Tacos... with a twist

The go to food for someone with celiac disease is Mexican food. Beside flour tortillas, and you have to watch the seasoning packets and sauces - so I usually stick with making stuff from scratch, it's pretty much all gluten free.  But eating the same thing over and over can get a little boring. I was craving Stuffed Peppers (something my mother made a lot while I was growing up - super yummy.)  But I knew had, surprise, surprise, the fixings for tacos at home. So, on my way home, I picked up a couple colored peppers, and decided to use them for the "taco shell."  The result? Delicious.

There's no secret to making tacos, but here's what I did.

Preparing the peppers
Preheat the oven to 400
Slice your peppers in half (we used red, orange and yellow)
Clean out the seed and that white stuff
Brush the inside and outside with olive or another oil
Set open face up on a cookie sheet (I used silpat beneath the peppers to prevent sticking)
Bake for 15 minutes face up and then turn over for 15 minutes more

Ingredients I like in tacos...
Either black beans or refried beans
Seasoned taco meat
Cheese (I put my cheese on the hot pepper instead of the beans first)
Cabbage, sliced (not a lettuce fan)
Tomatoes
Olives
Avocado, diced
Sour cream
Taco sauce or salsa

And that night, I ate the tacos with fresh sliced pineapple and steamed asparagus. Yum!

Jalapeno Popper Chicken Taquitos

Image from the original blog

Since being diagnosed with celiac disease a few years ago now, I've been trying to figure out how to cook again. I'm starting to get the hang of things, and decided to use our food blog again to post the recipes I find that are already gluten free or are easily adaptable (including where I originally found the recipe so that you can try the meal with gluten if you like...)

This recipe comes from: Creme de la Crumb (click on blog name to be taken to the original recipe) and it was a slow cooker recipe. I had planned to do the whole slow cooker thing, but forgot on the day I'd set to make it. So, my prep was all done just before eating.

Another tip if you will be making just before and not slow cooking.. I buy the big bags of chicken from Costco. But I don't just stick it in the freezer. I have a food sealer, so I seal off a couple two breast per bags, and then I boil about half the bag.  Then I shred half the chicken and dice the other half to freeze in 2 cup portions (the amount usually needed for a recipe.) So easy to defrost and use when needed.

Jalapeño Popper Chicken Taquitos (influenced by Creme de la Creme)

Ingredients:
3-4 chicken breasts, shredded (I found this to be a bit too much, I'll use less next time)
1 c cream cheese, room temperature
⅓ c jalapeños (canned, jarred, or fresh) finely chopped
1 t garlic powder
1 t salt
1 t cumin
16 tortillas (I used GF corn, the blogger prefers taco-sized flour)
1½ cups shredded cheese (or as needed - I didn't use that much)

My Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425
Combine cream cheese, jalapeños, garlic powder, salt and cumin. 
Stir in chicken until well mixed.
Warm the tortillas for about 20 seconds in the microwave.
Spray casserole dish with non-stick spray.
Sprinkle some cheese on the bottom of a tortilla, spread chicken on the tortilla, and roll it up. (I used toothpicks to keep the rolled up tortillas rolled.)
After they are all rolled (mine ended up making a lot more that the 16 mentioned in the recipe), and lined up in the casserole dish, spray the taquitos with cooking spray (this helps them crisp up). 
I baked for 12 minutes, then turned on the broiler for 3 minutes. Next time, since I won't use so much chicken, the taquitos shouldn't be crammed in filling the whole pan. I'd recommend turning them over so that both sides crisp under the broiler.

Oh, and I recommend their sauce. It is a Creamy Tomatillo Sauce. I don't know about it being a Cafe Rio knock off (Cafe Rio is not in the least bit gluten free, I'm a Costa Vida girl, as they are.) It was a good sauce. I forgot to buy a new bulb of garlic though, so it didn't have any garlic in it.  You could make half the recipe and have more than enough for the taquitos.

Enjoy

southwest macaroni & cheese.

my family devoured this tonight. my kids both loved it. even my picky husband had seconds {and maybe thirds}.

ingredients:
1 1/2 cups elbow macaroni
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 tsp salt
dash of pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup pepper jack or other peppered cheese
1 1/2 cups cooked corn
1/2 can diced green chiles {or more, if you like!}

directions:
cook & drain macaroni. in a medium saucepan, melt butter. blend in flour and then milk. cook and stir until sauce thickens. add salt, pepper, garlic powder & cheese. heat and stir until cheese is melted. add corn and green chiles. combine with macaroni. pour into casserole dish & sprinkle with more cheese. bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

serve with salsa & beans, or whatever else your heart desires.

