Chicken Taquitos

These go like hot cakes at my house. I always hope there are a couple left over. There never are. I found this recipe years ago in a book called 365 Easy Mexican Recipes. I've modified a couple things.

Chicken Taquitos
1 pint homecanned chicken
3 TBSP vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp dried oregano
4 oz cream cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
12 -14 corn tortillas

Combine chicken, onion and a bit of vegetable oil in skillet. Cook until onion is limp. Add in cream cheese and oregano. Stir until cream cheese is melted and chicken mixture is thoroughly combined. Set aside.
Heat 3 TBSP oil in another skillet. Using tongs, soften tortillas 1 at a time by dipping in hot oil for about 2 seconds on each side. Add additional oil if needed. Drain tortillas between paper towels.
Fill tortillas by placing about 2 TBSP chicken mixture in 1/3 of tortilla. Roll up tightly. Secure with toothpick and lay seam side down on plate. Repeat with all tortillas. Fry taquitos a few at a time, seam side down. Turn until all sides are lightly browned. Drain on paper towels. If making to use as appetizers - cut each taquito in half after removing toothpicks. If using as a meal - leave taquitos whole.

Tortilla Stack

I found this recipe while we lived in Arizona. Money was super tight for groceries. I think at this time we had roughly $20/week for groceries. Thank goodness for food storage I tell you! I found this recipe in a book from the library called The Crockery Cook.

Tortilla Stack
1 1/2 lb uncooked lean ground beef
1 pint pinto or black beans
8 corn tortillas, each cut into 6 wedges
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cheddar cheese soup, undiluted
1 pkg taco seasoning
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
sour cream
shredded lettuce
chopped green onion
chopped red bell pepper
sliced olives
peeled and chopped avocado
grated cheddar cheese

Combine soup and taco mix. Set aside.

Spray crockpot with veggie spray. Crumble 1/4 of ground beef into bottom of crockpot Top with 1/4 of beans. Top with 1/4 of tortilla wedges. Spread 1/4 soup mixture over tortillas. Sprinkle with 1/4 tomatoes. Repeat layers until all beef, beans, tortilla wedges, soup mixture and tomatoes are in crockpot. Cover and cook on low 4-5 hours. Spoon onto individual plates. Top with sour cream, lettuce, green onion, bell pepper, olives or avocado if desired. Additional cheddar cheese may also be used.

Tortilla Bowls

I was on the lookout for tortilla bowls. So I turned to my favorite recipe website and found out how to make them in the microwave! I made these with my homemade tortillas. The family liked the idea but not the thickness these tortillas have. The shell was pretty hard and not crunchy like restaurant shells. I will be making these again with store bought tortillas just to see the difference.

Tortilla Bowls

This recipe comes from janem at recipezaar.com. She found it from "Healthy Heart One Dish Meals."

You will need:

1 tortilla per person

Line a 1 1/2 qt glass bowl with one tortilla. Prick a few holes in the tortilla with a fork. Microwave for 1 1/2 - 2 minutes on high or until the tortilla is crisp. Remove from microwave. Allow the tortilla to cool for a bit in the bowl before removing. Repeat for each tortilla.

Taco Soup

This recipe belongs to my Grandma Stone. It is perfect for a dreary, drizzly, rainy Oregon day!

Taco Soup

1 - 1 1/2 lb ground turkey or hamburger
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup red or green pepper, chopped
3 cups water
1 qt tomato sauce
1 qt stewed tomatoes
1 qt pinto beans
1 pint corn, drained
1 pkg taco seasoning mix

Brown turkey and add onion and peppers to saute. Add remaining ingredients and heat through. Serve with tortilla chips. May also add cheese, sour cream and guacomole.

**This does very well in the crockpot simmering all day.
**Freezer friendly.

Black Bean and Tortilla Bake

We thought this recipe was a great summertime one. Everyone loved the flavors. We served it over rice. Russell especially liked it and wants to know when we are having it again. This recipe comes from spatchcock on recipezaar. This person comes from the Mississippi area.

Black Bean and Tortilla Bake

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 cup chopped onions

1 cup chopped tomatoes

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1/2 tsp chili powder

2 tsp cumin powder

1 8oz can tomato sauce

1 16oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 TBSP chopped cilantro (I didn't have any so didn't use it)

salt and pepper to taste

12 soft corn tortillas

8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded, reserving 2 TBSP

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray. Add garlic, onions, tomato, green onion, cumin and chili powder. Cook on medium heat until onion is tender. Add tomato sauce and cook 5 minutes more.

Stir in beans, cilantro, salt and pepper.

Spray a 9 inch square baking dish with cooking spray. Layer 4 tortillas, 1/3 cheese, and 1/3 of the bean mixture; repeat 2 more times.

Top with reserved 2 TBSP of cheese.

Bake 20 minutes, covered, then 10 minutes uncovered or until bubbly.

Chicken Quesadillas

Oh my lucky southwestern stars! These quesadillas were such a hit at dinner tonight! I served coleslaw with it and what a perfect side!
Chicken Quesadillas
2 flour tortillas per person
favorite salsa
shredded chicken
sliced or chopped olives
shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. For each tortilla - place one on a non-stick cookie sheet OR a sprayed cookie sheet with vegetable oil. Top with salsa (kind of like you would with sauce and pizza), add shredded chicken, olives and cheese. You can sprinkle with parsley if you like or add chopped cilantro. Top with second tortilla. Bake in oven for 10 minutes. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before cutting. Your fingers will thank you.

Coleslaw
Our neighbor gave us this ginormous cabbage - probably 5-8 lbs. It's huge! I used only a very small portion to make coleslaw tonight.
Shredded cabbage
Sauce:
About 1 cup mayonniase
Dash of white vinegar
1 TBSP sugar - or to taste
1 tsp celery seed
Combine sauce ingredients in bowl. This sauce totally goes by taste of the cook mixing it up. I add the ingredients and taste. If it needs more of something I add it. If I like the way it is - I mix it in with the cabbage and refrigerate until time to eat. It's not complicated and very refreshing on a summer day.