Chicken Fajita Pie

We love chicken fajitas and we love pie. Why not combine them into a Chicken Fajita Pie!

Ingredients (printable recipe)
1 (10 inch) flour tortilla (burrito size)
2 cups cooked chicken, diced or shredded
3/4 cup chopped bell pepper (red, yellow, green, orange, whichever you like)
1/3 cup chopped red onion 
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves (I used a mini food processor)
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
cooking spray
Directions
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch pie plate. Press tortilla into prepared pie plate and spray lightly with more cooking spray. Toss chicken, chopped pepper, onion and 1 cup of shredded cheese in a large bowl until combined. Spread filling over tortilla.
2. Whisk eggs, milk, flour, baking powder, salt, pepper and cilantro in bowl until smooth. Slowly pour over filling. Then, sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake until surface is golden brown about 20-25 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve.

Adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything and Cook's Country

I love that the crust is simply a large tortilla. So easy!

Here's the filling: chicken, chopped bell pepper and onion and cheese

I don't like chopping cilantro leaves. So, I put the leaves into a mini food processor and then added them to the egg, milk, flour mixture. I've used both whole milk and skim milk in this recipe. So, use whatever milk you have. One more tip: put your pie plate on a baking sheet covered with foil before pouring in this runny mixture. Helps if you happen to spill and makes it easier to pull this in and out of the oven. (Wish I hadn't forgot the foil. It makes clean-up so much easier.)

More cheese! Can you really ever have too much cheese?

The Results...
So easy to make!  We liked Chicken Fajita Pie.  My husband and son gave this about 3 stars (out of 5).  They both like their Mexican food spicy and I intentionally made this mild so everyone could enjoy it.  I could spice this up with some chopped jalapeno peppers.  Maybe next time I'll make two pies, one spicy and one mild.

My little girls were happy this was mild and full of cheese.  My 5 yr. old was the biggest fan and ate her entire slice of pie.  She gave this recipe 5 out of 5 stars!

“I’m partying at the Pi Day Pie Party at Crazy for Crust today. Come party with us!”

This recipe is featured at:
On the Menu Monday @ StoneGable
Show & Share Wednesday @ Semi Homemade Mom
Tasty Thursdays @ The Mandatory Mooch

I also share recipes are these linky parties.

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Nacho Pizzas

This is Na--cho ordinary pizza.  (Sorry I couldn't resist.)  I made Nacho Pizzas twice last week because my family just loved them!  They are basically nachos, but in pizza form.

I found this recipe while I was searching for heart healthy recipes.  Nacho Pizza doesn't sound healthy, but it's full of good stuff for you like veggies and beans.  The crust is a corn tortilla that is brushed lightly with olive oil and baked until crispy in the oven. 

Easy, delicious, healthy and kids love it!  What more could you want?

Ingredients (printable recipe)
4 (6 inch) corn tortillas*
4 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped OR a sweet pepper seeded and chopped
1 clove garlic, minced ( I use a garlic press)
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup chopped seeded tomato
4 ounces or 1 cup shredded cheese---cheddar, monterey jack, mozzarella (I used a shredded Mexican blend) whatever you like
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
---You could also add some cooked, seasoned chicken or ground beef if you like.
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place tortillas on an ungreased baking sheet. Lightly brush tortillas on both sides with 1 teaspoon of the oil. Bake about 3 minutes on each side until lightly browned and crisp.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook onion, pepper and garlic in the remaining 3 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat until onion is tender. Stir in black beans and tomato; heat through.

3. Sprinkle tortillas with half of the cheese. Spoon bean mixture over cheese. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake about 4 minutes or until cheese melts. Sprinkle with cilantro. 
Makes 4 servings.

*If you prefer, substitute purchased tostada shells for the corn tortillas. Reduce oil amount to 3 teaspoons and omit step 1.

Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

1 teaspoon of olive oil was just enough to lightly brush each side of the corn tortillas. They baked up nice and crispy.

We love cheese!

I divided the mixture evenly between the corn tortillas. There were plenty of veggies and beans for each one.

More cheese!

My husband and I love cilantro, but the kids don't. I didn't sprinkle any on theirs. More for us!

The Results...
You already know that we loved eating these little Nacho Pizzas.  They are fun to make, too.  My 8 yr. old daughter helped me put these together.  She brushed the tortillas with oil, sprinkled cheese and scooped on the toppings.  I like it when the kids can help me in the kitchen! 

