Tator Tot Bake ~ by Sarah

A Facebook friend shared this recipe on my news feed and I thought it looked good, so I made it the next day.  It is delicious!  And even better the next day!  Easy, too!

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion (diced) (I used green onions, instead.)
1 garlic clove (minced)
1 small can black olives (sliced)
1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 (16 ounce) bag frozen corn
1 (4 ounce) can green chilies (diced and drained)
1 (12 ounce) can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 (16 ounce) bag shredded Mexican cheese blend (I shredded my own jack and cheddar because I think bagged cheese is just not as good.)
1 (16 ounce) package frozen tater tots
1 (10.5 ounce fluid ounce) can enchilada sauce
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Heat a skillet to medium high heat. Add ground beef, garlic, and onion and cook while breaking the meat apart with a spoon or spatula until the ground beef is completely browned. Drain off any excess fat. Add taco seasoning mix, green chilies, frozen corn, and black beans to the ground beef. Cook until heated through.
Step 2: In a large bowl combine ground beef mixture, ¾ of the Mexican cheese blend, and all of the tater tots. Stir well to combine.
Step 3: Pour about 1/3 of the enchilada sauce into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Add the tater tot mixture to the baking dish and lightly pat the mixture down into a solid, even layer. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the tater tots.
Step 4: Place into the oven and bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. During the last few minutes of baking, top the casserole with the remaining Mexican cheese blend and the sliced black olives. Return to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

(Not my picture...)

Bean and Beef Enchilada Casserole~by Kelsey

I found this recipe on pinterest.  It originally came from recipes.com.  It's really tasty!  I did not chill it in the fridge first and it worked just fine.  I also doubled the beef.  Next time I would double the whole recipe, though, because it only makes 6-8 servings as-is.

Ingredients:
1/2  pound lean ground beef
1/2  cup chopped onion
1  teaspoon chili powder

1/2  teaspoon ground cumin

1  15-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1  4-ounce can diced green chili peppers

1  8-ounce carton dairy sour cream or light dairy sour cream

2  tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4  teaspoon garlic powder

8  6-inch corn or flour tortillas

1  10-ounce can enchilada sauce or one 10 1/2-ounce can tomato puree

1  cup shredded cheddar cheese (4 ounces)

In a large skillet cook the ground beef, onion, chili powder, and cumin until onion is tender and meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir pinto beans and undrained chili peppers into meat mixture; set aside.

In a small mixing bowl stir together sour cream, flour, and garlic powder until combined; set aside.

Place half of the tortillas in the bottom of a lightly greased 2-quart rectangular baking dish, cutting to fit if necessary. Top with half of the meat mixture, half of the sour cream mixture, and half of the enchilada sauce. Repeat layers. Cover dish with plastic wrap; chill in refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

To serve: Preheat oven to 350F. Remove plastic wrap; cover dish with foil. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until bubbly. Uncover; sprinkle with cheese and bake 5 minutes more. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

*Not my photo!

Hamburger and Green Chili Casserole~by Kelsey

This recipe comes from my Bring 'Em On Home cookbook.  It is simple and really good, especially if you top it with sour cream and salsa.

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 cup chopped onions
1 1/2 cup milk
4 eggs
1 cup Bisquick
1/2 teasp salt
1/4 teasp pepper
1-7 oz can whole green chilies (I found these in the ethnic foods aisle)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Brown hamburger, onions, and seasoning.  Place in the bottom of a casserole or deep pie dish (I used about a 9X9 pan, a 9X13 would have been to big.  Lay the green chilies over the beef mixture.  Cover the chilies with the cheddar cheese.  Beat together the milk, eggs, and Bisquick.  Pour it over the top of the cheese.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the eggs set.  Serve with salsa and sour cream.

Commissioner's Corn~by Kelsey

Another fine recipe from the Bring 'Em On Home cook book.  It's a really great cook book and I highly recommend it.

Ingredients:
30 oz frozen corn
2-8 oz packages cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
4 oz can diced green chilies
1 small can Jalapenos, or to taste (I used a full can, and it was very spicy.  I think I would recommend half a can.)

