Mexican Chicken Casserole

I got this recipe from All You magazine, the February 18, 2011 issue. I made 1 1/2 batches of the recipe to make enough for my family of 6.

12 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces (I used a 20 oz. package)
1 tsp. taco seasoning
1 red or green bell pepper, seeded and chopped (I used red and green from the freezer)
1 1/2 cups prepared salsa
2 oz. cream cheese
1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed (I left these out this time as I didn't have any on hand)
1 tomato, chopped (I also left this out)
2 6-inch whole-wheat tortillas
1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese (I used cheddar)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Warm a large nonstick skillet over medium heat; mist with cooking spray. Add chicken and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add bell peppers and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in salsa; cook for 2 minutes. Add cream cheese; cook, stirring constantly, until melted and blended, about 2 minutes. Stir in beans and tomato.

2. Spoon 1/3 of chicken mixture into an 8-inch square (I used 11 x 7 pan) baking dish. Cover with 1 tortilla, then spoon in 1/2 of the remaining chicken mixture and 1/2 of cheese. Top with remaining tortilla and chicken mixture. (I layered chicken/tortilla/cheese two times.)

3. Cover and bake until heated through, about 20 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, until cheese has melted, about 5 minutes longer. Serve hot. (I put cheese on right away and just took the foil off for the last 5 minutes.)

Grilled Chicken Tostadas

From Family Fun magazine, May 2006. This was a big hit with the entire family. The chicken was juicy and very flavorful.

Marinade:
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about 3-4 limes) (I used the ReaLime in the plastic bottle shaped like a lime)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 vegetable oil (plus more for brushing the tortillas)
1 T. honey2 tsp. minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
Tostadas:
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, about 4 oz. each (I used thighs and breasts)
8 small corn tortillas, 5-6 in. in diameter
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack (I used cheddar)
1 1/2 cups shredded lettuce
Optional toppings:
salsa, guacamole, sour cream, cilantro, green onions (we used salsa and sour cream)

1. Place the chicken in a gallon ziplock bag and add all the marinade ingredients. Press the air out of the bag and seal it. Turn the bag to thoroughly coat the chicken, place it in a bowl, and refrigerate it for at least 4 hours (preferably overnight), turning the bag occasionally. Remove the meat from the refrigerator 20 minutes before you want to start grilling.
2. Prepare a charcoal fire of set a gas grill to medium-high, close the lid, and heat until hot--about 10 to 15 minutes.3. Remove the thighs from the bag and discard the marinade. Grill the chicken until it's no longer pink inside, about 4 to 5 minutes per side on a gas grill. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for about 5 minutes before cutting it into 1/2-inch strips.
4. Lightly brush both sides of the tortillas with vegetable oil. Grill them on each side until they turn slightly brown, about 1 minute on a gas grill. Before removing the tortillas from the grill, sprinkle each one with 1 tablespoon of cheese. (I used my electric skillet for this step.)

5. To serve, layer the tortillas with shredded lettuce, the chicken strips, the remaining cheese, and any additional toppings.

Easy Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas

This recipe is from Campbell's.

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup Pace® Picante Sauce (I just used whatever salsa I had on hand)

2 teaspoons chili powder

2 cups chopped cooked chicken

1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (about 2 ounces)

6 flour tortillas (6-inch), warmed

1 small tomato, chopped (about 1/2 cup)

1 green onion, sliced (about 2 tablespoons) (I omitted the green onions)

• Heat the oven to 350°F. Stir the soup, sour cream, picante sauce and chili powder in a medium bowl.
• Stir 1 cup soup mixture, chicken and cheese in a large bowl.
• Divide the chicken mixture among the tortillas. Roll up the tortillas and place seam-side up in a 2-quart shallow baking dish. Pour the remaining soup mixture over the filled tortillas. Cover the baking dish. (I also sprinkled some cheese on top.)
  
• Bake for 40 minutes or until the enchiladas are hot and bubbling. Top with the tomato and onion.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I adapted this recipe from allrecipes.com

1 onion, chopped (I used about 1/2 an onion)
3 cloves garlic, minced (I didn't have any fresh garlic on hand, so I used some garlic powder)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes (I used diced tomatoes)
1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed chicken broth
1 1/4 cups water
1 cup whole corn kernels, cooked
1 cup white hominy (I didn't have any hominy, I just added an extra 1/2 cup or so of corn)
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (omitted)
2 boneless chicken breast halves, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces (I used leftover chicken from the previous day)
crushed tortilla chips
sliced avocado (omitted)
shredded Monterey Jack cheese (I used cheddar)
chopped green onions (omitted)

1. In a medium stock pot, heat oil over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic in oil until soft. Stir in chili powder, oregano, tomatoes, broth, and water. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
2. Stir in corn, hominy, chiles, beans, cilantro, and chicken. Simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Ladle soup into individual serving bowls, and top with crushed tortilla chips, avocado slices, cheese, and chopped green onion.

Taco Seasoning

I didn't have any taco seasoning packets in the cupboard the other day, so I decided to make up my own seasoning. I used this recipe, a hodgepodge of different recipes I found here and there:
1 T. chili powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (I didn't have these, and used just a bit of cayenne pepper instead)
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 1/2 tsp. cumin (I was out of cumin, so I omitted this time)
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 tsp. flour or cornstarch (I used flour this time)
For tacos, use 2 T. to 1/4 cup water with the mixture.

Chicken Taquitos

I got this recipe from the Blessings in Abundance blog.

3-4 boneless chicken breasts
1 pkg. chicken taco seasoning, 1 small can of enchilada sauce, or 1/2 cup salsa (I used salsa, plus a small can of green chiles)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Chopped onions (optional) I did not use
Green peppers (optional) I did not use
10 Small flour tortillas
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons water

*Cook chicken breasts in a skillet with about 2 tablespoons olive oil and when they are almost done cut them up in the skillet with a spatula or remove them to shred them - your choice. (I used chicken that was already cooked.)

*When your chicken is almost done you can also add onions or peppers and cook them until they are as done as you like.

*Add either the seasoning with 3 tablespoons water, the enchilada sauce, or salsa and then bring to a boil.

*Place a small strip of the chicken mixture in the center of a tortilla and then add the shredded cheese on top (add as much as you'd like:).

*Roll them as tight as you can and lay them on a cookie sheet side by side. (I probably could have rolled them tighter.)

*Once they are all lined up lightly brush some vegetable oil on the tops of the rolled up tortillas. This will make them crispy!

*Bake them for about 10-15 minutes on 350 degrees. You can also broil them for about 2-3 minutes if they are not crisp enough after baking. You can dip them in sour cream or salsa and enjoy!

Mexican Hotdish

I'm not sure where I originally got this recipe, but it's been in my file for awhile now.

1 pound hamburger
1 medium onion
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 lb. cheddar cheese (1 lb. seems like a lot; I used an 8 oz. package)
Flour tortillas

Brown hamburger and onion. Add stewed tomatoes and taco seasoning and simmer for 10 minutes. Layer meat, tortillas and cheese 2-3 times in 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1/2 hour, uncovered.

Mexican Pasta Skillet

1 pound hamburger
1 jar (16 oz.) salsa
1 cup tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups water
2 cups uncooked macaroni
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Brown hamburger in skillet; drain. Stir in salsa, tomato sauce and water. Heat to boiling. Stir in macaroni and corn. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until macaroni is tender. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover; let stand 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is melted.
To "healthify" (eat better america), use 93% lean hamburger, multigrain macaroni, and reduced-fat cheese.