[Cook Challenge: Fruits Of Your Labors] GARDEN SALSA

fruits of my labor . . . dish #2

Hate salsa?  Me neither!  I love it!! :)  And if you are a big fan, like myself, you'll love this garden salsa recipe from my cute sister-in-law, Bonnie.  It's perfect.  And a fantastic way to use your fresh produce from your garden to share with others.  (FYI: I used my own green peppers and tomatoes from my garden!)

ingredients
2 1/2 c. tomatoes, chopped
1/4 c. tomatillos, chopped
1/2 c. onion, chopped
1/4 c. green peppers, chopped
2-6 jalapenos, chopped (how spicy do you like it? you can de-seed if needed)
1 lrg clove of garlic, minced
2 T cilantro, chopped
2 T fresh parsley, chopped
1 T freshly squeezed lime juice (about 1 lime)

instructions
Combine everything in a large bowl.  I suggest doubling it.  You'll bring out the best flavor if you let everything marinate together in the fridge before serving.

sweet salsa shredded chicken enchiladas.

this is two of my favorite recipes rolled into one. dinner was GOOD tonight.

sweet salsa shredded chicken.

ingredients:
4-5 chicken breasts
1 1/2- 2 cups medium salsa {i use kroger brand}
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup peach juice {i used the juice from some canned peaches, but you could also use a can of peach flavored juice or something similar.}

directions:
combine salsa, juice & brown sugar. pour over chicken in slow-cooker. cook a few hours until chicken is done. {this is vague because i used frozen chicken breasts and i cooked it about 4 hours on high. so it depends on your chicken and your slow-cooker!} remove chicken, shred, and return to slow-cooker. heat 20-30 minutes. serve in any mexican dish! i've used it in salads, quesadillas, and enchiladas.

chicken enchiladas.

ingredients:
2 chicken breasts or 2 cans of chicken {i used the equivalent of my salsa chicken}
1 can black olives
1 can green chilies
green onions
sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
shredded cheddar cheese
5-6 tortillas

directions:
cook and shred chicken. reserve broth. to chicken, add olives, chilies and green onion. moisten with sour cream. fill tortillas with chicken mixture. thin chicken soup with reserved broth. pour half of the sauce in bottom of a glass 9x13 pan. place filled tortillas in pan. pour remaining sauce over enchiladas. top with cheese. bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

{freezer} breakfast burritos.

{yet another less than spectacular picture, but you get the idea.}

what i love about this is... it's easy. you can freeze it and have it for breakfast. or lunch or dinner. you can top it with your favorite mexican toppings. and it's gooood. i had one for dinner last night and for lunch today... yum!

ingredients:
12 eggs, scrambled
1 package sausage {i used a roll of jimmy dean pork sausage}
1/2 onion, diced
1 30-oz bag frozen hash browns
1-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 4-oz can diced green chiles {optional}
tortillas
salt & pepper

directions:
brown sausage with onions. set aside in a large bowl. in same pan, cook eggs. salt & pepper to taste. put into bowl with sausage. add hash browns, cheese, and green chiles. mix until all combined. soften tortillas in microwave. fill tortillas with desired amount of deliciousness, roll burrito style, and wrap in plastic wrap or eat immediately. heat frozen burritos 2 minutes in the microwave. top with all your favorites!

makes 14+ depending on how fat you make them.

white chicken chili.

basically this recipe rocks. a great rainy day recipe, and lucky you, it's a rainy day!

ingredients:
2 tbsp olive or canola oil
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 packet of chicken taco seasoning
1 medium onion, chopped {1/2 cup}
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 {14 oz} can chicken broth
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1 tbsp chile powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp ground red pepper {cayenne}
2 cans {15 oz each} white cannellini beans, drained
1 can {4.5 oz} chopped green chiles
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 container {6 oz} greek fat free plain yogurt, can be replaced with sour cream

directions:
in a 4-quart saucepan or dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. rub chicken with taco seasoning and cook with the onions and garlic 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is no longer pink. remove the chicken from the pan and shred with a fork. add the shredded chicken back to the saucepan and stir in remaining ingredients, except cilantro and yogurt. heat to boiling. reduce heat; cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. remove from heat; stir in cilantro and yogurt or sour cream. serve with additional yogurt/sour cream and chopped cilantro, if desired.

note:
i didn't stir in the cilantro because my husband doesn't like it. i just served it on top of mine.

