Tostadas

These were SO delicious--so delicious, in fact, that we made them three times in one week.  They just can't be any easier and cheaper and tastier!  Plus, these would be very easy to personalize based on your taste: add cilantro, black olives, avocado, grilled chicken instead of ground beef, refried black beans instead of regular refried beans etc.  We recommend these highly! 

Below, I said to use 4-6 tortillas.  That's because the first time we made them, I went heavy on the ground beef for each tortilla, so we only ended up needing 4 tortillas.  However, since each tortilla already has a serving of beans, there's plenty of protein and fiber per tortilla, so you can lighten up on the ground beef and stretch it to accomodate 6 tortillas if you need to.

The best part of these tostadas, which are just a form of tacos, is how crispy the bottom of the tortilla gets.  To get the crispiness, make sure you put the baking sheets/pizza stone in a cold oven, and then heat up the oven and the pan together.  I got two tortillas per baking sheet, and three tortillas on our pizza stone.

I hadn't tried these before I read Plain Chicken's post on Open Face Tacos- thanks for the awesome recipe!

Tostadas

1 lb ground beef (I used ground venison)
1 Tbsp grill seasoning, or 1 (1 oz) packet of taco seasoning
4-6 flour tortillas
1 cup salsa
1 can refried beans
2 Tbsp sour cream, plus more for garnish (I substituted Greek yogurt)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Suggested toppings for garnish:
Lettuce
Tomato
Jalapenos

Place cold pizza stone or baking sheets in cold oven, and preheat oven to 425. 

In a skillet, brown ground beef until no longer pink.  Drain fat from skillet, and then add grill seasoning and cup of salsa.  Stir and let simmer over low heat for 5-10 minutes. 

In a microwave-safe bowl, heat refried beans on High for 2 minutes.  Stir in sour cream, and set aside.

To assemble the tostadas, spread refried bean mixture on each tortilla.  Top with ground beef and shredded cheese. 

Place assembled tostadas on the now-hot pans, and return the hot pans to the oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.   Top with lettuce, tomato, and sour cream.

Easy Mexican Ground Beef Casserole

Like I said yesterday, we're looking for fast, easy, and tasty recipes (who isn't?) now that school is back in session.  This fit the bill.  (Now that I think about it, it's sort of a Mexican version of the ravioli lasagna from yesterday.)  We had everything we needed already in the house, and it came together in under an hour--and only a few of those minutes were hands-on time. 

You can adapt this easily.  Add black beans or chili beans, use crushed tortilla chips instead of tortillas, add green onions or black olives or jalapenos, whatever you want!  We served it with Mexican rice. 

Easy Mexican Ground Beef Casserole

3 large tortillas
4 oz (1 cup) shredded Cheddar cheese
4 oz (1 cup) shredded pepper jack cheese
1 lb ground beef
1 cup sour cream (I substituted nonfat Greek yogurt)
1/2 cup salsa verde
1 can Rotel tomatoes, drained of excess liquid

In a skillet, cook the ground beef until no longer pink and drain.  Mix salsa verde into the ground beef. 

Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly spray a 9"x13" dish with cooking spray.  Tear one tortilla into pieces, and use it as the bottom layer on the baking dish.  Add a layer of ground beef, half of the sour cream, and half of the diced tomatoes.  Repeat layers of a torn tortilla, the other half of ground beef, sour cream, and diced tomatoes.  Top with a final torn tortilla and the shredded Cheddar and pepper jack cheeses. 

Bake in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Mexican Rice

We served this Mexican rice with our Mexican chicken, and it was great.  Feel free to add some chili powder if you like spicier rice.

Mexican Rice

1 1/2 tsp vegetable oil
1/2 small onion, diced
2/3 cup uncooked long-grain rice
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 (10 oz) can Rotel tomatoes and green chiles, NOT drained
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
1 tsp salt
Cilantro, for garnish

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat.  Stir in onion, and saute until translucent.  Pour the rice into the pan, and stir to coat the grains with oil.  Mix in cumin, chili powder, tomatoes, salt, and chicken broth.  Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.  Cook at a simmer for 20-25 minutes or until rice is tender.  Garnish with cilantro and serve warm.