Combine all ingredients together in a crock pot and cook on low heat for about two hours.  Serve with crushed Ritz crackers on top.

Beef Enchilada Soup~by Kelsey

 I got this recipe from the BEEF magazine blog.  It was entered in a recipe contest.  I only used 2 lbs of ground beef when I made it.  It is really good, and very easy to make.  And it really does taste like enchiladas!

Ingredients:
4 lbs ground beef, browned & drained
1 large can tomatoes (crushed, diced or sauce--whichever you prefer)
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can sweet corn
1 small can green chilies
1 regular-sized can enchilada sauce (One time I used a big can and it was too rich!)
2 cans beef broth
2 envelopes taco seasoning

Directions:
Put ingredients into crockpot on low for the day, or on high for a couple of hours. It can also be cooked on the stovetop. The key is to heat through and allow flavors to meld....it will also make your house smell wonderful and drive the family nuts!

Top with sliced flour tortillas--this is important! They act like noodles and are delicious. Also offer shredded cheese, avocado, cilantro, sour cream, additional seasoning,...anything that sounds good! Enjoy!
 

Chicken Fajita Marinade ~ by Sarah

I got this from allrecipes.com and added chili powder to give it a little kick.  Delicious!

Ingredients:
* 1/4 cup beer
* 1/3 cup fresh lime juice (it took about 5 limes to get this amount)
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 tablespoon brown sugar
* 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
* 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
* salt to taste
* 1/2-1 teaspoon chili powder

Directions:
1. To prepare the marinade, stir together beer, lime juice, olive oil, garlic, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, cilantro, cumin, chili powder, and salt; mix well.
2. To use marinade, pour into a resealable plastic bag, add up to 1 1/2 pounds of chicken breast, and mix until chicken is well coated. Marinate for 1 to 3 hours in the refrigerator.
3. Saute vegetables, remove from pan, cook meat, then add veggies back to meat mixture to blend flavors.  Serve as desired!

Cheers!

Cornbread ~ by Kelsey

This is another recipe from allrecipes.com.  I usually just use the Jiffy cornbread, but decided to make it on my own this time.  This is really spongy and moist, it seems more like cake than what you get from the Jiffy box.  My kids love it!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup cornmeal
2 1/2 cup milk
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Combine cornmeal and milk, let it sit for 5 minutes.  Grease a 9 X 13 inch pan.  Whisk flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.  Mix in the cornmeal, eggs, and oil until smooth.  Pour into the pan and cook for 30-35 minutes.

Taco Bake ~ by Sarah

I got this recipe from Tasty Kitchen. I LOVED it! I love all things bread and this has a bread-like crust. It was easy, too!

Ingredients:
FOR THE CRUST:
1/2 cup crushed corn chips (like Fritos)
2 cups flour
1 package (7g packet) yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons minced fresh onion
3/4 teaspoons salt
2/3 cup very warm (not hot) water
2 Tablespoons oil

FOR THE FILLING:
1 pound ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
1 envelope taco seasoning
water (amount according to taco seasoning packet's directions)

Directions:
Put crushed corn chips, flour, yeast, sugar, minced onion and salt in a food processor bowl. Pulse a few times to combine.  (Note: Next time I make this, I'm going to add a tablespoon or so of taco seasoning to give the crust a little more flavor.)

With processor running, add the warm water and oil in a thin, steady stream to the dry ingredients. Keep pulsing and mixing until the dough forms a ball.

Grease a deep, 9-inch cake pan or spring-form pan.

Press the dough evenly over the bottom and at least a couple of inches up the sides. This is a yeast dough and, while it doesn’t rise a lot, it’ll get puffy. You’re going to fill this shell with taco meat and want to give the dough room enough to puff and also to hold the meat.

Put it aside in a warm area, cover it with a towel and let it rise anywhere from 20 minutes to 3 hours.

About 20 minutes before baking, cook the hamburger and chopped onion. When the onion is translucent and the meat no longer pink, drain the fat and add taco seasoning and water.

