March Meals

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos - Angie

Herb Roasted Chicken - Cheryl

Rotini and Chicken Casserole - Debbie

Huevos Rancheros - Julie

Spicy Sausage Pasta - Kim

Mexican Pizza - Michele

Skillet Creamy Macaroni and Cheese - Michelle W

Turkey Muffins - Mindy

Philly Cheese Steak Sloppy Joes - Stacey

Pork Taco's with Cilantro Mayo - Tamara

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

1/3 C (3 oz.) cream cheese
1/4 C green salsa
1T fresh lime juice
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t granulated garlic, or garlic powder
3 T chopped cilantro
2 T sliced green onions
2 C shredded cooked chicken
1 C grated pepper jack cheese

14-16 small corn or 10-12 flour tortillas
kosher salt
cooking spray

Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray. Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it’s soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.

You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge for up to 2 days in an airtight container.

Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or are coming unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.

Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges. Then roll it up as tight as you can. Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top. Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.  Freezer Instructions: Prepare the taquitos through rolling them out and placing them on the baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the freezer and freeze until solid, then transfer to a large freezer bag. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 425 and place the taquitos on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

Dipped in this:

Creamy Lime-Cilantro Ranch Dressing
1 pack (1oz) Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
(ignore directions on the packet)
1C mayo
1/2 C milk
1 lime
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 C roughly chopped cilantro
1/4 C green salsa*
hot sauce

Place milk, mayo, and ranch mix in a blender. Juice the lime in there too, you should get about 2T juice. Toss in the garlic, cilantro and green salsa. Blend ‘er up. Sample it and add hot sauce to taste. Make it several hours ahead of time to allow it to thicken.
*A note about green salsa:
There are several brands of green salsa available in most supermarkets and they have various degrees of heat. One of the most commonly seen brands is Herdez. Herdez brand is a lot spicier than any of the others I’ve tried. Even their medium green salsa is way too spicy for my liking. There’s no way I could put the whole 1/4 C in my dressing like the recipe calls. I like to buy La Costena because their medium is actually really mild. That way I get all of the flavor of the tomatillos but I control the level of heat with the hot sauce. If you’re not used to buying green salsa, make sure to sample it first before you put it in the dressing so you know what you’re getting into!

Rotini and Chicken Casserole

1 (16 oz) pkg rotini pasta
2 Tbs butter
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breats, cut into bite-size pieces
1 (6.5 oz) canned mushrooms
1 onion, chopped (small about 1-2 cups)
1 (10 oz) pkg frozen green peas, thawed and drained
1/3 cup milk
1 (10.75 oz) can condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp chicken seasoning

Bring a large pot of slightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until al dente; drain. Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C).
Melt butter and seasoings in a large, deep skillet over med-high heat. Saute the chicken, onion, and mushrooms until chicken is no longer pink, and juices run clear. In a large bowl, combine cooked pasta, peas, milk, condensed soup and 1 cup of the cheese. Stir in the chicken mixture. Pour into a 3 qt baking dish or a 9x13 and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until sauce is bubbly.

Huevos Rancheros

12 eggs

1 can diced tomatoes

1 T. Brown sugar

1 tsp. each chili powder, paprika, and garlic salt

1 can pinto beans

1 can black beans

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Ranch dressing, optional

Salsa, optional

Avocados, cubed or mashed, optional

Tortillas

In a large skillet, scramble eggs.  Add tomatoes when eggs are dry; blend.  Add sugar and spices to skillet; blend.  Add beans, blend, and then simmer for 5-10 minutes.  Top with cheese and let melt before serving.  Spoon onto tortilla, top with ranch, salsa, sour cream and or avocados.  Fold into a burrito and enjoy!

Spicy Sausage Pasta

1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb smoked sausage
1.5 cups diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (10 oz) can Ro-Tel tomatoes and green chiles, Mild
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 oz penne pasta
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, each
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions

1. Add olive oil to an oven-safe skillet over medium high heat until just smoking. Add sausage and onions and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
2. Add broth, tomatoes, cream, pasta, salt and pepper and stir. Bring to a boil, cover skillet, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes.
3. Remove skillet from heat and stir in 1/2 cup cheese. Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with scallions. Broil until cheese is melted, spotty brown, and bubbly.

Makes 4 servings (I made 1 1/2 the recipe for the exchange)

Mexican Pizza

1/2 pound Trader Joe's Ground Beef or Ground Turkey
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 15-oz can Trader Joe's Traditional Style Fat Free Refried Beans
4 9-inch flour tortillas
1/2 cup Trader Joe's Chunky Salsa, or your favorite salsa
2 cups Trader Joe's Lite 3 Cheese Blend
2 green onions, chopped
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup Trader Joe's Extra Large Black Pitted Olives, sliced

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Place meat, onion and garlic in a skillet over medium heat. Cook until beef is evenly browned. Drain off grease. Season the meat with chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper.
Coat 2 pie plates with non-stick cooking spray. Place one tortilla in each pie plate and cover with a layer of refried beans. Spread half of the seasoned meat over each tortilla and then cover with a second tortilla. Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
Spread half of the salsa over the top tortillas. Top each pizza with half of the cheese, tomatoes, green onions, and olives. Return the pizzas to the oven, bake until the cheese is melted, about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Slice each pizza into 4 pieces and serve.

