Bridget’s Easy Mexican Skillet

BRIDGET'S EASY MEXICAN SKILLET 

1 lb sausage (whatever kind you like or even ground beef can be used but be sure to season it!)
1/2 chopped onion
1/2 green pepper, diced
1 1/2 C uncooked macaroni ( or whatever kind of pasta you have...I use shells a lot too)
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp chilli powder
1 can diced tomatoes
1 8 oz can tomato sauce

Brown the meat and drain, add onion and green pepper and sauté about 5 min. Add the rest of the ingredients, cover and let simmer until noodles are cooked ( about 15 min). Serve with sour cream and Chips and salsa. 

Haylee’s Note:

I’ll be honest, this recipe didn’t sound very tempting.  I’m not sure why.  But when we ate it we both LOVED it!  It has a great flavor and texture.  I love that it is so fast and easy, and it calls for ingredients that I pretty much always have on hand.  I also love that you can mix this up to work with what you have by changing the meat and the pasta.  This will be a great “go to” meal!  Thanks Bridget!  It was delicious!

Chile Rellenos Crepes

CHILI RELLENOS CREPES

1 recipe Mexican Sauce (at bottom)
8 crepes (click here for recipe)
2 Anaheim chiles,
1/4 onion, minced
4 oz Monterey Jack cheese (2 oz cut into long, thin rectangles and 2 oz shredded)

Broil chilies until skin is black. Then place in metal bowl cover with plastic wrap to steam. Peel, rinse, remove seeds, and then cut each chile into eight strips (add any accumulated chile juice in the metal bowl to the Mexican sauce).
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray 6 X 10 - inch Pyrex casserole dish with cooking spray. Ladle about 1/3 of the Mexican Sauce over the bottom of the casserole dish.
Place 1 strip of chile, 1 strip of cheese, a sprinkling of minced onions, and a few spoonfuls of sauce (try to use half the remaining sauce among the 8 crepes) along the middle of each crepe, roll up and place seam-side-down in the baking dish. Top with remaining sauce and shredded cheese, placing in a wide stripe down the middle of the crepes so the edges will crisp in the oven.
Bake 30 to 40 minutes at 325 degrees, or until cheese is melted and bubbly and dish is hot through.
Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Serve with any, all, or none of the optional garnishes (sour cream, cilantro, chopped green onions or shredded lettuce).

Sauce:

1 T. vegetable oil
2 T. minced onion
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 t. cumin
1/8 t. cayenne pepper
1 qt. home-canned tomatoes or 2 (14.5 oz.) cans commercially canned tomatoes
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 t. dried oregano
Sugar
Salt
lime juice

Heat oil in a heavy, three-quart stainless saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic until softened, stirring frequently. Add cumin and cayenne and stir in the hot oil until spices are fragrant.
Add canned tomatoes and tomato sauce. Mix well. Crush with potato masker. Simmer over medium heat for approximately 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Add 1 teaspoon dried oregano.
Simmer over medium heat for approximately 30 more minutes, stirring frequently and crushing periodically with potato masher, until thickened and smooth.

Haylee’s Note:
This recipe was pretty time consuming, but it wasn’t difficult. I really liked it, but I am not sure that I would make it again, just because it took so long to make. I got this recipe from Studio 5 (click here for recipe). I also like these better than traditional chillie rellanos because it is less eggy tasting.

Heather's Bajo Tacos

HEATHER’S BAJO TACOS

1 lb chicken
1 package taco seasoning
3 onions
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tbsp brown sugar
Corn tortillas
Cilantro
Cheese

Cook and shred the chicken. Add taco seasonings (or use this recipe). Cut onions into thin slices (rings) and caramelize over medium heat with the olive oil and brown sugar. Layer tacos on warm tortillas with chicken, onions, cheese, and cilantro.

Haylee’s Note:
My sister Heather gave me this recipe and I LOVED it!!! You have to give it a try!! They are the best!!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP

3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
3 tbsp. butter
2 c. chicken broth
2 c. beef broth
1 can corn
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tbsp fresh cilantro
1 can tomatoes
1 (12 oz.) can tomato paste
3 chicken breasts cooked and shredded
2 tbsp. lime juice
1 c. shredded Colby jack cheese
Salt to taste

Sauté onion and garlic in butter. Put all remaining ingredients together in a pot. Cook until warm. You can add tortilla strips into your soup or put them on top of your soup. You may also enjoy topping your soup with sour cream, cilantro, cheese, and more tortilla strips.

Haylee’s Note:
I had never made chicken tortilla soup before, and I LOVED IT!!! I saw 3-4 recipes that looked interesting, combined them and this is what I got. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Bean and Cheese Tostadas

BEAN AND CHEESE TOSTADAS

Corn Tortillas
Refried Beans
Salsa
Shredded Cheese
Sour Cream
Cilantro

Broil one side of tortillas until warm. Remove from oven. Layer beans and salsa. Bake at 400 for 5 min. Remove from oven. Top with cheese and broil until cheese melts. Top with sour cream and cilantro. Serve warm

Haylee’s Note:
These are really fast and really good. I love tostadas because you can make them so many different ways. This is one of the easiest. You can get fancy by adding meat or extra veggies. Enjoy!

Shredded Beef Enchiladas

SHREDDED BEEF ENCHILADAS

1 onion diced
1 clove minced garlic
1 tbsp. butter
16 oz. tomato sauce
1 can green chili
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. oregano
Beef cooked and shredded
Cheese, grated
3/4 c. sour cream
Tortillas

Sauté onion and garlic in butter. Add seasonings and tomato sauce and boil for 30 min. Put shredded beef, cheese, and a sauce on tortillas and roll up. Add sour cream to remaining sauce and pour over enchiladas. Bake at 350 for 35 min. Take out pan and sprinkle with cheese. Return to oven and cook until cheese melts.

Haylee’s Note:
You can also use chicken or pork instead of beef. I like this recipe, but I wouldn’t say that I love it. I think that those enchilada packets taste more authentic than this sauce, but I still like this recipe. I need to find a better homemade enchilada sauce—so if you know of a great one, let me know!