Simmer 7-10 minutes, uncovered, then gently pour into the waiting dough shell.

Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees or until crust is a nice golden brown.

Top with anything you’d put on a taco: grated cheese, salsa, lettuce, tomato or avocado.

Zucchini and Corn Tacos ~ by Molly

Quick disclaimer: Your husband will notice the lack of meat. Your kids will notice the abundance of onions and vegetables. You will notice that these don't account for a day's worth of Weight Watchers Points (probably).

I based this recipe on one I found on Self.com and it is AMAZING. The picture is from their website, not my kitchen. You'll notice they included tomatoes, which I'm not a fan of, so I left out. They also didn't toast their corn and chopped the zucchini much finer that I like. Honestly, it's plenty filling and flavorful without meat, but you could easily add thinly sliced steak, if you can't go meatless for one meal. The recipe in the link says it feeds 4, but since I live alone, the recipe I wrote below is enough for my dinner and enough leftovers for lunch the next day.

Ingredients:
Olive Oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 zucchini, course chopped
1/2 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup canned corn, drained
Oregano, salt and pepper, to taste
Corn or Flour Tortillas
Salsa
Cheese
Sour Cream

Heat olive oil, add onions and cook until caramelized. Add garlic and zucchini and cook until the zucchini is tender. Add corn and cook, stirring occasionally until toasted. Add black beans, oregano, salt and pepper, and cook until everything is warm. Heat tortillas and assemble with remaining ingredients. I'm going to assume you all know how to do that part...

Salsa Chicken Rice Bake ~ by Sarah

I got this recipe from Mary Hunt--she has the Everyday Cheapskate column in the newspaper.  It was good--my kids loved it! **Note...this was WAY better the second day. Absolutely delicious! So much better that next time I might make it the night before and refrigerate it all day before baking it.

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups uncooked white rice
2 2/3 cups water
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 (10.75-ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (10.75-ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups mild salsa

Directions:
Place rice and water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, place chicken breast halves into a separate saucepan, and fill the pan with water. Bring to a boil, and then turn heat to low and cook covered for 20 minutes, or until done. Remove chicken from water. When cool enough to handle, cut meat into bite-size pieces.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. In a medium bowl, combine Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheeses. In a separate bowl, mix together cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, onion, and salsa. Layer half of the rice, half of the chicken, half of the soup and salsa mixture, and half of the cheese mixture in the prepared dish. Repeat layers, ending with cheese. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until bubbly.

Mexican Crockpot Chicken ~ by Sarah

I actually found this recipe on a website for people with celiac disease (allergic to gluten).  I was trying to emulate the shredded chicken that Mexican restaurants make to put inside all of their shredded chicken dishes.  This is super easy and so delicious!  The first night we usually put it on tacos and the next night we do quesadillas.  You could also make taco salads, burritos, chimichangas, etc.

Ingredients: 
11/2-2 lbs. chicken breasts, trimmed
1 package taco seasoning (either original or chicken)
1 c. chicken broth
1 c. salsa or picante sauce

Directions:
Spray inside of crockpot with nonstick spray.  Place whole chicken breasts in bottom.  Sprinkle taco seasoning over chicken.  Pour broth over chicken and taco seasoning.  Pour salsa on top.  Do not stir.  Cook 6 hours on low.  When the chicken is done, mix all the contents together and use two forks to shred the chicken.

Restaurant-Style Salsa ~ by Sarah

This is another Pioneer Woman recipe.  Get over it, Molly.  Yes, I'm her stalker.  But I like her recipes.  The ingredients aren't weird, the recipes are usually pretty simple, and they usually involve lots of butter.

This salsa was SUPER easy to make and is delicious.  My favorite part?  No chopping tons and tons of tomatoes!

**EDIT 4/24/2010--Wes and I ate at Casa el Mirador tonight.  We have always loved their salsa.  Tonight we decided that this salsa is way better.  We've been eating gallons of the stuff since I posted this recipe!