Skillet Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

3 ½ c water, plus extra if needed

1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk

12 oz (about 3 cups) elbow macaroni

½ tsp salt

1 tsp cornstarch

½ tsp dry mustard

¼ tsp hot sauce

6 oz cheddar cheese, shredded (1 ½ cups)

6 oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (1 ½ cups)

1 Tbs butter, cut into small chunks

Ground black pepper to taste.

Bring 3 ½ cups water, 1 cup of the evaporated milk, the macaroni, and ½ tsp salt to a simmer in a 12” nonstick skillet over high heat. Cook at a vigorous simmer, stirring often, until the macaroni is tender and the liquid has thickened, 9-12 minutes.

Whisk the remaining ½ cup evaporated milk, the cornstarch, mustard and hot sauce together in a small bowl, then stir into the skillet. Continue to simmer slightly thickened,  about 1 minutes

Off the heat, stir in the cheeses, one handful at a time, adding water as needed to adjust the consistency of the sauce (I don’t need any additional water when I made it). Stir in the butter and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Turkey Meatloaf Muffins

2 lbs ground turkey 

3 egg whites

1 C quick oats

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dry yellow mustard

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp salt

1 T garlic powder

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 celery stalks, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 375.  Spray a muffin pan with non-stick oil.  Mix all of your ingredients together in one large bowl.

Roll the mixture into 12 balls and place in muffin pan.  Muffins should be about the size of a racquetball.  Bake for 40 minutes.

If you make them into larger balls, you may only get 8-10.  You can also bake them in a regular 9x13 or any other pan.  Another variation

is to use the mixture and make a regular meatloaf.

I usually bake them for about 50 minutes, but I start checking them after 40 minutes of baking.  The baking time will vary because of the size

of the balls or loaf.

You can serve them with BBQ sauce, ketchup, mustard etc.  Whatever your family likes.  Any sides will work.

Philly Cheese Steak Sloppy Joes

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1lb ground beef
1 medium onion (chopped)
1 medium green bell pepper (seeded and chopped)
¼ cup steak sauce
1 cup beef broth
salt and ground black pepper (to taste)
6 hamburger buns
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup milk
1 cup provolone cheese (shredded) 

 

Step 1: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook while breaking the ground beef up into chunks with a spatula or spoon until browned. Add the green bell pepper and onion and cook for 3-4 minutes, until the onions start to become tender. Drain an excess liquid. Stir in steak sauce and beef broth, season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and cook until the mixture is thickened and bubbly.
Step 2: While the meat is cooking, split the hamburger buns and butter each of the cut sides. Heat a large skillet to medium heat. Place split hamburger buns cut side down into the skillet and cook until lightly browned on the bottom. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Step 3: melt butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in milk and cook until the mixture is thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese until it is melted and incorporated into the sauce.
Step 4: To assemble sloppy joes- pile the meat mixture onto the top of the bottom half of each bun, top with the provolone cheese sauce, and place the top half of the hamburger bun onto the sandwich.(I used provolone cheese instead of the sauce)

Pork Taco's with Cilantro Mayo

PORK RECIPE:
Pork Roast {I like the roasts from Costco that come in the 4 pack} But, I only cook one roast {unless we are having company for dinner, and then we make two roasts}.
Garlic Salt
Cumin
Basil Flakes
Oregano Flakes
Onion Powder
2 Cups Water
Thaw the pork roast and place in a crock pot. Pour in about 2 cups of water. Sprinkle roast and water with garlic salt, cumin, basil and oregano flakes and onion powder. I actually don't measure these, I just sprinkle them generously on the roast and water. Cook the pork until it starts to fall apart.
I cook the pork all 5-6 hours on high {depending on your crock-pot, you may need to adjust times}.

JALAPENO CILANTRO MAYO RECIPE:
2 cups mayo {a few friends have said that 1 1/2 cups is plenty, but I have always used 2 cups)
1/2 bunch of cilantro {leaves only}. Just wash your cilantro, and hold the bunch in your hand and pull off the top leafy portion. You do not need to pick off each leaf individually. 
1 clove garlic
1 jalapeno {without seeds unless you like it hot}
2 Tbsp White Vinegar
2 Tbsp Water
1/4 t. pepper
1/2 t. salt
Place all ingredients in your blender and blend until it is smooth. Make at least 2 hours ahead of time and place in the refrigerator to thicken.

After the pork is done, remove the meat from the crock pot. Next, strain out the chunks of fat and sludge. I usually put a bowl in the sink {to catch the broth}and use a pasta strainer to catch the sludge. Discard the sludge and save the left over pork broth.

Next, put the meat back in the crock pot and shred the pork. I usually add some of the broth back in to add moisture and then pour in 1 jar of green Herdes Verde Sauce.  If your pork still seems dry, add more broth until it's as moist as you prefer.

OTHER INGREDIENTS NEEDED:

White Corn Tortillas
Shredded Green Cabbage
3-4 Limes cut restaurant style.

Warm your white corn tortillas on a griddle prior to eating. We warm up a bunch and wrap them in foil to keep them warm.

Serve with fresh squeezed lime juice, shredded cabbage, and cilantro mayo. ENJOY!