Chicken Salsa Casserole by The Food Nanny

And we're off!  I've started my Food Nanny challenge and am so far very pleased.  Here is dinner numero uno:

Dinner #1: Chicken Salsa Casserole
Time: short
Price: $$$$
Servings: 6

My thoughts: A south of the border hit.

I really liked this dish.  I invited my mom over for dinner on the same night I tried this recipe out, crossing my fingers it would turn out.  And it did.  We paired this yummy Mexican dish with our famous trio: salsa, sour cream, and tortilla chips.  I'll be making this dish again.

What I loved: The texture from the corn tortillas and the Monterrey Jack cheese, instead of using plain ol' cheddar.

ingredients
18 corn tortillas, cut into wedges
1 can water
3 chicken breasts, cooked, skinned, cubed
2 cans cream of chicken
1 can green chilies
1 pound Jack Cheese, grated

directions
Combine tortillas, cream of chicken soup, can of water, chilies, and chicken in a 13x9 baking pan.  Cover top of mixture with one pound of grated Jack Cheese.  Bake at 350 for 30 min or until it is hot throughout and cheese is golden.

Pioneer Woman's Brother's Chicken Tacos

Have I talked about fried food before? Did you know before I went to college, the only fried food I'd eaten at home was our family's secret recipe for french toast (yup, deep fried deliciousness.) I'm sure when we went out to eat, the french fries were fried, but we didn't eat fast food really. Oh, but crisp meat burritos and crisp bean burritos from Taco Time, those were a yummy treat we rarely got to enjoy, but boy did we enjoy them when we had them. Maybe it is an Oregon thing? But fried food, just not a regular item on our menu. And to this day, I don't really eat fried food. Family french toast can only be consumed at the most, 3-4 times a year (for the sake of my waste line). Taco Time crisp burritos... maybe once a year. I made home-cut french fries last night, they were baked though. No oil involved.

I had my first real fried chicken my freshman year of college. Another item I'd heard about from others was the taco served by Jack in the Box. So while visiting family in CA, I had my first tacos from Jack in the Box. Have you had chance to try them? Deep fried tacos. They are actually pretty good. Seeing this post by Pioneer Woman made me think of the tacos from Jack in the Box, so tonight, in honor of the NCAA National Championship basketball game (since championship games call for unhealthy food) we made the tacos. Oh, and they were good. Here's the recipe with my additional recommendations.

My (well, Pioneer Woman's) Brother's Chicken Tacos

Ingredients:
Corn Tortillas
4 chicken breasts (I only used 2)
Salt, cumin, chili powder or taco seasoning to season chicken (I used taco seasoning)
2 T Canola Oil + more for frying the tacos
2 - 4 oz cans diced green chilies (I used one since only cooking 2 chicken breasts)
1 1/2 c grated cheese (I used pepper jack)
Sour Cream
Hot Sauce
2 c thinly sliced lettuce (I prefer cabbage for tacos and used 1 c)
4 Roma tomatoes, diced (I used one regular hot house tomato)
Green Onions
Avocado

Instructions:
She recommends preparing the chicken as such: Cut raw chicken into small pieces. Season the chicken liberally. Heat 2 T canola oil in skillet. Add chicken. Cook for a couple minutes. Add the chilies and continue cooking until the chicken is done. Set aside.
I boiled my chicken, then shredded it. I put the chicken, chilies and 2 T taco seasoning into a bowl and mixed. I put the mixture in the fridge overnight. I then microwaved it for two minutes before using.
Dice/cut the rest of your ingredients and have them ready for assembly.

The frying:
Have a plate with a bunch of paper towels on it next to your frying pan. I also warmed the tortillas before using. They were brand new, nice and fresh and soft, but I still had some tear, so warming them helped. Microwave for 20 seconds five at a time in a wet paper towel.
Put a couple spoons of the chicken mixture in the middle of the taco. fold the taco over, and using a pair of heat resistant tongs, carefully lay the taco into warm oil.