Mexican Chicken

We love our Mexican food in this house, and this Mexican chicken was awesome!  This was so easy and delicious, and we had everything we needed at the house already.   I highly recommend this! 

Mexican Chicken

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin

Montreal steak seasoning

1/2 cup salsa

1/2 cup shredded pepper jack, cheese

Cilantro, for garnish

Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375.  Spray 9"x13" dish with cooking spray.  Season chicken with steak seasoning, and place in baking dish.  Top each chicken breast with salsa, and bake for 35 minutes.  After 35 minutes, top chicken with shredded cheese, and return to oven for 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.  Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Vegetable Quesadillas

After an indulgent weekend, we both knew our bodies needed vegetables.  Instead of going a traditional route, I made these vegetable quesadillas, and they were so good!  We probably canceled out any health benefits of the vegetables with the amount of pepper jack cheese we added, but I don't regret that, either.  

I was so hungry at the end of this process that I just melted the cheese on the tortilla in the microwave.  Of course, to be more authentic (and to add crispiness to the tortillas), you should heat them in a skillet.  Either way, you should try these!

Vegetable Quesadillas

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 large green bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp pickled jalapeno slices, diced
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese (use Monterey Jack if you want less spiciness)
3 large flour tortillas

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add onion and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add red and green bell pepper, and cook for 10 more minutes.  Finally, add mushrooms and jalpenos; cover and cook for 5 more minutes. 

Pile a third of the cheese on one of the tortillas, and heat it in the microwave for about 30 seconds, or until the cheese has melted.  Remove it from the microwave, and pile a third of the vegetable mixture on half of the tortilla.  Fold the tortilla so that the vegetables are covered.  Serve warm.

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

Holy cow.  We LOVED these.  We used the Salsa Crock Pot Chicken (which we make about once a week--so handy to have ready!) for the filling.  We had the rest of the ingredients in the fridge or the pantry, which might say more about us than how common the ingredients are, but that's okay.  They're easily adaptable, so if you want to add jalapenos or black beans or pico de gallo or whatever else, you can.

We recommend them highly, and we hope you like them as much as we did! 

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast

1 cup sour cream

6 large flour tortillas

1/2 cup tomatillo salsa (salsa verde)

1 small can green chiles

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350.  In a bowl, combine chicken, 1/2 cup sour gream, green chiles, and cheese.  Divide the chicken mixture evenly among the six tortillas.  Fold tortillas, and place seam-side-down in a baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.  Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.

Remove enchiladas from oven.  In a small bowl, combine the salsa verde with the remaining half cup of sour cream.  Pour mixture over warm enchiladas, and serve.

Southwestern Egg Rolls

Happy hour is a regular occurrence for us, but with this beautiful weather we're already having, we're about to change our HH location from a restaurant to our back porch.  We've found that these egg rolls are very good with a cold drink after a long day at work.  They're really good!  We'll be making these often.

The recipe below makes 6 egg rolls, but you could easily double or triple it for your crowd.  I used cilantro instead of parsley.  To make it easy on yourself, use rotisserie chicken or Crock Pot Salsa chicken; I bet you could even use canned chicken.  If you wanted a meatless recipe, you could leave out the chicken and use more black beans for protein.

Southwestern Egg Rolls

1 Tbsp vegetable oil6 (6 inch) flour tortillas
1 skinless, boneless chicken breast half, cooked and shredded
2 Tbsp minced green onion
2 Tbsp minced red bell pepper
1/3 cup corn kernels
1/4 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
2 Tbsp diced jalapeno peppers
1/2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley or cilantro
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/3 tsp salt
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 450. 

Heat vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in green onion and red pepper. Cook and stir 5 minutes, until tender. Add shredded chicken into the pan with onion and red pepper. Mix in corn, black beans, jalapeno peppers, parsley, cumin, chili powder, salt and cayenne pepper. Cook and stir 5 minutes, until well blended and tender. Remove from heat and stir in Monterey Jack cheese so that it melts.


Wrap tortillas with a clean, lightly moist cloth. Microwave on high approximately 1 minute, or until hot and pliable. Spoon even amounts of mixture into each tortilla.  Fold ends of tortillas, then roll tightly around mixture. Secure with toothpicks.

