Mexican Stuffed Shells

This is one of those recipes that take a short amount of time to make, yet it has the flavors that most everyone enjoys. Especially kids. Think taco pasta cups. The thing I love about this particular recipe is that I can make the individual toppings that make both kids and parents happy. Usually my kids load their shells with lots of cheese and sour cream. But I always dice a red onion and let it sit in lime juice for about 15 minutes, chop up a small bunch of cilantro and avocado for the adults. I served these shells with a cumin spiced black bean and corn salad, which I added to my shells before adding the sour cream. Super yummy meal to make on a weeknight.

Mexican Stuffed Shells

Ingredients
1 box jumbo pasta shells
1-2 T butter
1.5 lbs lean ground beef, turkey or chicken
2T taco seasoning ( I use Penzey's)
3 oz  cream cheese ( I use reduced fat)
1 c salsa
1 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 c shredded hot pepper jack cheese
1.5 cups tortilla chips, crushed ( I use tortilla strips)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350*. Cook the pasta shells according to the package directions.Drain shells, gently toss in butter and set aside.

In a large skillet, brown the meat, turkey  or chicken. Season with the 2T taco seasoning. Stir in the cream cheese until well blended. Let the meat mixture simmer on low for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Fill each shell with meat mixture and set in a lightly greased casserole dish. (9 x 13 ). Spoon the salsa over the shells and top with the cheese and tortilla chips. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, until cheese is melted and the meat is warmed through. Serve with sour cream, onions, lettuce;or any other taco toppings you prefer.

Baja Chicken Tacos

Tacos are a pretty common dinner choice in our house. When all else fails, tacos will be eaten. We love these Baja Chicken Tacos. The chicken is slow cooked in a crock pot all day, so the only thing that I have to do is prep the toppings and cook the sides of rice and black beans.They are not as heavy as beef tacos , which I love.  These tacos are so flavorful. We add shredded cheese, onions marinated in fresh lime juice, lettuce, cilantro and salsa. Sometimes, if I do not have taco shells, we use lettuce leaves and make Baja Chicken Lettuce Wraps. The lettuce wraps are a great option for lunch.

Baja Chicken Tacos
2 1/2 - 3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
5 4oz cans green chilies
2 T taco seasoning ( I use Penzey's brand)
1 T ground cumin
Taco shells and toppings of your choice

Place the chicken , green chilies, taco seasoning and ground cumin in a crock pot. Place lid on tight and cook on high 4 hours or low 6. Take chicken out  and transfer to a platter to shred.Add shredded chicken back to the crockpot juices, stir and let it cook for an addition 10 minutes or so to heat back up. Serve shredded chicken in tacos with toppings of your choice.

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Chicken Enchilada Pasta

One thing  I know for sure is that my family will eat pasta. Any  kind of pasta. So when  I  have not planned dinner and need to get food on the table in a hurry, I usually end up making some sort of pasta dish. This is an easy dish to prepare and it is so good. You can add any  type pasta you have on hand. I usually use penne or rotini  for this dish. You can also add other veggies , like black beans, to it to stretch it or make it heartier. Spice it up by adding chili powder or Rotel  tomatoes. If you use a rotisserie chicken, you can save even more time.So many different things you can do to make it your own. I  usually make a salad and it is a  great meal.

Chicken Enchilada Pasta

Ingredients
12 oz pasta (your choice)
3 cups cooked chicken (diced or shredded)
1/2 cup onion,diced
1 cup frozen corn,thawed
1 8oz can tomato sauce
2 cups mild  red enchilada sauce
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp garlic powder
salt, to taste
2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar or monterey jack)
1 T chopped fresh green onions

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 250 degrees and lightly grease a 13 x  9 baking dish
2.Cook pasta al dente and drain. Set aside.
3.In a large  bowl, mix the pasta, chicken,onions,tomatoes,tomato sauce, enchilada sauce ,cumin and garlic powder  until thoroughly  mixed.
4.Pour into the baking dish  and sprinkle with cheese, then the cilantro
5. Bake at 350 degrees, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, to heat through and melt the cheese.
6. Top with extra cheese and green onions.

Baked Beef Enchiladas

I buy ground beef  in  bulk and cook it all at once and freeze it into individual portions. That way I can pull out what I need to add to soups, sloppy joes, tacos and enchiladas. My kids seem  to gravitate towards mexican food,  so I try to put something on the menu every week that will satisfy their craving for tacos! These enchiladas are so good. But I warn you, they are a it time consuming, so you might want to take that into consideration when you make these. Definitely not a throw and go recipe.Serve with mexican rice and black beans and you have a meal that will make your family very happy!

Baked Beef Enchiladas

Enchilada Sauce

    * 1/4 cup shortening
    * 1/4 cup  flour
    * 2 tablespoons chili powder
    * 1/2 teaspoon  oregano
    * 1/2 teaspoon  cumin
    * 1/2 teaspoon  garlic powder
    * 1/2 teaspoon  salt
    * 2 cups water
    * 2 (8 ounce) cans  tomato sauce
    * 3 teaspoons beef boullion granules


Enchiladas

    * 1 1/2 lbs  ground beef
    * 1 onion, chopped
    * salt
    * pepper
    * 1/2 cup oil
    * 1 dozen corn tortilla
    * 3 cups cheddar cheese, grated

Directions:


   1. In skillet put in shortening and melt, add flour and cook just until lightly browned.
   2. Add seasonings making a paste.
   3. Add water gradually then add tomato sauce and add beef granules.
   4. Cook until thick stirring constantly.
   5. In separate skillet, cook ground beef and onions until done; drain.
   6. Salt and pepper to taste.
   7. Place 1/2 cup oil in pan and heat.
   8. Heat the tortillas in oil, one by one.
   9. Dip the tortillas in the sauce.
  10. Add 2 or 3 tablespoons ground beef mixture to each tortilla and a little sprinkle of cheese.
  11. In a 9x13 pan spread a thin layer of sauce on bottom.
  12. Roll up enchiladas and place in pan.
  13. Cover enchiladas with remaining sauce and cheese
  14. Bake in oven at 350°F degrees for 30 minutes.