My only problem was that I didn't make enough.  There are 6 of us, so I doubled the recipe and made 8 pizzas, but those were gobbled right up!  The second time I made these I tripled the recipe and made 12 pizzas.  That was just the right amount for us.

This is a great vegetarian meal as is, but my family suggested we try them next time with some meat.  Cooked, seasoned chicken or ground beef would taste great on top, too.  You could also garnish these little pizzas with your favorite nacho toppings like sour cream, salsa, guacamole, etc...

Have fun and Enjoy!

I share recipes at these linky parties.

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Ranch Chicken Tacos

Tacos are one of our family's favorite dishes.  The kids request them frequently.  Usually, we have seasoned ground beef tacos in crispy shells.  Instead of our usual tacos, I served Ranch Chicken Tacos for dinner tonight.

Ingredients (printable recipe)
3 frozen chicken breasts*
1 packet McCormick taco Seasoning, divided
1/2 cup Light Ranch dressing (we like Hidden Valley)
1/4 cup Light sour cream
1 Tablespoon favorite salsa
8 (6 inch) corn tortillas
Shredded lettuce
1 Chopped tomato
4 green onion, sliced
1 cup shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese
1 (4 ounce) can sliced olives (optional)
1 avocado--peeled, pitted and diced (optional)
Directions
1. Place frozen chicken breasts in slow cooker.  Reserve 1 teaspoon taco seasoning. Sprinkle the rest of the taco seasoning on top of the frozen chicken in slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for about 4 hrs.
2. Combine Ranch, sour cream, remaining 1 tsp. Taco seasoning and salsa together in small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until serving.
3. When chicken is done and tender, shred in slow cooker with two forks.
4. Warm tortillas in skillet about one minute each side to make them pliable.
5. Place a scoop of chicken on the tortilla and top with lettuce, tomato, onion, olives, avocado, cheese and a spoonful of the Ranch dressing mixture.

*If you don't have time to wait for the chicken to cook in the slow cooker, use a rotisserie chicken. Shred the chicken and toss it with the taco seasoning in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or wax paper. Microwave until heated through, about 2-3 minutes.

Adapted from Allrecipes

The frozen chicken breasts I use are enhanced with chicken broth.  As they cook they release liquid.  So, I didn't add any liquid to the slow cooker.  The chicken was ready to shred after 4 hrs. on high.  If they had cooked any longer, I would've needed some extra liquid, either water or broth, to keep the chicken from getting too dry.  If your chicken isn't enhanced with broth, add some liquid.  

Wanna Bite?

The Results...
How were these "new" tacos?  Muy Bueno!!!  Everyone liked the Mexican Ranch mixture on top.  It would be a very good dressing for a taco salad, too.  The chicken turned out very tender and seasoned just right.  The tomatoes, lettuce and green onions were crispy and fresh.  Everything piled on top of a warm, corn tortilla made one delicious dinner and lots of happy tummies.  We will definitely make these tacos again!

I share recipes at these linky parties.

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Mexican Stuffed Shells

We eat Mexican food a lot at our house (tacos, burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, etc).  Mexican Stuffed Shells is pasta, but with the Mexican flavors we like.  This is different from our usual Mexican dishes.  Will we like Mexican pasta?

Ingredients (printable recipe)
1 lb. ground beef
1 package low-sodium taco seasoning 

4 oz. cream cheese
14-16 jumbo pasta shells
1.5 cup salsa
1 cup taco sauce (This is a smooth, tomato based sauce found in the Mexican section)
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 cup monterey jack cheese
3 green onions
Sour cream

Black olives
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°.

In a frying pan cook ground beef; add taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions. Add cream cheese, cover and simmer until cheese is melted. Blend well. Set aside and cool completely. While ground beef is cooking, cook the pasta shells according to directions; drain. Set shells out individually on cutting board/baking sheet so that they don’t stick together.

Pour salsa on bottom of 9×13 baking dish. Stuff each shell with the meat mixture. Place shells in 9×13 pan open side up. Cover shells with taco sauce. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, add shredded cheese and bake for 10-15 more minutes, with the foil removed. Top with any condiments you’d like (green onions, black olives, etc.) Serve with sour cream and/or more salsa.

Source: The Way to his Heart and A Pinch of This and That 

*You could turn this into a freezer meal.  Prepare as directed in a tinfoil casserole pan with a cover and freeze instead of baking.  Just make sure when freezing that the shells are covered with sauce so they don’t get freezer burned.  When ready to cook, thaw and cook as directed.