Place egg rolls on baking sheets sparyed with cooking spray.  Bake for 15 minutes in preheated oven, turning tortillas after 8 minutes for even browning.  Cut diagonally, and serve warm.

Chicken Enchiladas

Yum!  Everyone loves enchiladas, and these will not disappoint!  It calls for 3 cups of cooked chicken for 8 enchiladas, and I completely recommend making all 8 enchiladas, even if you're only cooking for 2 (like I am).  They make awesome lunch leftovers.  As a shortcut, you could use rotisserie chicken or Crock Pot Salsa Chicken. 

I had all the ingredients in my refrigerator already (which only attests to my love for Mexican food), but I bet you have at least some of them, too.  You should definitely try these!

Chicken Enchiladas

3 cups chopped cooked chicken
8 (8-inch) tortillas
8 oz shredded Monterey Jack cheese with peppers
1/4 cup jalapeno peppers, diced
8 oz sour cream
1/2 cup salsa
Cooking spray
Toppings: diced tomatoes, chopped avocado, chopped green onions, etc.

Combine chicken, cheese, jalapenos, and 1/2 cup sour cream.  Spoon chicken mixture evenly down the center of each tortilla, and roll up.  Arrange seam-side-down in a lightly greased 9"x13" baking dish.  Coat tortillas with cooking spray.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until golden.  Stir together salsa and remaining sour cream, and spoon over hot enchiladas.  Sprinkle with desire toppings.  Yields 4 servings.

Chicken and Cheese Flautas

We love Mexican food, and this was a great Mexican dish that's easy to make at home.   You could use a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, but we still love the crock pot salsa chicken.  These didn't take long to make, and you could easily add ingredients to your liking--maybe black beans inside or guacamole as a dipping sauce.

I got this recipe from Framed Cooks; she has such beautiful photos (and delicious recipes).  Check her out, if you haven't yet. 

We'll make these again!  Hope you try them and like them!

Chicken and Cheese Flautas

4 large flour tortillas
1 cup shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup shredded cooked chicken
1 tsp cumin
1/2 cup salsa
Vegetable oil
Sour cream
Jalapenos

In a small bowl, combine cheese, chicken, and cumin.  Mix well.  Place about 1/4 cup chicken mixture on each warm tortilla.  Top each with one tablespoon of salsa.  Roll up tightly; secure each with a toothpick.  Brush filled tortillas with oil.

In a large skillet, cook filled tortillas over medium heat for 4-6 minutes or until filling is hot and tortillas are toasted, turning occasionally.  Remove toothpicks, and serve with sour cream and jalapenos.

Migas--Georgia Style

I lived in Texas for two glorious years before moving to Georgia, but unforunately I wasn't lucky enough or in-the-know enough to order a plate of migas for breakfast while living there. 

Don't know about migas?  I didn't either.  Here are some good explanations from the Homesick Texan or Pioneer Woman, but I can tell you, too: it's a tasty breakfast dish with eggs designed to use up stale tortillas.  The recipe below is another one I adapted from the Homesick Texan cookbook.

Both explanations above note that the eggs are not scrambled; you wait for the eggs to set on the bottom and then do some gentle folding.  However, my folding turned into scrambling, but I don't think the end result suffered.  The stale tortillas (you can use fresh ones, too) are cut into strips and fried, and in the original dish, they're stirred into the eggs while they're cooking, which softens their texture.  Well, if I'm going to the trouble to fry something (I had the baking soda box next to the skillet--one grease fire is enough for me, thank you very much), I want it to be crunchy, so I made the tortilla strips a bed for the eggs to sit on.  I only used a few tablespoons of canola oil, and the strips were nice and crispy in just a minute or two.  If you don't want to fry the tortilla strips, I'm sure you could bake them or even just use tortilla chips. 

The finished product was completely delicious.  We had this as our first meal of 2012, and we were both very happy and satisfied.  Try this on your next lazy weekend morning; you won't regret it. 

