Chicken Taco Soup

I found this wonderful recipe from Mrs. Sac's Purple Kitchen. Her recipe uses the crock pot but mine had stuff in it already so I made it on the stove. It was a super yummy recipe that even my husband liked (he doesn't like my soups). It is definitely a keeper! :)

Chicken Taco Soup:

1 onion, chopped
1 (16 ounce) can chili beans
1 (15 ounce) can black beans
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer
2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cooked and shredded (I used leftover rotisserie chicken)
shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)
sour cream (optional)
crushed tortilla chips (optional)

Place the onion, chili beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, beer, and diced tomatoes in a soup pot and place on the stove. Add taco seasoning, and stir to blend. Add chicken breasts and combine with other ingredients. Set heat on low, cover, and simmer for 1-2 hours. Serve topped with shredded Cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and crushed tortilla chips, if desired.

Hombres

When I was about 15 we had a covered dish at our church. One of the ladies brought this dish and I was in love. I begged her for the recipe and it has been a family fave ever since. Not sure why it is called Hombre (Spanish for man). Maybe because it is so good it will get you one! I no longer have the recipe but make it from memory. Sometimes I change it up and use shredded salsa chicken in place of the beef. Enjoy!

Hombre's:

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 taco seasoning packet
8oz sour cream
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup (can also use cream of chicken)
1 small can diced green chilies (or jalapenos if you like a kick)
3 cups of cheese (I use a mexican blend)
8 flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 350. Brown ground beef, drain. Add taco seasoning packet and water (according to packet directions). Fill each tortilla with meat mix and a sprinkle of cheese (remaining cheese goes on top), roll up and place in a non-greased baking dish. Bake for 10-15 min. Remove. Mix sour cream, cream of mushroom soup, and chilies in a bowl. Spread mixture over tortillas and top with remaining cheese. Bake 20-30 min or till cheese is melted and bubbly.

Pancho Villa Baked Tilapia

I found this recipe on Allrecipes and made a few changes. My man really liked it although I thought it needed a little something extra. It wasn't spicy enough (at all) for me. I will make it again and update my post when I get it just right. :)

Pancho Villa Baked Tilapia:

Pam Cooking Spray
4 (4 ounce) fillets tilapia
Salsa (fresh is best)
1 lime, juiced
4 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
1 lime, thinly sliced
Taco Seasoning

Preheat oven to 350. Coat one side of 4 (8x10 inch) pieces of aluminum foil with Pam. Center each fillet on a foil square. Lightly sprinkle taco seasoning on top of tilapia and spoon a generous amount of salsa over fish. Sprinkle with lime juice and cilantro. Position 2 slices of lime on top of each fillet. Close and seal foil packets, and place on a baking tray. Bake in preheated oven for approximately 20 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Mexican Lasagna

I like to order Chilaquiles when we go to the Mexican restaurant and decided to try my own version of this dish in the form of a Mexican lasagna. I used flour tortillas because that is what I had on hand. Next time I will try it with the corn ones.

Mexican Lasagna:

1 pound lean ground beef
1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 (14 ounce) can peeled and diced tomatoes with juice
10 (6 inch) corn tortillas
1 cup prepared salsa
2 cups shredded Colby cheese

1 can refried beans

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 tbsp minced garlic

Black olives

Sour Cream

Lettuce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large skillet over medium-high heat brown the ground beef with onions and garlic, drain. Stir in the taco seasoning, refried beans, and tomatoes. Line a 9x13-inch baking dish with 1/3 of the tortillas. Spoon 1/3 the beef mixture onto the tortillas, then layer the remaining tortillas and meat mix. Spread salsa and olives on top, cover with cheese and bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Top with lettuce and sour cream.

Wet Burritos

Here is another recipe I found on allrecipes. I topped mine with lettuce, tomato, sour cream, and black olives. I also added a dash of chipotle flavored Tabasco sauce. It was yummy!

Wet Burritos:

1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 (4.5 ounce) can diced green chile peppers
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
1 (15 ounce) can chili without beans
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
6 (12 inch) flour tortillas, warmed
2 cups shredded lettuce
1 cup chopped tomatoes
2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
1/2 cup chopped green onions

Crumble ground beef into a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir until evenly browned. Add onion, and cook until translucent. Drain grease, and season with garlic, cumin, salt and pepper. Stir in the green chilies and refried beans until well blended. Turn off heat, but keep warm.

In a saucepan, combine the chili without beans, tomato soup and enchilada sauce. Mix well, and cook over medium heat until heated through. Turn off heat and keep warm.

Preheat oven to 350. Take tortilla and spoon a generous 1/2 cup of the ground beef mixture onto the center and top with some cheese. Roll up tortilla and place in a baking dish. Repeat with remaining mixture-should make 8 burritos. Spoon sauce over the top and sprinkle with remaining cheese and green onions. Heat in the preheated oven for 15-20 min, or until cheese is melted.

Crockpot Salsa Chicken

While looking for mexican dishes I can across this recipe from Lovestoeat's Weblog and decided to give it a go. Glad I did because this was super easy and very good.

Crockpot Salsa Chicken:

4 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup salsa-Fresh

1 package taco seasoning

1 can reduced fat cream of mushroom soup (condensed) or cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream

Add chicken to slow cooker. Sprinkle taco seasoning over chicken. Mix salsa and soup; pour over chicken. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Shred chicken with a fork. Stir in sour cream until heated, then serve over rice or tortillas. I topped mine with cheese, chopped green onions, and leftover green chile sauce from my chimichangas.

Chicken Chimichangas with Green Sauce

I was in the mood for mexican again and wanted to try something different. I found this recipe from Allrecipes. It was so good. I served it with a side of mexican rice and black beans with pico de gallo (recipe below). I forgot to top mine with cheese but did the next day on the leftovers. It was good without the extra cheese but definitely better with it.

