Shredded Beef Taquitos

I came up with this recipe by combining my recipes for Beef Taquitos and Shredded Beef Chimichangas. I made this using leftover roast beef. It turned out great! Definitely a big hit with my kids.

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Shredded Beef Taquitos


2 cups cooked shredded roast beef
1/2 cup diced onion
2/3 cup salsa
1 can diced green chilies, drained
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
flour tortillas
cheese

Preheat oven to 400. Heat a small amount of oil in large skillet. Add onions and saute until golden. Add beef, salsa, green chilies, cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, and salt. Simmer for about 10 minutes.  Heat tortillas in microwave about 30 seconds until warm and pliable. Sprinkle each tortilla evenly with cheese to about an inch from the edge. Spread beef mixture over cheese. Roll tortillas and place seam side down on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until slightly golden and crispy. Serve with salsa and guacamole.

Makes about 10 taquitos

Beef Stew

I had some leftover roast beef and I really wanted to make beef stew. There's nothing better than a hearty bowl of stew on a cold fall night! I looked online for a recipe but I couldn't find exactly what I wanted. So I came up with this. It turned out great! I used leftover roast but you could use stew meat or a roast cut into cubes. You would just need to simmer the meat longer. I haven't tried it that way but I'm sure it would be really good.

Printable Recipe

Beef Stew
1 1/2 cups cooked shredded roast beef (you can also use stew meat or any type of roast beef cut into cubes)
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp butter
6-7 cups hot water (depending on how thick you want it)
4 cups chopped potatoes
2 cups sliced carrots
2 beef bouillon cubes, crushed or 2 tsp bouillon granules
1 bay leaf
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme

Melt butter in large pot. Add onion, beef, flour, salt, and pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes. (If using raw meat, cook until browned) Add water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. (If using raw meat simmer for 1 hour) Add potatoes, carrots, and spices. Cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Serves 4-6

Chicken and Black Bean Burritos

We came home from vacation a few days ago and we had nothing to eat in our fridge. So I had to use what I had in my food storage. I actually came up with this on my own. I'm usually scared to do that because I'm so structured and not creative at all. I'm always afraid that if I put random ingredients together it's going to be gross. This was actually really good. I was very proud of myself for creating this. I think I'm starting to get a little more daring.

Printable Recipe

Chicken and Black Bean Burritos


1 lb chicken breasts, cut into cubes
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 can diced green chilies, drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
shredded cheese
tortillas

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add chicken and brown for a few minutes. Add bell pepper and spices. Cook until chicken is cooked through. Add green chilies and black beans. Simmer for about 5-10 minutes. Serve in tortillas with cheese. Can also serve with salsa, sour cream, guacamole, lettuce, and tomatoes.

Serves 4-6

Chicken with Pan Sauce

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Chicken with Pan Sauce
adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp butter
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 Tbsp whipping cream

Pound chicken to about 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a large skillet melt 1 Tbsp butter over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink, about 4-5 minutes on each side. Remove from skillet; keep warm. Add broth and onion to hot skillet. Cook and stir, scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil. Boil gently for about 5-10 minutes or until liquid is reduced to 1/4 cup. Reduce heat to medium low. Stir in cream. Add remaining 1 Tbsp butter. Sauce should be slightly thickened. Season with additional salt and pepper if necessary. To serve, spoon sauce over chicken.

Layered Chicken and Black Bean Enchilada Casserole

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Layered Chicken and Black Bean Enchilada Casserole
adapted from The Sisters Cafe

2 cups diced chicken
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (4.5 oz) diced green chilies, drained
1 can (10 oz) enchilada sauce
10 (6 inch) corn tortillas
2 cups shredded mexican blend cheese
8 oz sour cream

Preheat oven to 375. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add chicken, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper. Saute until chicken is cooked through. Remove from heat. Stir in cilantro, black beans, and green chilies.  Spread half of the enchilada sauce in a 9x13 baking dish. Top with 5 tortillas, overlapping if necessary. Top with half of chicken mixture, half of the cheese, and half of the sour cream. Pour remaining sauce over sour cream. Add remaining 5 tortillas and remaining chicken. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove cover; sprinkle with remaining cheese and dot with sour cream. Cook for an additional 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Serves 6