Migas--Georgia Style

Oil, for frying
2 tortillas, cut into strips
1/4 medium yellow onion, diced
10 pickled jalapeno slices
4 eggs
Splash of milk
1/4 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper, plus more to taste
1/4 tsp cumin
3-4 Tbsp chopped cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup (2oz) grated Cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Pepper Jack cheese
Salsa, for serving

In a large skillet, preferably a cast-iron skillet, heat a few tablespoons of oil over medium high heat.  Place tortilla strips into skillet, cooking until crisp, turning once.  Remove tortilla strips with a slotted spoon and place on a paper-towel-lined plate.

Drain the oil from the skillet, leaving 2 tablespoons, and turn down the heat to medium.  Add the onions and jalapenos to the skillet, cooking while occasionally stirring until the onions are translucent, about 4 minutes.  While this is cooking, whisk the eggs in a bowl with the milk, salt, pepper, cumin, and cilantro.

After the onions and jalapenos are cooked, add the garlic to the skillet and cook for 30 more seconds.  Add the egg mixture.  Gently stir the eggs; when almost done, sprinkle cheese on top of eggs, and let the eggs sit until the cheese has melted.

Place tortilla strips on a plate, and serve eggs on top.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with salsa. 

Homesick Texan Salsa

I was so excited when my sister gave me this Homesick Texan Cookbook for Christmas!  I already like the Homesick Texan blog, so I knew the cookbook was going to be great.  I started marking recipes immediately.

This salsa took just a couple of minutes to throw together, and we really liked it.  We had it on our nachos, with our eggs, and on and on.  It makes 3 1/2 cups though, which is a huge amount of salsa (even for us, and we eat a good bit of it), so you might want to cut the recipe in half.  Her recipe notes that it keeps for a week in the refrigerator. 

Homesick Texan Salsa

1 (28oz) can of crushed tomatoes
1 medium yellow onion, quartered
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup cilantro
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 Tbsp cumin
1/4 to 1/2 cup pickled jalapeno slices
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Salt, to taste

Place all ingredients except the salt into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.  Taste and adjust seasonings and add salt to taste.

Black Bean Dip

This is based on the recipe for Paula Deen's Monster Mash, but I don't think we should limit it to just Halloween.  This dip has a place at your party table all year long.  It's extremely easy, and it was really good!  I liked it better when it was hot instead of when it had gotten to room temperature.

I let myself feel okay about eating huge quantities of this dip because I used fat free cream cheese, shredded cheese made with 2% milk, and organic fat-free black beans.  Surely that cancels out the bag of chips we ate along with it. 

It makes quite a bit, too, so you can save any leftovers (or in my case, what wouldn't comfortably fit into the 8x8 dish), and spread it in some tortillas with shredded chicken for a delicious soft taco later in the week.

Black Bean Dip

4 oz cream cheese
2 (20.5 oz) cans refried black beans
1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes and green chiles
2 cups (8 oz) shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 Tbsp taco seasoning
Tortilla chips, for serving

Preheat oven to 325.  Lightly spray a 2-quart baking dish.  Cut cream cheese into small cubes and place on bottom of dish.  Combine beans, tomatoes, taco seasoning, and 1 cup of the shredded cheese, and spoon into the baking dish.  Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Remove from oven, and stir so that the cream cheese is combined with the other ingredients.  Turn on the broiler.  Top dip with the remaining cup of shredded cheese, and broil until the cheese has melted and is slightly browned.  Serve hot with tortilla chips. 

Southwest Pizza

We do like our pizza, and we love nachos, so this was a crafty way to combine the two.  It was good; just make sure you get your crust nice and crisp.  You can add any other Southwest toppings you want--maybe corn, red onion, or cilantro.  You can also dip it in more salsa, sour cream, or even Ranch dressing.  Yum!

Southwest Pizza

1 refrigerated pizza crust
1 cup salsa
1 (15oz) can black beans, drained
1/4 cup pickled jalapenos
1 cup shredded Mexian four-cheese blend

Prebake crust according to package directions.  Spread crust with salsa.  Sprinkle with beans, cheese, and jalapeno peppers.  Bake at package-directed temperature until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Pollo Loco - Mexican Chicken and Rice

This was absolutely fantastic!  This is just as good, if not better, than the best chicken and rice you get at your favorite Mexican restaurant.  It will have to be a once-a-week meal in this house. 

