taste it.  You'll want to make sure that you like the flavor before you spread it on the husks. Feel free to add more salt, or whatever you like. My daughter (16 mo old) loved eating this by the spoon full!

 Next- soak your corn husks. (remove all of the little hairs and the tiny or ripped pieces)  Immerse husks in a large bowl of hot/warm water for about 3 minutes. This allows them to soften up so that you can work with them. 

Next- with the back of a spoon, or a spatula, spread a thin layer of masa on the pre-soaked husk. You can go right to the edges if you want, except for the edge that comes to a point.  Leave a couple inches without the masa so you can fold that end over. The masa will double in thickness when cooked, so you don't have to spread it very thick.

If you have a couple of thinner pieces, you can overlap them like this.  Also this works well if you like your tamales really huge. Just use bigger pieces and overlap them.

In the center, place chicken, and other desired add-ins. I definitely suggest adding cheese. It moistens the meat and adds some good flavor.  We love the olives too.

Roll the tamale and fold up the pointed edge.

Stack tamales in a steamer like this.   You can pack them in there pretty tight.  Just make sure that the open end is up. Cover and steam for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 min. Until masa gets a little rubbery and starts to pull away from the husk. If you are doing larger tamales, you will need to steam them longer.  Make sure to check your water level frequently. It depends on the pot you use, but I have to add water about every 15 minutes, because it's kind of small. The water will steam out and burn the bottom kind of easy (again depending on the pot) Burnt flavored tamales... not so tasty!  So watch your water!!!

When they are done steaming, I like to place them on a cookie sheet to cool. The masa will continue to firm up and dry a little bit too. 

Keep in the fridge for about 3 days or freeze in freezer bags. (just microwave 1 for about 3 minutes from frozen.)

Tip:  You can freeze the tamales before steaming, and then steam them when you want to use them in the future. 

Tip: if you want to use beef or pork and make a red tamale... Just flavor the meat with the masa flavoring (minus the broth)

Tip: If you run out of husks or can't find them in the store, you can do them NY style. My friend just used aluminum foil instead of the husks, when she lived in NY. They couldn't find husks there.

Microwave Enchiladas

Here is a 5 minute meal for those busy nights when you don't feel like cooking. This is such a super easy and quick meal. I got this idea from a friend of mine. It's a big hit at my house. All you need is a good red enchilada sauce. I like using Macayo's brand. It's not to spicy and not too runny. 

Microwave Enchiladas

12-15 Corn Tortillas

large can of red enchilada Sauce

Shredded cheddar cheese

Pour enchilada sauce into a skillet on low heat. When sauce is warm, coat tortillas one by one with sauce. (they don't need to sit in the sauce more than a second on each side. If you put them in there too long, the tortilla will fall apart.)

Lay coated tortilla on a microwavable plate and place desired amount of cheese onto half of the tortilla. Fold in half and microwave for about 30 seconds or until cheese is melted. Add shredded lettuce, sour cream etc to your enchilada after microwaving.

Flatbread Tacos

Here is a delicious, quick, and easy meal! It's also one that your kiddos will love.  This recipe is made with refrigerator biscuits. Such as Pillsbury. You don't need any extra oil or anything.  The oil in the biscuit is plenty to crisp that little puppy right up. This turned out so much better than I had expected. This recipe comes from Laura over at Real Mom Kitchen. I changed it up just a bit to make things even easier. 

I love to find and post recipes that are simple and use minimal ingredients.  For busy moms like me, you don't want to have to run to the store every time you find a new recipe you like, to buy all new ingredients. So you can expect to find simple easy meals on this blog.  Every once in a while I'll throw in a challenge, but for the most part, we are keeping it simple. Also, I have run into many people who would like info on the basics.  So I will try to be detailed in my recipes, to provide information for the seasoned cook as well as those just getting started in the cooking world. 

I want everyone to gain the confidence in the kitchen that I have been able to gain, just in the past few months. I have tried so many new things lately, it has been very edifying.  I have always loved to cook, but never had any major confidence. If you ever have any questions, please post them. I would love to hear them and will answer them asap. My goal for this blog is to help everyone find joy and confidence in cooking and baking.

Flatbread Tacos

Ranch dip

1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
2 teaspoons ranch salad dressing mix
Mix sour cream and ranch powder in a bowl and set aside. 