Caramel Snickers Brownies

I know this picture's not the best. The lighting wasn't great. We were at my mom's house and I was getting the kids their brownies and trying to find a place to take the picture. Then my ice cream started to melt so I had to hurry and take it. Just take my word, they're really good. These brownies are so rich and decadent. I'm not a huge dark chocolate fan so they were almost too rich for me. I said almost... they were still delicious!  My husband loves rich chocolate so he really loved these brownies. I recommend serving it with vanilla ice cream to balance out the richness.

Printable Recipe

Caramel Snickers Brownies
adapted from Momma Hen's Kitchen

1 cup melted butter
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup chocolate chips
caramel topping*
Snickers bar

*Caramel topping:
1 bag caramels or caramel bits
1/2 cup evaporated milk

Combine caramels and evaporated milk. Melt and stir until smooth. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350. Combine butter and cocoa until cocoa is dissolved. Add sugar and mix well. Add eggs one at a time until combined. Stir in vanilla, flour, and salt until blended. Do not overmix. Fold in chocolate chips. Spread in a greased 9x13 pan. Swirl with 1/2 cup caramel topping. Bake for 25-30 minutes. When cooled drizzle with remaining caramel topping and sprinkle with chopped Snickers.

Homemade BBQ Sauce

My husband is the king of sauces. He can whip up the most amazing sauces with any ingredients. I'm a little more cautious when it comes to cooking. I have to follow a recipe. I'm afraid if I start throwing different things together it's not going to taste good and my food will be ruined. I made BBQ Chicken Salad this weekend and I needed some sauce for the chicken. Normally I just use bottled sauce but I was out. So I asked my husband to whip up some bbq sauce for me. It was very good. I'm going to start using his recipe from now on.

Printable Recipe

Homemade BBQ Sauce


1 cup ketchup
1/2 tsp basil
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp onion powder
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic (1 clove, minced)
1 Tbsp brown sugar
dash of salt
dash of pepper

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Grill chicken and baste with sauce.

*Makes enough sauce for about 8 chicken breasts

Rustic Chicken and Herbed Cornmeal Dumplings

This was so delicious! The only problem I had with it was the dumplings were too close together in the pot and they kind of stuck together. Next time I'm going to try to make them more round and not put them so close together. But it didn't matter. It was so good! It was a big hit with my family, especially my six year old. He kept eating and eating and eating. He ate more than me! He's as skinny as a rail too. I have no idea where he puts it. Even my two year old little girl had seconds. This recipe is definitely a winner! 

Printable Recipe

Rustic Chicken and Herbed Cornmeal Dumplings

adapted from The Open Pantry

2 lbs boneless chicken breasts or thighs

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1 Tbsp butter

1/2 cup onion, diced

3 carrots, sliced

2 celery stocks, chopped

2 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 tsp dried thyme

2 Tbsp cornstarch

2 Tbsp flour

2 cups milk

Dumplings:

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup cornmeal

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into bits

2/3 cup milk

1/2 tsp dried parsley

1 tsp dried chives

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a 6 qt. pot. Add chicken; brown on both sides until cooked through. Remove from pot. 

Melt butter; add onion, carrot, and celery. Cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Stir in broth and thyme; bring to a boil. Combine cornstarch and flour. Whisk in milk and then whisk milk mixture into broth. Boil and continues to whisk until thickened, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Cut chicken into bite size pieces and return to pot. 

Mix dumplings while chicken is cooking. To make dumplings, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Add butter using a fork, pastry blender, or fingers to cut it into cornmeal mixture. Add milk and herbs and stir with a fork until dough comes together. Drop tablespoonful of dough on the surface of the pot. Cover; cook for 15 minutes without lifting the lid.

Serves 4-6