Now she says to set the burner at medium high and to cook each taco for 30-45 seconds on each side until the taco becomes a golden brown.


I had my gas burner on medium low (between 3 & 4) and I cooked them for 10 seconds per side and that was plenty for me - definitely golden brown when done. Tip: Don't drip the oil off into the pan. The juices from the chicken and chilies will drip into your oil - hot oil + water = no good!)

A blurry picture, but still - see all that smoke and steam?
When my cousin tried to take the photo,
the red eye reducing red light gave both of us the impression
that the taco was on fire.
It looked like there was a flame in the pan.
Scary!!!!
But this smoky pan now has juicy chicken and chilies
dancing in the hot oil.
Do not repeat this error in your home.
Open all the windows if you do.
=)

Allow the taco to drip onto the paper towels. Turn the taco sideways so the oil comes out of the inside of the taco.

Take your taco to the assembly line. Slightly open the taco and layer on the cheese first (so it melts), lettuce or cabbage, tomatoes, onions, avocado, sour cream -and whatever else you want to add.

Here is our assembly line

This is an eat as you make it item. Good for a standing meal or a social meal where you are on your feet a lot. (Not being a big fan of fried food, I am especially not a fan of cold fried food.) We each assembled our own taco, so that helps too. One person can fry and then the rest (those old enough) can pick up a hot taco and fill 'er up. Once you finish your taco, you can join the line for another fresh one.

Enjoy! (but only on rare occasion, for the sake of your waste line - wink, wink, nudge, nudge)

Pioneer Woman's Simple, Perfect Enchiladas

Who doesn't already have a gazillion recipes for enchiladas? I do, and I like all of them. So why would I try another one? Seriously, you can only have so many versions for the same item, right? Well, this is one worth trying. Pioneer Woman received this recipe from a family member from Mexico. So they may be more authentic than some of the other recipes you have.

This is another recipe that I looked at and thought I could show Rachel Ray a thing or two about quick food preparation. Um, nope. I had planned to make these to eat (by 6:30 at the latest) before we went to watch my cousin's Special Needs Mutual Roadshow. I got all the way to the assembly point and had to leave. I finished making them when we got home. When did we eat? At 10pm. Needless to say, we were starving. Needless to say, we ate the pan clean. And we were so anxious to eat, I didn't get a single photo. (thus the stock photos from the Internet...) But it isn't only because it was so late and because we were so hungry - these are really good enchiladas. We ate more than we should have, but they were too good to leave anything behind (plus I didn't make any veggies or anything for the side as planned because I was too tired, so all we ate was the enchiladas.) My additions and notes are in italics.

Simple, Perfect Enchiladas

Ingredients:
Sauce
1 T canola oil
2 T flour
1 can (28 oz) enchilada sauce (I used red enchilada sauce, I don't see why you couldn't use green if that is what you prefer.)
2 c (or one can) chicken stock
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
2 T Cilantro, chopped

The Meat
1 lb ground beef
1 onion
2 cans (4 oz) green chilies
1/2 t salt

The Rest
Corn Tortillas
Canola Oil, for frying
1/2 olives. diced
1 c green onions, chopped
3 c sharp cheddar cheese, grated (I used Pepper Jack Cheese and of course, used a lot more than 3 c)
Cilantro, chopped

Instructions:
Make the sauce: Whisk the oil and flour in a saucepan over medium heat for a minute (until starts to bubble.) Add the enchilada sauce, chicken stock, salt and pepper - do not add the cilantro yet. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce heat and allow to simmer on lowest temperature while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

The meat: Brown the beef. She recommends cooking the onion with the meat while browning. I again don't like my veggies to absorb the fat. So I cook the meat, drain the fat, and then add the onions. Add salt and set aside. At this point, also turn off the heat on the sauce.

The rest: Warm canola oil in a smaller skillet, deep enough to fry the tortillas in. You aren't actually going to fry the tortillas as in to a crisp. Once the oil is hot enough, using tongs, set a tortilla in the oil, the max time I had a tortilla in the oil was five (5) seconds. Lift the tortilla and allow it to drip off excess oil. Set on paper towels. The recipe recommends doing this to all your set aside tortillas before proceeding. Because I do not know how many enchiladas I'll end up making, I went through the assembly process one tortilla at a time. Dip the tortilla in the enchilada sauce, I used my hands and quickly covered both sides. Set the tortilla on a cookie sheet, I lined mine with wax paper because the first stuck so badly. Place a spoon full of meat mixture on one side of the tortilla. The recipe recommends adding the olives and green onions as well, I sprinkle these on the top once everything was in the pan. Not everyone likes olives in our household (crazy, I know.) Top with a good amount of cheese and roll the tortilla around the filling. I don't know about you, but I am notorious for not adding a lot of filling because I worry I won't have enough. I was pretty good this time though. I think I added 2 T filling to each enchilada.