Chicken Chimichangas with Green Sauce:

2 (10.5 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
2 (4 ounce) cans diced green chiles
5 pitted green olives
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 (8 ounce) package shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning
1 pound shredded cooked chicken meat
8 (10 inch) flour tortillas
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 (8 ounce) package shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup chopped green onion
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream

Pour the cream of chicken soup into a blender along with the green chiles, olives, jalapeno, and lime juice. Puree until smooth, then pour into a saucepan, and warm over medium-low heat while proceeding with the recipe.

In a large bowl, stir together the cream cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, and taco seasoning until well blended. Fold in the chicken. Evenly divide mixture among the 8 tortillas. Fold each tortilla into a rectanglular packet around the filling.

Preheat oven to 350. Spray top of chimis with Pam and place in heated oven. Bake 10-15 min or till crispy. You may also fry them but I wanted a healtier alternative.

To serve, place a chimichanga on a plate, and ladle the warm sauce over top. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese and green onions. Finish with a dollop of sour cream.

Black Beans w/ Pico de Gallo

Black Beans with Pico de Gallo:

1 large tomato, diced
2 tablespoons chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon lime juice
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon bacon grease
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced red onion
1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons water

Stir together the tomato, onion, cilantro, and honey. Season with lime juice, vinegar, salt and pepper; set aside.

Melt bacon grease in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic and onion, cook until softened and translucent, about 3 minutes. Pour in the black beans and water, season to taste with salt and pepper, then simmer for 10 minutes or until hot. Serve topped with pico de gallo.

Salsa Chicken

So it is pretty obvious that I love to make Mexican chicken! My husband asked me to make a new-ish Mexican dish and this is what I came up with:

Salsa Chicken:

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 package fajita seasoning

1/2 lime

Home made salsa (recipe below)

Sour Cream

Preheat oven to 350. In a Ziploc bag, empty fajita seasoning. Add chicken breasts one at a time in bag and shake to cover. Place chicken in a greased baking dish and place in oven for 20 min. After 20 min is up, take chicken out of oven and squeeze juice of 1/2 a lime over it and place it back in the oven for 15-20 more min or till done. Top with salsa and a dollop of sour cream.

Home made Salsa:

Cilantro

Lime juice

Onion

Tomato

Garlic

Jalapeno

Chop cilantro, onion, tomato, and jalapeno and mix together. Add garlic and lime juice and chill for at least 30 min. I make mine to taste, like sometimes I want more kick so I add more jalapeno.

No Shell Taco Salad

I am trying to eat more healthy in the new year in hopes of losing a few pounds. I have decided to include the nutritional information with my recipes. I will also try and go back and add them to the previously posted recipes. I have been in a Mexican mood lately so I hope you don't mind. I get like that sometimes!

No Shell Taco Salad

1 lb ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup green bell pepper
1/4 cup red bell pepper
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
4 cups lettuce
1/2 cup shredded cheese
4 tbsp fat free sour cream
1/2 cup salsa

Brown meat and drain fat. Add taco seasoning and water according to packet directions. Once meat and seasoning are done add onion, peppers, and cilantro. Cook til veggies are soft. Put lettuce in a bowl and top with mixture. Add salsa, cheese, and sour cream. If you are not watching your carbs you can use a taco salad shell, add tortilla strips or eat it with nacho chips.

Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 301.8
Total Fat: 16.0 g
Cholesterol: 100.4 mg
Sodium: 753.7 mg
Total Carbs: 10.9 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.9 g
Protein: 28.4 g

2 Easy Ways to Make Chicken

I have had several requests for my two best chicken recipes. You will be surprised how delicious these simple recipes are. Enjoy!


Ranch Chicken

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
8 oz light sour cream
1 packet Ranch mix
Shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Mix ranch packet with sour cream and add a splash of water. Mix til consistency of dressing. Top chicken with mixture and bake for 30-45 min or til done. Top with cheese when done.

Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 3
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 327.7
Total Fat: 2.9 g
Cholesterol: 141.9 mg
Sodium: 1,352.4 mg
Total Carbs: 14.1 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.0 g
Protein: 56.2 g



Easy Mexican Chicken Bake

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 packet taco seasoning
Sour Cream
Salsa
Shredded Cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Empty taco packet into a Ziploc bag. Add one chicken breast, seal bag and shake til coated. Place chicken in a baking dish. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts. Bake 30-45 min or til done. Plate chicken and top with cheese, salsa, and sour cream.

Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 315.2
Total Fat: 5.0 g
Cholesterol: 144.4 mg
Sodium: 733.2 mg
Total Carbs: 7.5 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.0 g
Protein: 56.8 g

Queso & Margaritas

Sausage con Queso Dip:

1 pound Sausage Roll, cooked drained, crumbled
1 (16 ounce) package VELVEETA® Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product , cut up
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained
or 1 (16 ounce) jar of salsa

Crumble and cook sausage in large saucepan over medium heat until browned. Drain on paper towel then return sausage to saucepan. Cut VELVEETA® cheese into cubes and add to sausage. Cook, stirring frequently, until cheese is melted. Stir in tomatoes.
Serve warm with tortilla chips.

Nutrition Info
Servings Per Recipe: 16
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 180
Total Fat: 13.9g
Cholesterol: 38mg
Sodium: 729mg
Total Carbs: 3.4g
Dietary Fiber: 0.2g
Protein: 7.9g

Margaritas:

1 (6 ounce) can frozen limeade concentrate
6 fluid ounces tequila
2 fluid ounces triple sec

On Ice:
Mix all ingredients in a pitcher and pour over ice.

Frozen:
Fill blender with crushed ice. Pour in limeade concentrate, tequila and triple sec. Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve.