Turkey Queso

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cheddar cheese soup, undiluted
1/4 cup milk
1 can Rotel, drained
1 cup turkey, cubed
diced jalapenos, optional
salt
tortilla chips

Combine soup, milk, Rotel & turkey in a sauce pan over medium heat until warm.  Add jalapenos & salt to taste.  Serve warm with chips.

We added 2 tablespoons of canned jalapenos after taking out 2 little cups of queso for the kids.  It was spicy, but not over the top.  Add jalapenos slowly.

Green Chili Enchiladas

2 cups Mexican Crockpot Chicken
2 1/2 cups Shredded Cheese, divided
6 flour tortillas, soft taco size
1 can Green Chili Enchilada Sauce (10 oz)

Pour a thin layer of enchilada sauce into 8x8 baking pan.

Divide chicken & 1 1/2 cups cheese among tortillas. Roll up. Place seam-side-down in baking pan. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over tortillas & cover top with cheese.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

King Ranch Casserole

From allrecipes.com

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup chopped onion
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers
2 (8 ounce) cans chili beans, drained
12 (8 inch) flour tortillas
3 cups shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese

Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add chicken and bouillon and boil for 12 to 15 minutes, or until cooked through (no longer pink inside). Reserve 1 cup broth. Remove chicken from pan and dice; set aside.

In a separate large saucepan combine reserved broth, onion, cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, bell pepper, diced tomatoes with green chile peppers and beans. Mix together and heat through, stirring often.
 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
 
In a 9x13 inch baking dish layer casserole as follows: 4 torn tortillas, 1/2 of diced chicken, 1/3 of soup mixture, more tortilla strips, remaining diced chicken, 1/3 of soup mixture, more tortilla strips and remaining soup mixture. Cover with cheese.
 
Bake in preheated oven for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until heated through and cheese is melted and bubbly. 

This is really good, but rather time consuming.  It took me almost an hour & a half to complete the prep.  It made enough for about 4 meals for our family of 4.  I think next time, I would make it in 2 8x8 pans and freeze one.

Taco Turkey Wraps

 Adapted from allrecipes.com

2/3 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons taco seasoning

6 (8 inch) flour tortillas

1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese or Cheddar cheese

1/2 pound thinly sliced deli turkey breast

Lettuce
Tomato
Salsa

In a bowl, combine the sour cream and taco seasoning. Spread over tortillas. Sprinkle with cheese. Top with turkey, lettuce & tomato; roll up. Serve with salsa if desired.

Pictured with jalapeno cheddar wrap tortilla.  

Can be sliced into pinwheels as appetizers or for a buffet/potluck.

Last Minute Rice & Beans

4 servings of brown rice
1 can Rotel tomatoes & green chilies
1 can pinto beans, drained

In a small sauce pan, mix beans and Rotel and cook until hot. Prepare the rice according to package instructions. Combine bean & Rotel mixture with rice and enjoy.

Making burritos for dinner tonight, I went to the pantry to grab some spanish rice and behold...there was none. Since I had already made the rest of the meal, I decided to try a new concoction and it turned out very yummy. It's a great side dish or a burrito/bowl filling. Since it's a lot healthier than the processed rice packet from the store, this may become a new staple. Beware, it does have a bit of a kick to it and may be too much for the little ones.

Chicken Fajitas

1 medium onion
1-2 bell peppers
3 chicken breasts
olive oil
flour or corn tortillas

Cut onion and peppers into strips. Spray or drizzle a small amount of oil in a large skillet. Add veggies and stir often as you cut the chicken into strips. In a second skillet, cook the chicken and season as desired. Once the veggies are tender and the chicken is cooked through, add chicken to veggie mix, remove from heat & stir.

Place fajita mixture on tortillas and top with desired toppings.

I like to make double the amount and save left overs for Tex-Mex Pizzas :)

Frozen Strawberry Margaritas

From allrecipes.com

6 fluid ounces tequila
2 fluid ounces triple sec
8 ounces frozen sliced strawberries in syrup (or 1 can strawberry daiquiri concentrate)
4 fluid ounces frozen limeade concentrate

Fill a blender with ice and crush. Pour in the tequila and triple sec. Add the strawberries and limeade. Blend for 30 seconds or until smooth. Serve in glasses with the rims dipped in the margarita mixture then in sugar.

Best Bean Burritos

1 can refried beans
1 can diced green chilis
Flour tortillas
Shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 375 and set aside a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick spray. Mix beans and chilis in a sauce pan and heat over medium until warmed through. Assemble burritos with beans and cheese and place side by side (seams down) on cookie sheet. Cook for 5-7 minutes. Serve burritos with toppings as desired (guacamole, sour cream, salsa, olives, etc) and eat with a fork.

These are great for a burrito bar at a party. You can just make a bunch of burritos (even mini burritos using smaller tortillas) and let guests top as desired :)

Sour Cream Enchiladas

2 cups cooked chicken, cubed or shredded
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz sour cream
2 cups cheese, divided
1 can diced green chilis
4 flour tortillas, soft taco size torn into strips

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine chicken, soup, sour cream, green chilis and 1 cup of cheese. Spray a 8x8 pan with non-stick spray and place a small layer of the chicken mixture on the bottom. Add a layer of tortilla strips and repeat layering (be sure to end with mixture on top, not tortillas). Top with a layer of cheese and bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes.

This can also be made in the crockpot following the same layering technique and cooking on low for 4 hours.

Family Style Nachos

Tortilla Chips
Shredded Cheese

Topping ideas:
Chicken (cooked & cubed)
Black or refried beans
Onions and/or peppers
Olives

Preheat oven to 350. On a foil lined cookie sheet spread a layer of tortilla chips. Lightly top with a layer of cheese followed by desired nacho toppings. Add a 2nd thin layer of cheese to the top and place in the oven until cheese melts (about 5 mins). Serve with desired dips (salsa, guacamole, sour cream, etc).

We simply place the cookie sheet on a trivet in the middle of the table. Each person gets their own plate and grabs their own serving of nachos from the middle. This is a fun, easy crowd pleaser :)

Black Bean & Avocado Salsa

From: Leigh Ann Torres

1 can black beans, drained
8oz container of pico de gallo (in the grocery store produce section)
1 large avocado, chopped

In a large bowl combine all ingredients & enjoy.

This is awesome with chips, nachos and on tacos...so yummy!!

Baked Flautas

Adapted from: Hungry Girl

Mexican Crock Pot Chicken (or any chicken & salsa mixture)
Shredded cheese
Flour tortillas (soft taco size)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet by spraying with nonstick spray, and set it aside.

Take one tortilla, spray both sides lightly with nonstick spray, and lay it flat on a clean dry surface. Spoon about 2 heaping tbsp. of filling onto the tortilla. Spread it evenly across the entire surface, sprinkle with cheese and roll tortilla up tightly, so that you have a cigar-shaped tube. Secure with toothpicks and place seam-side down on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.

Bake for 14 - 16 minutes, until crispy. Allow flautas to cool for 5 minutes. If you like, dunk in enchilada sauce, salsa, sour cream or our favorite...guacamole!

Southwestern Egg Rolls

From: Hungry Girl
This is an awesome, healthy swap of the Southwestern Egg Rolls from Chili's.

3 La Tortilla Factory Smart & Delicious Low-Carb/Low-Fat Tortillas, Original (not Large - I find these near the deli in my grocery store)
1 oz. cooked skinless chicken breast; shredded
2 tbsp. canned black beans
2 tbsp. canned corn; drained
1 oz. Fat Free Jalapeno Jack cheese; shredded
1 tbsp. diced red chili pepper
3/4 cup frozen chopped spinach; thawed & thoroughly drained
Avocado Ranch Sauce

Preheat oven to 400. Combine chicken, beans, corn, cheese, chili pepper and spinach in a small microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 30 seconds in the microwave. Warm tortillas in the microwave for 15 seconds. On a clean, flat surface, lay out tortillas side by side. Put 1/3 of the chicken-spinach mixture in the center of each of tortilla. To assemble each of the rolls, fold the left and right sides in (so none of the filling escapes during the cooking process), and then roll up from the bottom of the tortilla until you reach the top (so they resemble eggrolls). Place all 3 rolls (seams down) on a baking pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 12 minutes, flipping rolls over about halfway through cooking.

While the eggrolls are in the oven, prepare the avocado ranch sauce. Once the eggrolls are done baking, allow them to cool for a few minutes. Then cut each in half diagonally, arrange them beautifully on a plate, and serve with the dipping sauce.

MAKES 2 SERVINGS
WW points per serving (includes sauce) = 3

I have used a jalapeno in place of the red chili pepper with great success.

Avocado Ranch Sauce

From: Hungry Girl

1 tbsp. avocado
2 tbsp. fat-free sour cream
1/2 tsp. dry ranch dip mix
1 tbsp. diced tomato
dash pepper (or more, to taste)

Combine the sour cream, avocado, and Hidden Valley Dips Mix in a small bowl -- stir until smooth and blended. Season to taste with pepper. Top your dipping sauce with the tomatoes just before you serve!

Shown pictured with the Southwestern Egg Rolls...yummy!!!

Chipotle Restaurant Rice

Tastes just like the rice at Chipotle...so yummy!

1 teaspoon vegetable oil or butter

2/3 cup white basmati rice

1 lime (juice)

1-2 cups water

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons fresh cilantro

1. In a 2-quart heavy saucepan, heat oil or butter over low heat, stirring occasionally until melted.

2. Add rice and lime juice, stir for 1 minute.

3. Add water and salt, bring to a full rolling boil. **The original recipe calls for 1 cup of water, but I have read reviews that people use 2 and it works well. I used 1 1/2 and I kind of think it could have gone either way. If you like your rice dryer, go with less water; more sticky, go with more.**

4. At boiling, cover, turn down to simmer over low heat until rice is tender and the water is absorbed, about 25 minutes.

5. Add in the cilantro and fluff rice with a fork.

SERVES 4

Crockpot Enchiladas

6 cooked chicken breasts cubed
about 20 oz of canned enchilada sauce
1 large onion finely chopped (I use the food processor)
6 corn tortillas
2 cups Mexican cheese
1 can sliced olives (optional)

Place chicken and onions in a medium size bowl. Add sauce to chicken and onions and mix well. Spray crockpot with non-stick spray and create a layers of corn tortilla, followed by chicken/sauce mixture, then cheese, then olives; over and over again until you fill your crockpot or run out of chicken mixture. Set on low heat for about 4 hours. Serve with sour cream and/or guacamole.

Makes 8-10 servings

This can tend to be a little runny compared to regular enchiladas, so we'll sometimes serve it in a flour tortilla :)

Veggie Chicken Quesadillas

Steam fresh broccoli & cauliflower
Cooked chicken
Flour tortillas
Spray butter (or butter spread)
Monterey jack cheese

Cook broccoli and cauliflower following package directions. Finely chop broccoli, cauliflower and chicken and mix together in a large bowl.

Spray one side of a tortilla with butter and place buttered side down in a frying pan over medium heat. On half of the tortilla place a thin layer of cheese, a layer of the chicken mixture and another thin layer of cheese. Fold empty half over filled half and cook until cheese begins to melt. Carefully flip quesadilla and cook other side until barely brown.

Remove from heat, cut into wedges and serve with salsa, sour cream and/or guacamole.

Tableside Guacomole

This recipe was inspired by the table side guac at the Iron Cactus...yumm!!

1 Large Haas Avocado
1/4 small onion finely chopped
1 medium jalapeno pepper chopped (membranes and seeds removed)
1 medium orange
1/2 small lime
salt & pepper

Cut the avocado in half length wise. Carefully, but firmly, tap the seed with your knife in order to embed it in the seed. Then, gently twist the knife to pop the seed out. Scoop out the avocado into a small bowl and mash with a fork. Add the onions and jalapeno.

To maximize the amount of juice in the orange, roll it back and forth on a counter with the palm of your hand, pressing firmly down. Cut the orange in half and squeeze the juice from both halves into the bowl and then add the juice from the 1/2 lime. Mash all ingredients together with a fork until well blended and to the consistency of your liking. Salt and pepper to taste.

The heat from a jalapeno pepper is in the membrane and seeds. With this part removed, the pepper adds lots of flavor, but not heat...don't be afraid :) Use within 24 hours. If you plan to make the guacamole ahead, reserve the avocado pit and add to bowl to keep from browning.

You can also add some chopped tomato. We are not a tomato loving family so we opt to leave it out :)

Baked Tortilla Chips

1 (12 ounce) package corn tortillas

Spray olive oil

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Cut each tortilla into 8 chip sized wedges and arrange the wedges in a single layer on a cookie sheet.

3. Combine the cumin, chili powder and salt in a small bowl

4. Spray each tortilla wedge with olive oil until slightly moist and sprinkle salt mixture on the chips.

5. Bake for about 7 minutes. Flip each chip and bake for another 8 minutes or until the chips are crisp, but not too brown.

Serve with salsas, garnishes or guacamole.

Baked Chicken Chimichangas

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 (8 ounce) package shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning
1 pound shredded cooked chicken meat
8 soft taco size (or larger) flour tortillas
Olive oil spray

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, stir together the cream cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, and taco seasoning until well blended. Fold in the chicken. Evenly divide mixture among the 8 tortillas. Fold each tortilla into a rectangular packet around the filling. Place on a cookie sheet and spray with olive oil. Cook for 8 minutes, flip chimichangas and spray again with olive oil. Return to oven and cook another 8 minutes.

I usually 1/2 this recipe as they are rather filling. My husband can eat 2, but served with any sides 1 is sufficient. You can also cut them in half and serve as an appetizer. Serve with salsa, sour cream and/or guacamole.