I could have done more with the presentation in the photo to wow you, so if the photo doesn't do it for you, please try this recipe anyway.  It was delicious, and the leftovers were great, too!  Thank you, Steph at Plain Chicken, for sharing the recipe!

Pollo Loco

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 bottle Lawry's Baja Chipotle marinade
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup uncooked long grain rice--not instant (but I used medium grain and it was fine)
1 Tbsp dried minced onion flakes
1 tsp taco seasoning
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 container Mexican queso (I used Gordon's cheese dip)

Marinate chicken breasts in Baja Chipotle marinade in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (overnight is best).  When ready, grill chicken until done (165 degrees). 

While the chicken is grilling, prepare the rice.

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat, and add rice.  Cook, stirring constantly, until puffed and golden (8-10 minutes).  While rice is cooking, sprinkle with taco seasoning. 

Stir in onion flakes, chicken broth, and tomato sauce; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes.   Fluff with a fork. 

Heat cheese dip according to package directions, and set aside.

To assemble the pollo loco, spoon 1/4 of the rice on a plate, top with a chicken breast, and spoon 2-3 tablespoons of queso on top.  Garnish with chopped tomatoes and cilantro, if desired. 

Quesadilla Appetizer

This is a tasty Betty Crocker recipe that we both enjoyed.  It's kind of like a Mexican quiche without a crust.  Next time I make it, I'll put in chopped jalapenos and probably a pound of cooked breakfast sausage (or just serve it with sausage patties).  It's a really good and filling appetizer. 


Quesadilla Appetizer

1 (4.5 oz) can green chiles
4 eggs
2 cups (8oz) Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese
1 cup Bisquick
1 cup half and half
1 dash hot sauce

Heat oven to 375.  Spread chiles and half of cheese on the bottom of a greased 9"x9" baking dish.  Mix together eggs, Bisquick, half and half, and hot sauce, and pour on top of chiles and cheese.  Top with remaining half of cheese.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.  Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.  Cut into 5 rows by 5 rows, and serve with salsa.

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

I'm about to give you the easiest recipe in the world.  Ready?  You need a jar of salsa and a package of chicken breasts.  That's it.  You're done.  (I seasoned with salt and pepper and threw in about a tablespoon of minced onion flakes, but it's been done with just salsa and chicken, and it's good.) 

Depending on the amount of chicken you put in, you can have enough leftovers to last you for a week of delicious chicken wraps, chicken nachos, chicken sandwiches, and whatever else you want to do with shredded chicken cooked in salsa.  It's so good and so versatile.  Thanks, Amanda, for sharing this incredibly easy and tasty recipe. 

This is also a really good meal to bring to someone who needs some extra help around the house.  Last week, my sister made this chicken, put it in some tupperware, and brought it with some fresh tortillas to a friend of hers who just had a baby.  So easy!  You can't go wrong with this.  This will definitely go on the regular rotation at our house. 

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

1.5 lb chicken breasts
1 (16oz) jar salsa
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp minced onion flakes

Season the chicken with salt and pepper.  Put chicken, salsa, and onion flakes into slow cooker.  Mix to coat chicken.  Cover with lid, and set slow cooker on low.  Cook for 4 hours.  Shred chicken and coat again in salsa mixture. 

Taco Pie

This was an old recipe I got from Plain Chicken several months ago, but I just got around to making it.  It's a crowd pleaser, and it's pretty cheap to make, especially when ground beef is on sale. 

I wasn't sure what size pie plate to use, but my small one still worked.  It would be find to cook this in a 8"x8" glass dish, too.

I love all the shortcuts this recipe has.  Use minced onion flakes instead of chopping and sauteing.  Use taco seasoning instead of measuring out 6 different spices.  Use Bisquick instead of measuring out various flours.  Plus, anything that gets covered with cheese at the end is going to taste great.  We ate it with Mexican rice.  Very good!

Taco Pie

1 lb ground beef
1 Tbsp minced onion flakes
1 envelope taco seasoning mix
3/4 cup salsa

1/2 cup Bisquick

1 cup milk

2 eggs

3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400.  Grease pie plate.  Cook beef and onion until beef is brown, and drain.  Stir in taco seasoning and salsa.  Spread mixture into pie plate, and top with 1/4 cup cheese.  Stir Bisquick, milk, and eggs until blended.  Pour into pie plate.  Bake for about 25 minutes.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese, and bake for additional 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Serve with salsa and sour cream.

