Chop the chicken, season and cook throughly. Butter one side of each of the tortillas. Cover the unbuttered side of one torilla with cheese and about 1/4 cup of chicken (more if desired). Place the other tortilla on top of the cheese and chicken butter side up. Pick up your quesadilla and place in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook until side is browned, then flip and continue cooking until second side is browned. Remove from heat and use a pizza cutter to cut into 4 pieces.

• 1 Teaspoon Seasoned Salt
• 1 Teaspoon Garlic Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Onion Salt
• *A Pinch of pepper
• 1 lb Hamburger Meat^

Mix all of the seasonings together in a bowl. Add the mixture when your one pound of meet is cooked, stir in well and enjoy.

*Add as much pepper as you would like, you do not have to add any. || ^ You may also use ground chicken meat.

My “Jack Chicken Cornbread Bake” has the some mexican flavor and hearty cornbread all in a very filling, stick to your ribs casserole that will feed the whole family! I knew it would be good, but I had no idea that it would turn out to be the flavor explosion it was when I served it! This recipe is made with chicken and contains no cheese, the only fat it really has is from the 4 tsp of cooking oil needed for the cornbread topping, which makes this dish low-fat, tasty, filling, and good for you!

These are the ingredients you’ll be needing:

• 2 lbs boneless skinless breast of chicken
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped
• 1/2 med sweet onion chopped
• 1/2 med green pepper chopped
• 3 cloves garlic chopped
• 1 small hot pepper chopped (to taste)
• 1 can black beans
• 1 can cream corn
• 1 can corn
• 1 jar con queso
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 5 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 cups self rising cornmeal
• 2 eggs
• 4 tsp cooking oil
• 1 1/2 cup milk

I usually drizzle a little bit of extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet on extra high heat and then put the boneless skinless chicken breasts in the pan while I chop up the veggies. Dice up the Cilantro, Green Pepper, garlic, and onion. The hot pepper I use depends on who I’m serving to and how much spice they like. A small jalapeno chopped up might be ok for most, and others might like some serrano or anaheim peppers too. In any event, dice up your chosen hot pepper(s) too. I keep all the chopped ingredients in a bowl as the chicken cooks about 5-6 minutes on the first side, then when I flip them over I toss the chopped veggies on top.

Then as it cooks I place 2 cups of self-rising cornmeal, 2 eggs, 4 tsp cooking oil, can of cream corn, and 1 1/2 cups milk and mixing bowl and mix well. By the time you do that the chicken will be just about cooked through. Add the Cumin and chili powder on top of the chicken. I take the spatula and start chopping the chicken up into little tiny pieces. As you chop the chicken up the seasonings everything gets mixed real well. If the chicken mixture ends up getting a bit dry turn the heat down to medium and add 1/3 – 1/2 cup of water. When the chicken is no longer pink, turn off the heat and add 1/2 – 2/3 of the jar of con queso dip and mix well. Rinse the black beans, and add them and the can of corn (drained) to the chicken mixture and mix well again. Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.

In a 9×13 glass pan add the chicken mixture and spread evenly, then pour the cornbread mixture over that and spread evenly to the sides of the pan. When I made this for us I sprinkled some chopped green onions (optional) on the cornbread before baking. Bake on the center rack of the oven for 35-40 minutes, until the corn bread is dark golden brown, cool for about 5 minutes – and serve!

This Fiesta Bake Recipe is great because it can be meat or meatless if you have a vegetarian in the house (or just prefer no meat for a meal). I just can’t seem to get away from the great Tex-Mex flavors, and this recipe has a lot of things that I really, really love. It smells great when it’s baking in the oven and fills the whole house with tasty goodness. Don’t you just love the smell of cornbread baking?