Ingredients:

1 can (28 ounce) whole tomatoes, undrained
2 cans (10 ounce) Rotel (diced tomatoes and green chilies) *Note--you'd think these would be in the Mexican aisle, but at Fred Meyer they're in the tomato aisle. 
1/4 c. chopped onion (Do you have a Vidalia Chop Wizard?  If you don't, get one.  It will change your chopping life!)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 whole jalapeno, quartered and sliced thinly
1/4 t. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. ground cumin
1/2-1 c. cilantro (depending on your love for the stuff)
the juice of 1/2 large or 1 small lime

Directions:
Combine all the ingredients in a food processor or blender.  Pulse until you get the salsa to the consistency you like--about 10 to 15 pulses.  Test seasonings with a tortilla chip and adjust as necessary.  (You might think it needs a little more salt.)  Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

Beef 'n Bean Enchiladas ~ by Sarah

I've had this recipe for years.  I got it from Wes's mom back when I was in college in La Grande and living with my cousin, Casey.  He'd beg me to make these all the time.  They were his favorite, by far.  Wes also loves them and begs for them often, too!  As a bonus...they're easy!

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef
1 med. onion, chopped
1 large can refried beans (any variety, but I always get "traditional")
1/2 bottle taco sauce (I get mild because I'm a wimp)
2 cans sliced olives
2 cans enchilada sauce (again, I get mild, but you can get what suits your taste)
10 large flour tortillas
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Brown ground beef and cook onion together in a large skillet.  Add beans and mix well.  (As they heat they will "melt" into the beef.)  Add taco sauce, 1 1/2 cans of olives, and about 1/4 cup enchilada sauce.

 

Mix well and simmer until heated throughout.

Meanwhile, heat enchilada sauce in a saucepan.  Pour half of it into a 9x13-inch pan.  Roll up beef mixture in tortillas and place in pan.

Top with the other half of the enchilada sauce, cheese, and 1/2 can olives.  Bake at 375 for about 25 minutes.  It does have a tendency to boil over, so I always put the pan on a cookie sheet with sides to protect the bottom of my oven.

I always serve it with Mexican-style Rice-A-Roni and corn.

Chicken Enchiladas with Green Chili Cream Sauce ~ by Aunt D'Lynn

Our family got this recipe at the 1994 Striker Family Reunion. Heidi Klindworth brought two trays of this dish to the reunion and stuck them in the fridge. Being the hungry sort that our family is, they got heated up and eaten before the reunion really even started! Thanks for the excellent recipe Cousin Heidi!

4 Large chicken breasts, thawed and cut into strips
1 C Sour Cream
10-12 flour tortillas
1 lb of grated cheddar/colby cheese
1 small can of diced green fire-roasted chilies
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 tsp of diced garlic
1 small can of sliced black olives
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 TB of butter
2 TB of olive oil
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

In a large saute pan, melt butter with olive oil, yellow onion, and green chilies. Add chicken and saute over low/med heat until chicken is cooked through. Salt and pepper strips lightly.

Add 1/2 lb of cheese, the cans of chicken and mushroom, and sour cream. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated and creamy. Add olives.

Fill each flour tortilla with mixture and create wraps. Place in a baking dish. Once dish is filled, use the left over sauce and pour over the wraps. Place foil over the baking dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and add a layer of cheese over the top. Place dish back into the oven for 10 minutes. Remove and enjoy!

Mexican Layer Dip ~ by Sarah

This is delicious and, you guessed it, it's another Pioneer Woman recipe.  Wes was hesitant to let me make it for the Super Bowl party he was going to.  (He wanted the traditional 7-layer dip I normally make.)  When I told him it was a PW recipe he said, "Make it.  She hasn't let me down yet."