Crock Pot Chicken Fajitas

Happy New Year!  I hope 2011 brings everyone countless new blessings.  It will certainly be a big year for my family, and I hope it will be a great year for you and yours.

One New Year's Day tradition is to eat black eyed peas for good luck and cabbage (or some other leafy green vegetable) for money.  However, since I don't like black eyed peas and neither of us likes cabbage, we're crossing our fingers and eating fajitas instead.  Be honest; wouldn't you rather have fajitas, too?  I thought so.

We were very excited to use our new Crock Pot (thanks, Mom!), and the fajitas did not disappoint.  The smell of them cooking throughout the day was almost as good as how they tasted.  It would be wonderful to put these on before you leave for work and then enjoy them when you get home, too.  I hope you like them as much as we did!

Crock Pot Chicken Fajitas

1 1/2 lbs chicken breast, cut into thin strips
1 sweet onion, cut into thin wedges and separated
2 Tbsp lime juice
1-2 garlic cloves, minced (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp seasoning salt
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chicken broth
6-8 flour tortillas

Optional Ingredients to Serve with Fajitas:
Shredded Cheese
Lettuce
Salsa
Sour Cream
Guacamole
Sliced Jalapeno Peppers

Place chicken, onion, and bell pepper in crock pot.  Sprinkle spices over all.  Add the chicken broth and lime juice, and stir well.  Cook on low for 4-6 hours.  Cook for over 6 hours if starting with frozen chicken breast.  Serve in warm tortillas with your favorite toppings.

Ultimate Nachos

I love Mexican food.  I can easily and happily eat chips and salsa as a meal for several days in a row.  It's a simple pleasure.  But if I need to indulge myself a little (a lot) more, Biz and I will make these double-decker nachos.  They can always be adapted to your tastes or just what you have on hand.  We've added some cooked rice to these before, which Biz likes, but they were too heavy for me that way.  I like some chopped cilantro thrown on top along with generous spoonfuls of salsa and sour cream everywhere.  No plates needed.  We eat them right off the pan, and we rarely stop until we've eaten everything on there.  You'll do the same.

Ultimate Nachos

Tortilla Chips
2 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
1 can black beans, drained
jalapenos, to taste
2-3 cups shredded cheese (we use the Mexican blend)
Chopped cilantro, if desired
Salsa
Sour cream

Preheat oven to 400.  Arrange one layer of tortilla chips on a baking sheet, and sprinkle half the black beans, jalapenos, chicken, and cheese on top.  Then arrange another layer of chips on top of the first, topping with the remaining black beans, jalapenos, chicken, and cheese.  Bake for 8 minutes or until cheese melts.  Sprinkle chopped cilantro on top, if desired.  Top with generous dollops of sour cream and salsa.  Grab a fork and a napkin, and dig in!

Loaded Quesadillas

This isn't so much of a new recipe as it is just a tasty meal we already make some weeknights. We started doing this during Lent when I couldn't eat meat on Fridays. Bizzuck would add chicken to his then, but we've still had these with just vegetables when I've forgetten to take chicken out of the freezer. It's great because you can add whatever veggies or meat you want to it. This would be great with cilantro, jalapenos, mushrooms, and of course with steak and probably shrimp or fish. It would be great to serve with Mexican rice, but we usually pair it with a hefty serving of chips and salsa and don't have room for anything else. A lof of it is left up to the chef and his tastebuds, but this is what we went with.

Loaded Quesadillas

4 tortillas

1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded

1/2 onion, chopped and grilled (grilling or sauteeing the onion makes them so sweet and so good)

1/2 green pepper, chopped (we also grilled this)

1 medium tomato, chopped

1/2 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup shredded cheese

Heat griddle or pan over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Grill onions and peppers for about 10 minutes and take off. Put two tortillas on griddle and top each with 1/4 cup of cheese, then beans, green pepper, onions, tomato, and chicken. Top with remaining 1/4 cup of cheese and the other tortillas. After 7-8 minutes, flip the quesadillas and cook for another 7-8 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve with salsa and sour cream.