The Results...
We liked these shells topped with lots of green onions, olives and sour cream.  My little 4 yr. old helped me stuff the shells with the meat mixture.  We decided to give this recipe 3 1/2 stars (out of 5).  It was fun to try something different.

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Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Stew

It's a snow day.  The kids are home from school.  Not only is it snowing, it's freezing cold AND windy.  My son and I are taking turns shoveling the driveway.  I'm not planning on going anywhere today.  I'm thinking we really need some warm, comfort food for this chilly, snowy day.  Maybe a soup or stew?  But, I need to find a recipe that I can make with what's in my cupboards.  After a little internet searching, I found this recipe on food.com.  It looks yummy and I have everything on hand!  Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Stew, you are what's for dinner tonight...

Ingredients (Printable Recipe)

1 onion, chopped

1 (16 ounce) can black beans (rinsed and drained)

1 (16 ounce) can kidney beans (rinsed and drained)

1 (16 ounce) can corn (drained)

1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans diced tomatoes and green chilies (Rotel)

1 packet taco seasoning

2 boneless skinless chicken breast

Directions:

Prep Time: 10 mins

Total Time: 6 1/4 hrs

1. Mix everything together in a slow cooker except chicken.

2. Lay chicken on top and cover.

3. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.

4. 30 minutes before serving, remove chicken and shred.

5. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir together.

6. Top with cheese, sour cream, or tortilla chips, if desired.

 

I used 3 (10 oz.) cans of diced tomatoes and green chilies (Rotel).  My chicken breasts were frozen.  I slightly defrosted them before putting them in the slow cooker. 

I mixed everything in the slow cooker and put the chicken on top.  I'm cooking this on low and it should be ready just in time for dinner.  It's all up to the slow cooker now.  My work is done, for dinner anyway.  Now, it's my turn to go shovel the driveway.  I've got to go bundle up.  I'll post results after dinner tonight...

The Results...

This cooked for 7 hours on low.  I shredded the chicken during the last 30 minutes of cooking time.  So, what did we think?  We thought this was delicious!  My husband liked it so much that he said, "make this again and don't change a thing!"  I also liked this stew, although it was at the top of my spice tolerance.  I added a little sour cream to help "cool it off."  My son didn't think it was too spicy, but my 6 yr. old also needed some sour cream in hers.  I'm pretty sure this will be too spicy for my 3 yr. old (she was asleep when dinner was ready).  I'll need to make her something else when she wakes up.  I'm thinking I could add half the Rotel and then add plain diced tomatoes if I want to make a milder version in the future.  Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Stew did hit the spot on this chilly, winter day!

This recipe is shared at:

Foodie Friends Friday 

Slow Cooker Thursday @ Addicted to Recipes 

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Award Winning Chili

I made a batch of this chili for our Chili Cook-off at church last weekend.  Even though I hadn't made this recipe before, I thought it might be a winner based on it's 5-star rating and all the excellent reviews it has received.  Could over 800 people really be wrong?  I hoped not.

Ingredients (printable recipe)

2 pounds ground beef

1/2 onion, chopped

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

2 1/2 cups tomato sauce (I used 2 (15 oz.) cans of tomato sauce)

1 (8 ounce) jar salsa

4 tablespoons chili seasoning mix (I used one packet of McCormick chili seasoning)

1 (15 ounce) can light red kidney beans

1 (15 ounce) can dark red kidney beans
1/2 tsp chipotle powder (optional)

Directions

In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the ground beef and the onion and saute for 10 minutes, or until meat is browned and onion is tender. Drain grease, if desired.

Add the ground black pepper, garlic powder, tomato sauce, salsa, chili seasoning mix and kidney beans. Mix well, reduce heat to low and simmer for at least an hour. Transfer to a slow cooker to keep warm for taking to potlucks and parties.

Source allrecipes.com

1/2 tsp Chipotle powder adds a slight smokey and spicy flavor. 

I let it simmer covered on the stove for an extra hour before I transferred it to a crock-pot to take to the party/cook-off.

The Results...
This chili is a winner, really.  We won best chili and brought home the trophy!  There were a lot of delicious, different kinds of chili at the cook-off.  We did think this chili was good, but I was surprised that we won!  The only thing we would change next time is to add a can of diced tomatoes or some extra tomato sauce.  It was a little thicker than we're used to.  But maybe that's because it cooked longer than the one hour suggested in the recipe?  You can still add us to the 800+ that love this chili.  It's a winner!