Ingredients:
1 can refried beans (any variety)
Tabasco sauce, to taste
1 small can diced green chilies (undrained)
ground cumin (to taste)
3/4 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 cup guacamole
3/4 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 can black olives, drained
1 cup pico de gallo
1 diced jalapeno (optional)

Directions:
Begin by throwing the refried beans into a small pan over medium-low heat.  Add several dashes of Tabasco sauce and can of chilies.  Stir well.  Next, sprinkle a little bit of ground cumin.  Spread the beans on the bottom of a glass bowl or platter.  Over this, sprinkle the sharp cheddar.  Next, plop your sour cream and spread it in a single layer, being careful not to disturb the cheese underneath.  The next layer is the guacamole.  (To make guacamole, all I did was mash two avocados and mix in some of the pico de gallo I had made.)  Spread it over the sour cream.  Follow this with a layer of Monterey Jack cheese and a nice sprinkling of chopped black olives.  Lastly, place a generous layer of pico de gallo.  You can also sprinkle some chopped jalapenos over the top, if desired.

 

 

Wes's Tacos ~ by Sarah

These are actually Wes's mom's tacos, but he's been making them for years, so I'll give him credit.  According to Anderson legend, Wes and his brothers would sit and eat 12 tacos each when their mom would make them for them as teenagers.  Based on how delicious these are, I can definitely see a pubescent teenage boy scarfing down a dozen of them!

They're pretty much your run-of-the-mill tacos, but what sets them apart is their shells.  Corn shells deep-fried in oil make them terrible for your hips, but amazing for your taste buds!

Ingredients:
2 lbs. ground beef
2 packages taco seasoning
small corn tortillas
vegetable oil for frying
lettuce, tomatoes, avocados, onions, cheddar cheese, olives, sour cream, pico de gallo, picante sauce, and/or taco sauce for garnishment

Directions:
Brown ground beef, add taco seasoning packet, and cook as directed.  Heat vegetable oil in skillet over medium-high heat until it's very hot.  Cook corn shells, one at a time, about 10 seconds per side.  You want them cooked, but not stiff.

Layer individual cooked shells on paper towels (folded over the shell) as you cook them.  This keeps them warm and absorbs extra grease.

In the middle of the shell, place ground beef mixture and whatever garnishment you desire.  Tonight we used my pico de gallo on them and it totally made them.  Best I've ever had--and we make these a lot!

The shells will be too floppy to hold their shape on their own, so they can be messy to eat, but so worth it!

Pico De Gallo ~ by Sarah

This is another Pioneer Woman favorite in our house.  Wes will eat an entire bowl of it in one day!  Simple, but so refreshing!

 Ingredients:

roma tomatoes

fresh cilantro

white or yellow onion 

jalapeno pepper

lime

salt

Directions: Chop up equal amounts of roma tomatoes, onion, and cilantro and put in a medium-sized bowl.  Dice the jalapeno (after removing the seeds and membranes--unless you want your pico hot, hot, hot!) and add it to the bowl.  Squeeze the juice of half the lime into the bowl.

Stir the ingredients all together and add salt to taste.

Delicious!

Audrey loves it!

Wes will even stop what he's doing in his shop to come eat some!

Tim's Taco Soup ~ by Kelsey

I got this recipe back when I worked at the Farm Service Agency in La Grande.  Tim, a guy that also worked there, brought this soup to a potluck.  Everyone loved it, and I stole the recipe.  It's very simple, I almost always have the ingredients on-hand, and my kids will eat it.  There are no measurements, and it cooks all together in one pan (less dish-washing!).  I will list the ingredients, you adjust the amounts to suit you.  We always top it with sour cream or shredded cheese, and a side of bread.  And it's even better the second day...

Since this is my first post, let me clarify what I mean by "ground beef".  That means hamburger cut by Gary at the Wasco Market.  Nobody does it better.  In fact, I wouldn't even bother buying hamburger anywhere else.  Gary's is lean, you never have to drain any grease, and it is yummy.  Hopefully it comes from beef cattle that have benefited from growth hormones and antibiotics.  None of that organic stuff.  Since we haven't fattened our own in awhile, we buy 50 pounds at a time from Gary.  Okay, here is the recipe:

Ground Beef (my packages are about 1 1/2 pounds, so that's how much I use)

Taco Seasoning Packet

Ranch Dressing Packet

2-4 Cans of Beans (Kidney or Black, or Both)

Frozen Corn

Canned Diced Tomatoes

Water

Cook the beef, then add the other ingredients and simmer as long as you like.