Ingredients you’ll need:

2 lbs ground beef or beef substitute
Cumin and Chili Powder to taste
1/2 chopped Vidalia Onion
1/2 chopped green pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 diced Jalapeno pepper (if you like)
2 tbsp minced fresh garlic
3/4 cup Salsa
1 can cream corn
1/4 cup water
About 1/2 can sliced black olives
2 box or packet corn muffin mix (we use Jiffy)
1/2 pack shredded taco cheese

If you’re using ground beef, I like ground chuck the best. Cook your onion and peppers, with your meat or meat substitute. When your meat is cooked, drain, rinse, return to pan 1/4 cup of water and season with minced fresh garlic, chopped cilantro, salt and pepper to taste, and ground Cumin and chili powder to taste. Preheat your oven to 375. Cook on med heat for an additional 2-3 minutes. Add the cream corn and black olives, shredded cheese, mix well and turn out into a 9×14 glass baking pan (ungreased). Mix your corn muffin mix like it says on the box. Drizzle the salsa over the mixture in the pan and the corn muffin mix over that. Back for about 35 minutes in center of oven. When you serve this, adding a dollop of light sour cream is a great added touch!

My Nacho Taco Salad Recipe is quick, tasty, AND filling!

The other day I got a comment on my Easy Tasty Taco Salad Recipe, and “Kerrie” said that she adds the chips to the bottom of the bowl and adds layers of meat, cheese, lettuce, etc. I had seen this done once before, and we created something new that I call my “Nacho Taco Salad Recipe”!

This is pretty easy to make, and could have a million variations – but here are the ingredients (recipe is for about 6 people):

• 2 lbs lean ground beef OR ground chicken (which WE LOVE)
• salt, pepper, cumin, and chili powder to taste
• 1/2 large vidalia onion chopped
• 1/2 med-large green pepper chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper chopped (if you like hot)
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh garlic
• about 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 cans fat free refried beans
• 1 pack (about 10oz) of shredded taco cheese
• 1lb+ bag of Tortilla chips (baked, fat free, organic, blue corn – all good)
• 1 head chopped lettuce
• 2 large or 4 med diced tomatoes
• 1 small can sliced black olives

I chop the onion and peppers first, and add them to a large skillet on med-high with about 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil. Mix well, stir every 60 seconds for about 5-6 minutes. Open your cans of refried beans, put in a saucepan and thin a bit by mixing in some water (or sour cream, or milk). They should be thin enough to drip off the spoon, but not thin like soup. Cook on medium while the meat cooks. Add your meat to the other pan, cook on one side for about 5 minutes, flip over, chop, season with salt, pepper, cumin, and chili powder (or a taco seasoning pack), cook 5 minutes, flip with spatula and chop again, and then add the chopped garlic and cilantro, cook 3-4 more minutes and it your meat should be done. Stir the beans every few minutes while the meat cooks. When the beans start to bubble and boil, turn the heat down to low until the meat is done, and then turn them off.

While you meat is cooking, you can be chopping your lettuce and dicing your tomatoes. When the meat is done start to make up the bowls. Place a layer of chips in the bottom, then refried beans, then meat, then cheese, then lettuce, then tomatoes, then black olives! When we serve ours we usually drizzle a bit of lite ranch dressing over the top and that added touch of flavor!

Making homemade tortilla chips is easy – and you can make them the traditional way, or baked for a healthy alternative! You can then actually make nachos even if you’re on a diet! If you are going to make them the traditional way – it’s pretty easy:

You just need the following to get started:

• 25 Corn Tortillas
• 2 ½ Cups Oil (if frying)

Cut tortilla chips up into quarters with a knife. You can usually cut several at once, one on top of the other. Place the oil in a large saucer and place on med-high or about 350 degress (if you’re using a fryer). Use canola or peanut oil for best results. Place your tortilla slices into the hot oil and remove when brown (don’t overcook). Place chips on a plate covered with paper towel to dab grease away. Salt and serve.

If you want to go health or you’re on a diet, just cut the tortillas into quarters, and then place on a baking tray on 400 degrees and check in 5 minutes to see if they are crunchy. If not, give them a few more minutes. Remove from oven, salt, and eat!!

Tip:
If you want to add salt, add it as soon as the chips come out of the oil so it will stick better!

This is the “best salsa recipe” I’ve ever put together, which is why I put it on this web site about a year ago to share with you! Since I usually have a garden, we love to make fresh Salsa in the summertime – which is why I was reminded to feature this recipe again! There’s nothing better than making this fresh with the family and eating it all up together!

