Tacos & Rice, Bean & Cheese "Bake"

Tacos are a family favorite around here! Kent loves having "Taco Tuesdays" but truth be told, we usually have tacos more than just on Tuesday. We love to make a big batch of taco meat and eat leftovers the next day.

As summer has started, I am finding I love not having a schedule, and at times, that means being so busy doing fun stuff that there's not time to cook. So I pulled out this awesome cookbook my mom gave me - "Don't Panic - Dinner's in the Freezer" and made a big batch of the taco meat recipe there, and portioned it out and froze the rest. Now Kent can have "Taco Anyday" :)

Here's what the book looks like:

Available on Amazon here.

Here's the recipe...

(please note my version has been changed from the book version just slightly to suit our family's taste.)

Rio Rancho Taco Meat

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 lbs. ground beef {I used extra lean}
• 1 cup mild or medium salsa
• 2 Tbs. taco seasoning {Mrs. Dash Salt-Free taco seasoning packet}
• 1 1/2 tsp. brown sugar {I just put a dash}
• 1 (4 oz.) can diced green chiles
• 1 tsp. garlic powder {Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb}

Cooking Day Instructions:

1. Brown the onion and ground beef in a skillet. Drain any excess grease. Add salsa, taco seasoning, brown sugar, green chiles, and garlic seasoning. Stir to mix well and simmer on low for about 30-45 minutes until mixture has thickened. 
2. Let cool. Freeze in meal-size portions in freezer bags.

Serving Day Instructions:

1. Remove meat mixture from the freezer and thaw or defrost in the microwave. Heat through and serve in taco shells or warm tortillas. Top with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream or any of your favorite toppings.

On the side, I decided to try a new recipe but tweak it a bit. I got the inspiration from the youtuber Shelly from "Shelly's Home Life" and her recipe for this Rice, Bean & Cheese Bake:

Here's how I made it:

Rice, Bean & Cheese Crockpot "Bake"

Ingredients

• One can fat-free refried beans (I used HEB Organic)
• One package Uncle Ben's instant brown rice
• 1 cup reduced fat Colby jack cheese

Directions

1. In a CROCK POT (totally changing things up here!) spread the beans. Top with the rice. Lastly, top with the cheese.

2. Cook on HIGH for 1-2 hours, when cheese is melted.

This came out great in the crockpot, and I just let it cook while I made and froze the extra taco meat so it worked perfectly. I also froze the leftover to serve the next time we have tacos.

Next time I will try mixing a little salsa in the brown rice, but we loved this recipe.

Hope you guys try and love these recipes too!

Three Recipes in One!

Hi ya'll! I have three yummy recipes to share today, which all go perfectly together.

First up... Italian Ranch Shredded Chicken.

On the weekends, I love to utilize my crockpot. I typically make a big batch of shredded chicken (my momma's recipe :)) and then we use it for tacos, salads, sandwiches, etc. throughout the week. Here's what I tried tonight:

Italian Ranch Shredded Chicken

(Adapted from this recipe from food.com)

• 2 lbs chicken breasts
• 1 packet zesty Italian dressing mix (mixed with 1/2 cup of water)
• 1 packet ranch dressing mix
• Perfect Pinch Salt-Free Garlic & Herb Seasoning, a dash
• Perfect Pinch Salt-Free Mexican Seasoning, a dash
• 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth

1. Place all ingredients in a crock pot.
2. Cook on Low 8 hours.
3. Shred with fork and serve in enchiladas, salads, burritos or tacos.

That was delicious. Last night, we had it in wraps and it was yummy.

Now, tonight... we made Deceptively Delicious Chicken quesadillas. Above is a snapshot of the cookbook I found this recipe in. This cookbook is great, it teaches you how to "hide" veggies in your dishes.  (Notice the pink tabs? Those are ALL the recipes we have tried and LOVED from this cookbook!) Here's the recipe:

Deceptively Delicious Quesadillas

(Adapted from Jessica Seinfeld's cookbook)

* Nonstick spray

* about 1 cup cooked chicken (I used the above recipe)
* 1/2 cup butternut squash puree (I use one container of Gerber baby food)
* 1/2 cup shredded fat free cheddar cheese
* 4 tortillas

1. In a bowl, stir together the butternut squash puree and the cheese. Mix in the chicken.

2. Place the chicken mixture onto tortillas, fold and cook either on a skillet or grill. (I used a George Foreman type grill)

3. Slice and serve!

We enjoyed ours with low sodium tortilla chips and a yummy bean dip recipe, to follow! (We were so busy enjoying, I almost forgot to snap a pic until we were almost done eating. Oops!) My little guy LOVED his and asked for seconds!

I served this with another recipe from the Deceptively Delicious cookbook, Salsa Dip. This recipe was good, but next time I would cut it in half as it made a TON and my kiddo tried it but wasn't in love with it. (I however, loved it!)

Deceptively Delicious Salsa Dip

(Adapted from Jessica Seinfeld's cookbook)

* 1 cup canned fat free refried beans

* 1 cup salsa (I like Pace Restaurant Style)

* 4 ounces low-fat cream cheese, softened

* 1/2 cup carrot puree (I used Gerber baby food)

1. Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl. Heat in microwave for 1 minute and serve.

So there you have it, three recipes in one post! :) Hope you all enjoy!