Filling
1 pound ground beef
1 can (15 ounces) red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) petite diced tomatoes undrained
1/8 cup taco seasoning (this is 1/2 of an envelope)
Brown beef. Stir in remaining ingredients. Simmer on low until warmed through

Flatbread
One can of refrigerator biscuits

Roll out dough on a flat surface.  (rolling on wax paper will help it keep from sticking.) I like to get mine pretty thin. It will puff up while cooking.  Place on a skillet or griddle and cook at medium low heat until both sides are golden brown.  (a couple minutes on each side)
Top with sour cream mixture, then ground beef mixture then top with additional toppings.

Optional toppings: sliced ripe olives, shredded lettuce, diced green onion and shredded cheese

You can fold it up or just eat it like a tostada. I like to just cut it up and eat it in pieces.

Chalupa

Last night I was having one moments where I was standing in my pantry thinking... hmm what to make for dinner.  I've heard it names, "the 5:00 stare". So true huh?  Anyway, next I dug through my freezer in hopes for something to jump out at me.  And it did. Chalupa.  I am all about freezer meals.  I made this a few months ago and froze the leftovers.  They come in handy when the 5:00 stare hits!

 I got this recipe from a ward cookbook. It's my friends recipe. She cooks it in the oven for a long time. I don't want to use the electricity so I just throw it all in the crock pot.  I love it! So do my kids. That's always a plus right?

Chalupa

1 roast (pork or beef)  I like beef

3 1/2 -4 cups pre-cooked pinto beans

1 tsp garlic salt

2 tbsp chili powder

1 Tbsp cumin

1 tsp ground oregano

1 small can diced green chilies

1 bottle red taco sauce

1 tsp salt.

Place roast in crock pot then add all other ingredients. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Shred the beef.  Eat with chips and top with lettuce, tomato, onions, sour cream, olives, green onions, shredded cheese, jalapenos and/or pepperoncinnis.

Worlds Best Chili

It has been really cold here lately. I have enjoyed making some delicious soups to warm up my little ones. I  decided to experiment one day on making my own chili and came up with this one. I love it!!!  It so simple and so full of flavor. One thing that adds some great flavor is to add the can of Chili beans.  This isn't a can of Chili.  There are actually ones called chili beans in the bean section of your grocery store.  They have some chili flavor added to them and make it really tasty. You can also add any kind of beans you want to this one. This is just the combo that I usually use. Also you will want to use Pace salsa.  I've tried it with other kinds and it's just not nearly as good.  Pace really does the trick for this dish! Also if you like really thick chili, drain all of the beans and tomatoes except the chili beans.  If you like it soupy, just open the can and dump it right in.  I like to drain the kidney, pinto and red beans and leave everything else.

I also love to top it with freshly chopped onions, cheese and sour cream. My mom really likes her chili with a little bit if pickle relish. Sweet or dill. You can also add chopped avocado and/or olives. This recipe makes plenty to feed my family of 6 and freeze the leftovers for another meal. It makes a great freezer meal.

Worlds Best Chili

1 Can kidney Beans

2 Cans Pinto Beans

1 Can Red Beans

1 Can Chili Beans

2 Cans petite diced tomatoes

1 lb hamburger (cooked)

1 16 oz jar of Pace salsa.

Salt and pepper to taste.  ( I really like a lot of pepper in mine)

Brown hamburger. Add all ingredients into a large crock pot. Simmer on low for 8 hours. Serve with chopped onions, cheese, sour cream, relish, avocados or olives.

Sour Cream Enchiladas

This recipe comes from a friend of my families. The first time I made it, I didn't read the recipe very well and ended up mixing all of the ingredients together .  I was supposed to save the green enchilada sauce and put it on top.  I am so glad that I "messed it up" because it is absolutely Divine! I like all of the flavors pulled into one mixture. This recipe is a huge hit for dinner party's!

You can make it one of two ways.  I like mine almost soupy. So I add the extra sauce on top with the cheese and bake it. My husband likes it a little more dry and crispy on the outside.  Especially when he takes them as leftovers for lunch the next day. So then you can just load it with cheese on top. Either way its a favorite in this house! This recipe also works well with the grilled chicken strips you find in the frozen section at your local store. Also, I really like the los palmas enchilada sauce but you can use any of them.

Sour Cream Enchiladas

1 C grated cheese

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1 large can cream of chicken soup

1 C. sour cream

1 (7oz) can diced green chilies

1 (28) oz can los palmas green enchilada sauce

3-4 chicken breasts cooked and shredded

1 doz flour tortillas

Combine first 6 ingredients into a bowl. Load the tortilla with as much chicken as you like.  Pour the desired amount of sauce on top of chicken. Roll up tortilla and place in a 9x13 pan.  Top with leftover sauce (if desired) then top with more cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes until cheese is melted.