You want a quick snack? Grab yourself some good tortilla chips from the store and get ready to make the best (and easiest) Salsa ever. It doesn’t take that long, the taste is greate, it’s easy to customize to your liking, and best of all – you can keep it in the fridge for awhile to eat throughout the week! So – let’s hop to it! Go to the store, get our ingredients, and use this recipe:

2 lb’s Tomatoes (I like Roma, use what you prefer)
1 bunch fresh cilantro
1 Lemon
1 Lime
1 clove of fresh garlic
1 med red onion
1 can white sweet corn
1 or more can jalapeno pepper (or other kind, depending on what you like)
1 green bell pepper

OK – now here’s where you’re gonna make this Salsa “to taste” – as the way you like it. Cut, cure, and chop the tomatoes. Cut and dice half (or more) of the onion depending on what you like – same for the bell pepper. Now use the amount of (hot) peppers you feel comfortable with. Maybe you want one jalapeno – maybe four. I would recommend 3-4 cloves of fresh garlic (minced), but this depends on how much you like garlic. As you go (throwing this all in a mixing bowl), drop in about 2 teaspoons of salt, the entire (drained) can of sweet corn, about 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro (or more), and the juice from 1/2 a lemon and 1/2 a lime. Then mix it all up in the mixing bowl.

Now if you like a rough salsa, more like a “Pico de Gallo” you are done! If you like a smoother salsa – drop the mixture in your blender or food processor and “pulse” until it’s the consistency you desire. In the end – you should have one of the greatest tasting Salsa’s ever! Got a suggestion for this recipe, or a better Salsa recipe of your own – please comment below now!

Rick Bayless 20×13.7-in. Mexican Kitchen Chip and Salsa Serving Set, Pacifica/Sol/Cilantro Green
Price: $49.95
This deep ceramic bowl is perfect for chips. Comes with a removable ceramic salsa bowl and pedestal. The large vessel may also be used as a serving tray. Award-winning chef-restaurateur, cookbook author, and television personality Rick Bayless has done more than any other culinary star to introduce Americans to authentic Mexican cuisine and to change the image of Mexican food in America, and now he is launching the Mexican Kitchen.

Great Salsa Book
Price: $11.96
Whatever your mood, whatever you’re cooking, you can find a salsa to match. Color photos.

There are lots of ways to make tacos, and sometimes it’s hard to come up with something different, unique, and still tasty. With this version of what I call “Fiesta Tacos” I tried to create a rich and flavorful meat-mixture that screams flavor! Once you add just a little lettuce and tomato you won’t need to add any sour cream or salsa at all – because these will be the juiciest tacos you will ever eat! I’m going to give you the exact recipe I used, but you can substitute the ground beef with chicken strips if you prefer, or the soft shells for corn.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 2 lbs ground chuck
• 3-10 packs of soft taco shells
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 3 tomatoes
• 1/2 head lettuce
• 5 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 can whole or sliced black olives
• 1 can cream corn
• 1 can black beans
• 4 tbsp ground Cumin
• 3 tbsp chili powder
• salt to taste
• 1 lb Mexican or Farmer’s white (Queso) Cheese
• 1/2 green pepper
• 1/2 Vidalia onion

I start by dicing my onion, green pepper, and 1/2 bunch of the cilantro and set all 3 aside in a bowl. Next I drizzle a little bit of extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet, turn the heat up to med-high and add the 2 lbs of ground chuck. I salt the meat a little bit. While it cooks (about 5 minutes) I start to dice my tomatoes and lettuce to place in a medium bowl. After about 5 minutes, add the onion/pepper/cilantro mixture on top of the ground beef, chop in a little bit with your spatula, flip over, and chop up a bit more. Let it cook 5 more minutes and finish up your lettuce and tomato. When chopped place the lettuce and tomato into a medium bowl and sprinkle a bit with some olive oil and wine vinegar (just a bit to keep it from browning). I also add in a tbsp or so of minced garlic. Now add the spices (Cumin and Chili Powder) to the ground beef, chop in, flip, and chop a bit more with your spatula. Add the cream corn and (rinsed) black beans to the chop, and cook uncovered another 5 minutes (with those just resting on top).