After you have used up all your filling and have filled your dish, add the 2 T chopped cilantro to the sauce. Pour the rest of the sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Top with more cheese, I then sprinkled with the olives and green onions, and sprinkle with the remaining chopped cilantro.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

I served with avocado. Also recommend, of course, serve with rice and beans.

We went to bed quickly with our nice full bellies that night.


Enjoy!

Easy Mexican Casserole

My family loves this dish. It's basically everything Mexican tossed in a dish and baked to perfection. I can even see adding Spanish rice to this dish. MMmmm.

ingredients:
1lb ground beef
2 cups salsa
1 (16 oz) can chili beans, drained
3 cups crushed tortilla chips
2 cups sour cream
1 (2 oz) can sliced black olives, drained
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh tomato
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (or the Mexican Blend)

instructions:
1. preheat oven to 350
2. in a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground beef until no longer pink. stir in salsa, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. stir beans, and heat through.
3. spray 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. spread crushed chips in dish, and then spoon beef mixture over chips. spread sour cream over beef, and sprinkle olives, green onions, and tomato over the sour cream. top with cheese.
4. bake in preheated oven or 30min or until hot and bubbly.

Taco Soup

2 lbs ground beef
One medium onion
(brown and drain)

1 can corn (use juice from can)
1 can kidney beans (use juice from can)
1 can pinto beans (use juice from can)
1 can black beans (use juice from can)
46 oz tomato juice (Note: Don't get the concentrate kind. I once made the mistake of buying one)
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 pkg dry ranch dressing

Put all ingredients in Crock Pot. Cook on low for 6 hours.
Serve with cheese, Fritos or sour cream.

cilantro lime rice.

this is a copycat of cafe rio's rice. doesn't taste the same, but still good! i served mine on a cafe rio style salad, but it would be a great side for any mexican dish.

ingredients:
3 cups rice
3 cups chicken broth {you can use water + boullion if you want}
4 tsp garlic, minced
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 can green chiles
3/4 ts salt
1 Tb butter
1/2 onion, chopped
juice from 1/2 lime

directions:
bring broth to a boil and add all the ingredients. cook approximately 20 minutes, or until rice is tender.

note:
i ended up adding some water so it cook could longer. also, this makes a lot! so consider halving it!

Splendid Spanish Rice

This Spanish Rice recipe is so easy and quick, it's hard to believe it would be delicious, too.

I made a batch of this last night to pair with our taco ring we had for dinner, and it was a great addition to the meal.

Enjoy!

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped onion
• 2 cups cooked white rice
• 2 cups chicken broth

• 1 cup chunky salsa

Cook your rice before hand, we have a rice maker and I love cooking my rice with it

After rice is cooked set aside for the time being

In a large skillet, heat oil on medium heat. Stir in onions and cook until they are tender

Add your rice to the skillet and mix together with onions for about 20 minutes, or until your rice starts to brown slightly (stir often)

Pour in chicken broth and salsa, stir everything together and cover.

Simmer for about 20 minutes on low until liquid has been absorbed

Easy and Delicious Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken breast
1 can green enchilada sauce
1 can green chilis
1\2 cup salsa
1 package flour tortillas
1 cup grated cheese

How To:

You could do this two ways:

I love my crock pot and love making meals with it.

The crock pot way is to put the chicken, enchilada sauce, chillies and salsa in the crock pot on high for 4-6 hours. Once cooked, shred the chicken.

Or you could cook the chicken in a skillet with a teaspoon of olive oil. Once chicken is cooked, shred with a fork. Add the sauce, chillies and salsa into the frying pan with chicken. Let simmer for 3o minutes.

Scoop 1\4 cup of the chicken and sauce and place in the middle of a flour tortilla. You can sprinkle cheese into the mixture if desired. Fold over and place seam down into a baking dish.