Updated Sept. 28, 2012
This chili freezes really well, too. I like to make a double batch and freeze the extra chili in a gallon sized Ziploc freezer bag.  Fill it about 2/3 to 3/4 full, squeeze out extra air the best you can and make sure the top is securely zipped.  Lay the bag flat on a baking sheet. Label, date and place in the freezer until solid and stackable.  When ready to use, thaw bag enough to get the chili out.  It's OK if it still slightly frozen.  Heat until boiling, stirring often in a pot on the stovetop.  You could probably reheat in the microwave, but I've always reheated on the stovetop.

This chili is great to have on hand for baked potatoes, hot dogs, chili-cheese fries, Navajo Tacos, etc...  You'll be happy you made an extra batch!

This recipe is shared at:
Foodie Friends Friday
The weekend Potluck @ Sunflower Supper Club
Show & Share Wednesday @ Semi Homemade Mom

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Crock Pot Chicken W/ Black Beans and Cream Cheese

I love simple!  This recipe has 5 simple ingredients and 5 simple steps. 

Ingredients (printable recipe)
4-5 boneless chicken breasts (frozen works well)
1 (15 1/2 ounce) can black beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can corn, drained
1 (15 ounce) jar salsa, any kind (about 1 3/4 cups)
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
Directions  

1. Take 4-5 boneless chicken breasts put into crock pot.  If using frozen chicken breasts, no need to thaw, just put them in.
2. Add 1 can of black beans, drained, 1 jar of salsa, 1 can of corn drained.
3. Keep in crock pot on high for about 4-5 hours or until chicken is cooked.
4. Add 1 package of cream cheese (just throw it on top!) and let sit for about 1/2 hour.
5. Stir before serving. This is good served over rice, wrapped in a tortilla or as a dip with tortilla chips. Enjoy!

Source Recipezaar

Not only is it just 5 ingredients, it's 5 ingredients I usually have in my kitchen. 

All done!  It may not be pretty, but it's how it tastes that counts.  My kids thought it looked gross!

The results...
Did it taste better than it looked?  Yes, it did!  This was simply delicious.  I served it over rice and we all liked it.  This is also good wrapped in tortillas or with tortilla chips.

This recipe is shared at:
Foodie Friends Friday

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Rachael Ray's Mexican Lasagna

Happy Cinco De Mayo!  I made something Mexican, but also easy for dinner tonight.  It's the middle of a busy week and I didn't want to spend all afternoon in the Kitchen.  Rachael Ray's recipe for Mexican Lasagna looked fast, easy and delicious.  Just what I needed for tonight.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 pounds ground chicken breast, available in the packaged meats case

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 red onion, chopped

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained

1 cup medium heat taco sauce or 1 (14-oz) can stewed or fire roasted tomatoes

1 cup frozen corn kernels

Salt

8 (8 inch) spinach flour tortillas, available on dairy aisle of market

2 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar or shredded pepper jack

2 scallions, finely chopped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil - twice around the pan. Add chicken and season with chili powder, cumin, and red onion. Brown the meat, 5 minutes. Add taco sauce or stewed or fire roasted tomatoes. Add black beans and corn. Heat the mixture through, 2 to 3 minutes then season with salt, to your taste.

Coat a shallow baking dish with remaining extra-virgin olive oil, about 1 tablespoon oil. Cut the tortillas in half or quarters to make them easy to layer with. Build lasagna in layers of meat and beans, then tortillas, then cheese. Repeat: meat, tortilla, cheese again. Bake lasagna 12 to 15 minutes until cheese is brown and bubbly. Top with the scallions and serve.

I followed the ingredients list, except that I couldn't find spinach flour tortillas.  I used regular flour tortillas.  I decided to use half sharp cheddar and half pepper jack for the cheese.

 I followed the directions.  After I cooked the meat and bean mixture I began layering this dish: meat and beans, tortillas, cheese, meat and beans, tortillas, and cheese.

The Results...
It only baked for 13 minutes and it was ready.  My 5 year-old was a huge fan of this dish.  She even asked for seconds.  I asked her why she liked it and she said, "It was just a little spicy and the tortilla and cheese layer is my favorite part."  The rest of us weren't huge fans like she was, but we still enjoyed it.  We usually don't cook with ground chicken.  We didn't think the chicken was as flavorful as ground beef, but I will keep this on our list of family favorites just for my little girl.  Next time, I might try this recipe with ground beef and see if we all become huge fans.

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