I use whole canned black olives, so at this point I usually chop up 1/2 the can and add to the ground beef skillet, and the other half I add to the lettuce and tomatoes. Get another medium bowl out and your grater to grate the Queso mexican cheese. Chop up, flip, and chop your ground beef mixture (mixing in the corn and beans and black olives) for the last time, chop up really good and reduce heat to medium. Go back and shred your cheese while the meat cooks the last 5 minutes. Then turn off the heat for your skillet, microwave each pack of flour shells for about 90 seconds, and you should be ready to serve! I usually just place the flour shells and 3 bowls (meat, cheese, lettuce/tomato) out for everyone to make their own plates.

This recipe can feed 6-8 very hungry people! These tacos are very unique because of the rich juicy meat sauce, and the cilantro, cream corn, and beans blends together in the best way with the mexican cheese! One you make these, you may get stuck making them over and over again for years to come!

Ultimate Low-Fat Mexican Cookbook
Price: $14.95

South Texas Mexican Cookbook
Price: $16.95

Have you ever made Mexican Food in the Crockpot? I’ll show you how to make something better than any roast or stew you’ve ever had!

Last night where I live we got 7 inches of snow. So, since we were “shut-in” it was a great day to cook something in the crockpot and let it simmer all day. I think this was the “best crockpot recipe” I’ve made in years! This, like so many other recipes – came from wanting to use some leftovers and certain ingredients up. Sometimes the best meals are created out of things you need to “get rid of” or use up.

Ingredients needed to make my “Mexican Beef Stew”:

• 1 lb thin cut round steak
• 1 can beef broth
• 3-4 cans water
• 1/2 Lg Vidalia Onion
• 1 medium green pepper
• 5 medium potatoes
• 3-4 Jalapeno peppers (ONLY if you like heat)
• 1 can black beans
• 1 can sweet corn
• 6 corn tortillas
• 4 tbsp fresh or jarred minced garlic
• 2 tbsp fresh ground pepper
• 2 tbsp salt
• 2 tbsp Italian seasonings
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 6 tbsp ground Cumin
• 3 tbsp chili powder
• 1- 8oz package shredded Colby-Jack cheese or Mexican Melting Cheese
• 1 small container light sour cream
• Saltines or tortilla chips

I always keep some really thin cut round steak in the freezer for things like fajitas and beef fried rice. The first thing I did was to put a 1lb frozen block of thin sliced round steak in the microwave on defrost for about 6 minutes. Then I plugged in my crockpot on high, and add in 1 can of beef broth, 1 can of sweet corn (dont’ drain), 1 can of black beans (don’t drain or rinse), the garlic, and all the seasonings – then mix well and cover. Wash, seed, peel, and dice your pepper(s) and onion – add to the crockpot and mix well again. Dice the potatoes (skin on) and add to the crockpot and mix again. Take your steak out of the microwaveand cut into 1″ strips with the grain, and then in about 3″ strips. Add to the pot, and mix well. Then add enough water to bring the level up to about 1″ below the top of the crockpot, which usually takes me about 3-4 empty (corn or bean) canfuls of water. Cover, and stir about once per hour. Cook on the “high” setting of your crockpot for 6 hours.

When your “Mexican Beef Stew” is done, turn off the crockpot, stir well, and serve! Now – you’ll notice a few ingredients you haven’t yet used from the list. Once you place the stew in bowls, add about 4 dollops of sour cream on top, cover with a handful of shredded Colby Jack cheese and serve! Sometimes I use mexican melting cheese instead of colby-jack. Serve and eat by dipping either saltines or tortilla chips! After 6 hours this stew has some of the most incredible flavor because of the ingredients. The corn tortillas over the 6 hours will break down and disintegrate and thicken up the stew (which is actually one of my secrets). That why this stew recipe doesn’t require any flour or cornstarch at all. The tortillas with the sweet corn give the stew an uncanny sweeter tastse that brings out the beef flavor that much more. The seasonings, the meat breaking down, the potatoes soaking up the broth – it all contributes to a melded flavor at the end you won’t soon forget.

Do you like “Mexican Food”? My family does, and we have Mexican food all the time. In fact, my wife and I each have our own Mexican Recipe specialties! She makes the best Nachos and Tacos, and I make Enchiritos and Taco Salad. I’ll get her recipes up soon enough, but today I’m going to give you my Mexican Recipe for Enchirito’s! I don’t known if you would exactly call this “authentic mexican”, but for sure this is a “mexican recipe from scratch”! You have those days when you want to make something quick and tasty, and then there are other days that you want something so bad (and it tastes so good) that it makes no difference how long it takes! This recipe takes a bit longer to make than you average dinner – but it tastes soooooo good!

What is an Enchirito? It’s a cross between an Enchilada and a Burrito! The funny thing about is that I created this recipe (and made up the word “Enchirito” long before Taco Bell ever had! I’ve had the Enchrito’s at Taco Bell, but they can’t hold a candle to mine. The difference is basically an Enchilada is a Corn Shell with meat and cheese inside and sauce on Top. A Burrito is a flour shell with typically meat, beans, and maybe cheese and some sauce (on the inside) with nothing on the outside. To make my Enchirito’s I make Burrito’s, and then put them in a 9×14 baking pan, cover with Green Enchilada Sauce and cheese, and then back for 20-25 minutes. This recipe can feed 8 or more grown adults and quite a few children. Oh- by the way, when I make it I use 2 – 9×14 baking pans.

Here’s the ingredients You will need for the Enchrito’s Recipe:

• Meat (about 2 lbs ground beef or chicken, or meat substitute)
• 1 Sweet Vidalia Onion
• 1 Medium sized Green Bell Pepper
• 1 bunch green onions
• 2 – 8oz packets shredded Colby Jack or Taco Cheese
• 1 – 16oz+ jar of Pace Con Queso Cheese Sauce
• 1/2 head lettuce
• 3 medium sized tomatoes
• 1 Anaheim Chili Pepper
• 1 large 48oz jar Randall’s Pinto or Mixed Beans
• 1 – 8oz+ container of light Sour cream
• about 6-8 tbsp minced garlic (from the jar or fresh)
• 2 packages of large flour burrito shells (usually 12″+ in size)
• 1 – 16oz can or 2 – 8 oz cans of Green Enchilada Sauce (we use mild)

First you need to get your beans cooking. For this recipe you are going to make <b>homemade refried beans</b>. Get out your your 4 quart pot and your doing to take 1/2 of that sweet vidalia onion and julienne (slice with the gran 1/8″ or less). Place the onions in the bottom of the pot. Wash, cut, and dice 1/2 of the green bell pepper and place in the pot with the onion. Wash, cut, seed, and dice 1/2 the Anaheim pepper and place it in the pot as well. On top of all these veggies add about 3 heaping tbsp of Cumin, 2 tbsp of garlic powder (not salt), 1tbsp salt, 1bsp pepper, and 1 and 1/2 tbsp chili powder. My recipe is very mildly spicy – you might go more or less heat if you like by using less chili powder, or maybe by adding a chopped jalepeno or two. Just be conscious of what the whole family would like. Open up the jar of Randall’s beans (do NOT rinse at all) and pour the entire jar of beans over the veggies and spice. Turn the heat up to high and let them cook taking care to NOT stir and do NOT MIX in any way. After you pour the beans over the the peppers and onion you will not touch the pot again until the entire mixture is violently boiling away (6-8 minutes).

Next, in a skillet start to cook your hamburger or boneless skinless chicken. I personally drizzle the skillet with extra virgin olive oil – even when cooking ground beef. Turn the heat on med-high, and while the meat and beans cook you’re going to quickly dice the remaining vidalia onion, green pepper, and Anaheim pepper and place in a small bowl. By this time (about 5-6 minutes) it’s time to “flip” the ground beef. Place the onion and peppers you just diced on top of the hamburger, “divide” the ground beef in 4 sections like a pie, and flip each section over with the veggies now face down to the pan. By the time you do this it will be time to stir the beans and turn them down to medium heat. Depending on what kind of pot you have – from this point forward you will probably have to repeatedly stop what you’re doing and stir the beans every 3-4 minutes to keep them from sticking to the bottom of the pan.  In between stirring the beans, you’re going to take your spatula and chop the ground beef mixture. Now, I’m assuming you’re going to use ground beef, but if you use chicken (or a meat substitute) you cook it the exact same way. The meat will be done before the beans. When the meat is done, you will drain and rinse it (ground beef at least). The return it to the stove. If you’re doing chicken then do what I’m about to say about 3 minutes before it’s done. I sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper to taste, and about 2tbsp Cumin, 1 tbsp Chili Powder, and then 3 heaping tbsp of minced garlic. Chop the meat up a bit more mixing in the seasonings for about 3 more minutes on med-high heat, remove from burner and place in a medium sized mixing bowl to set aside.

Like I said earlier you will continue to stir the beans every 3-5 minutes, and you can probably turn them down to med-low heat by now. We started the beans first because they take the longest to cook (about 25-30 minutes). You’ll know when they’re done because the onions will literally begin to disintegrate and become part of the mixture and you won’t really see them anymore. Once the meat is done and off the stove, after I stir the beans once I usually begin to slice about half the bunch of green onions and place in a small bowl and set aside, and then the tomatoes (dice them), and last the 1/2 head of lettuce. Set all these aside for when we assemble the burritos. If you get this far, you can also get the other things arranged on the counter, like place the shredded cheese in a bowl, get out the sour cream, get spoons in everything – because once the beans are done we’re gonna create an “assembly line” to put these together.

So by the time all this is done the beans should be ready. Now, you could just turn off the heat and use the beans like this, but what I usually do is get out the potato masher and smash them up real good for about 5 minutes. Just before I smash them I add 3 heaping tbsp of minced garlic. Now you have created authentic refried beans from scratch (and they are so tasty you will probably never want canned refried beans again)! I think you will find that this refried beans recipe is tastier than any you can get in any Mexican restaurant anywhere. What makes them so tasty is how they are cooked. The reason you don’t mix the beans at first until they boil is because you want the flavors of the veggies in the bottom of the pan to sear and rise up into the beans. Believe me, it works well – and the taste of these beans is something that you’ll not soon forget!

Now – you’re going to open one of the packages of flour tortillas and microwave for about 50-60 seconds on high. When they’re done take them out and create a food assembly line on your counter. Put your 9×14 pan at the end of the counter. Put your tortillas at the opposite end. Then have your sour cream, beans, and con queso cheese all in a row. You’re going to take a heaping tablespoon of sour cream and wipe about a 2″ strip from top to botom of the flour tortilla shell. Then (with a new spoon of course) do the same with the cheese, and then the beans. Now you’re going to fold the burrito by carefully folding in the left and right sided about 2″ each, and then fold the bottom over towards the top about 2/3 of the way. Next take the bottom fold and literally begin to “roll” it up to the top and you have a burrito! You should be able to fit 9 in your 9×14 pan – if you get a tenth in you probably aren’t putting enough filling in the burritos.

Once you get all the burritos made and in the pans pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees. Then slowly spoon the green enchilada sauce over the burritos in the pan. And no – in case you were wondering you don’t grease the pans in any way, it makes the flour tortillas a bit crispy around the edges. Next, sprinkle the shredded cheese over the green sauce, and place both pans in the oven and the timer on for 20 minutes. Usually they are done in 20 minutes, but you’ll plainly know if they aren’t. When the cheese is completely melted and the green sauce is bubbling in the pan – they are ready to come out. If you need to leave them in the pan another 3-5+ minutes that’s ok.

Plate 2 burritos per adult or 1 (cut in 2 pieces) for kids. Place shredded lettuce and tomato on top with green onions sprinkled over that! Now they are ready to serve! Anything left over (if there is any) we each the next day for lunch (if they last). We hope you like to eat these as much as we do! If you have a question or something to add to this mexican recipe – please comment now below!