After you have prepared all your enchiladas, take remaining chicken mixture and pour on top of the tortillas. Sprinkle cheese on top if desired.

Bake at 375 for about 25 minutes

This recipe made about 8 enchiladas. Serve with salsa or sour cream

♥ tortilla hearts.

i am serving these with my chicken tortilla soup for valentines day ♥

directions:
use cookie cutters to cut uncooked flour tortillas into heart shapes. bake on middle rack at 400 degrees for 5-6 minutes, until golden brown & puffed up. let them harden for a few minutes before serving. they stay puffed up and look so cute! you could also brush them with oil and lightly salt them before baking. {mine are going into a flavorful soup, so i didn't bother.}

have a lovely valentines day!

Easy Mexican Casserole

Sorry, no picture here. We gobbled this down before I could take one, but I really wanted to post it. So here it is. It's super yummy and easy!

ingredients
1 pound lean ground beef
2 cups salsa
1 (16 oz) can chili beans, drained
3 cups crushed tortilla chips
2 cups sour cream
1 (2 oz) can sliced black olives, drained
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh tomato
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. In a large skillet over med-high heat, cook beef until no longer pink. Stir in salsa, reduce heat, simmer 20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in beans, and heat through.

3. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with no-stick spray. Spread crushed tortilla chips in dish, and then spoon beef mixture over chips. Spread sour cream over beef, and sprinkle olives, green onions and tomato over sour cream. Top with cheddar cheese.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Taco Ring

This is a Pampered Chef's recipe, but I tweaked it a tiny bit. To see the original recipe you can go here.

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef
1\4 cup ketchup
1 cup salsa
1-2 cups cheese
1 tomato, diced
olives (optional)
2 tubes refrigerated crescent rolls
Parmesan Cheese

How To:

Cook your ground beef in a large skillet until no longer pink. (I added a little pepper to my beef.)
Add your ketchup and stir until coated (you may need a little more until it is entirely coated)
Add your salsa (again, add more or less according your preference) and grated cheese.
Let the mixture melt together on low heat for about ten minutes.
{make sure the cheese is almost all the way melted together, it is better if it is a little gooey}

Meanwhile, open crescent rolls and arrange triangles in a circle onto a cooking stone (or a round pizza pan) with the wide ends overlapping in the center and the points toward the outside.

Take your beef mixture and put a spoonful or so of the beef onto the widest end of the triangle.

Sprinkle tomatoes, extra cheese and olives over the mixture, and then take the points of the triangles and pull over and tuck under the wide end toward the center of the ring.

Pour a light coating of parmesan cheese over the ring right before baking.

375 for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.

This is yummy with extra salsa, guacamole and sour cream to dip it in.

The ketchup part might throw you off a bit, but I promise, it is so, so good!

Sweet and Spicy Turkey Chili

ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey
1 can stewed tomatoes mexican style
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can green chilis
1 can tomato sauce
2 cans kidney beans (slightly drained)
1 can black beans (slightly drained)
1 small yellow onion-diced
1 small red pepper- diced
2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon garlic
2 teaspoon chili powder
1\2 teaspoon oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Brown your ground turkey and put in your crock pot.

Saute onion and red pepper for a few minutes just to get the the flavors mixed together and the veggies slightly softened. Add to crock pot

Add the rest of your ingredients, mix well and turn crock pot on high for 4-6 hours

{with the seasonings you can add more or less depending on your taste preference, I also added a few shakes of chili flakes to mine!}

Cornbread Tip:

When making a box of Jiffy Corn Bread, try omitting the milk and instead using a half can of creamed corn. It makes the bread super moist and a little sweet!

Friday at Caprene's House: Tacos

OK, this meal wasn't in my own home either, so no camera - hit me over the head with a frying pan for forgetting it.

Tacos:

Ingredients:
Corn tortillas
Ground Turkey (I use it all the time, I hope it really is healthier than ground beef)
Shredded cabbage (I prefer cabbage over lettuce for Mexican food)
Diced tomatoes
Diced avocado
Shredded Tillamook medium cheddar cheese (it's the only brand I use...)
Salsa
Sour cream
Canola oil (for frying the tortillas)

Directions:
Do you really need them?

I will say, my friend and I both like to fry the corn tortillas just long enough so that they can cool off bent over something to create homemade crunchy taco shells. So that and my tip on using cabbage instead of lettuce are the only original ideas I have...