Cilantro sauce

I love the cilantro ranch recipe on here but it makes a ton and calls for a ton ingredients. I have been searching for an alternative to use for my small little family. This is it! Easy and not that many ingredients. And you can scale it up or down for your needs. 

Adapted from this recipe: http://lovelylittlekitchen.com/baked-honey-lime-chicken-taquitos/

P.s. The taquitos are amazing. So are Mel's version in enchilada style!! 

1 cup sour cream

1/3 cup La Victoria Green Taco sauce 

1-2 tsp Fresh lime juice

1/4 c cilantro 

Garlic powder 

Onion pwd

Cumin 

S&p 

Blend all ingredients. 

Tex-mex casserole

This recipe is from melskitchencafe.com

My changes are: 

-Used only 1 tsp chili powder (it's not my favorite flavor and I felt like 2T was tons. It was perfect. 

-used flour tortillas and just left them whole. 

-halfed the entire recipe and only used 4 tortillas. Fit perfectly in an 8x8. 

-used the juice of an entire lime (we love lime)

-left out the oil and butter a non stick skillet worked great and after draining the ground beef there was a little bit of grease residue to be nonstick. 

Tex mex casserole 

• 14 corn tortillas cut into thirds
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef or turkey
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 medium red or green bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
• 1 large poblano chile, diced
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons chile powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
• 8 ounces Monterey jack cheese, shredded
• Chopped cilantro for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a 9X13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside.
2. Arrange the cut tortillas in a single layer on two large, rimmed baking sheets. Bake the tortillas until slightly crisp, about 15 minutes.
3. In a large 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef or turkey with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper breaking the meat up into bite-sized pieces. Cook until the meat is no longer pink, 5-7 minutes. Scrape the meat onto a plate and wipe the skillet clean (you may need to drain off excess grease from the meat depending on the fat content).
4. In the same skillet over medium heat, add the butter and olive oil and stir in the onion, bell pepper, poblano, corn and garlic. Cook until the veggies are softened, 3-4 minutes. Stir the flour, chile powder, cumin and coriander into the vegetable mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth, whisking constantly. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until thick, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in the beans, lime juice and season with salt and pepper.
5. Line the bottom of the greased baking pan with 1/3 of the baked tortillas. Layer with 1/3 of the meat and then 1/3 of the veggie/sauce mixture and then sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheeses. Repeat that process again twice more ending with the cheeses.
6. Bake the casserole until hot and bubbly, about 30-35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes or so before serving. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Mexican Stuffed Shells

Certainly will make them again. We served them with chips, salsa and the easy black bean dip also on this site. With a little fruit salad or green salad. You're good to go. Yummy!!

• Next time, I'll make the cumin 1 T and add cilantro and fresh lime juice. Leave out the chicken and cut the recipe in half. Although making the entire batch will give you a freezer meal for another day. 
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Recipe from busy at home blog. 

• 4 cups chicken breast, cooked and chopped
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 6 green onions, diced
• 1/2 each of red, green, yellow, & orange bell peppers (or 2 whole bell peppers of your choice), diced
• 3 (8 oz.) blocks cream cheese, softened (not melted)
• 2 cans diced tomatoes with chiles (don't drain) (Rotel or store brand, either works)
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 cup of picante sauce
• 38 large pasta shells, cooked al dente

1. Cook pasta shells in well salted, boiling water until al dente (still have a little bite to them) If you cook them too long, they will be difficult to stuff, plus they will have additional cooking time, once they are stuffed. Drain the pasta and set aside while you make the filling.
2. Cook, drain and dice enough chicken breast to make 4 cups. I always have homemade chicken stock and pre-cooked diced chicken bagged in my freezer. You could use canned chicken broth if you prefer.
3. To make the filling, mix diced chicken, drained black beans, green onions, diced peppers, and cumin in a large mixing bowl. Thoroughly incorporate all the ingredients.
4. In a separate bowl, mix the cream cheese, chicken stock and undrained tomatoes with chiles. When thoroughly combined, pour it over the chicken mixture and mix well. (If you have trouble incorporating the cream cheese and tomatoes, you can heat it slightly in the microwave.)
5. Spread 3/4 c. picante sauce in the bottom of a large baking pan. (I used 13x18x2, but I’m guessing that two 9×13′s would also work.) Reserve the final 1/4 cup, for later.
6. Using a spoon, or your fingers, fill each of your cooked and cooled pasta shells, setting them into the picante covered pan. Continue until all shells are filled and arranged in the pan.
7. When the pan is full, drizzle the shells with the remaining 1/4 cup of picante and then sprinkle with the shredded cheddar cheese.
8. Cover the baking pan tightly with foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Pork carnitas

Recipe is from Cooks Illustrated. 

It might look like a lot of work but it couldn't be easier. It is so delicious!! So moist and tender. Heaven! 

4 pound boneless pork butt, fat trimmed and cut into 2 inch cubes

1 1/2 tsp salt

3/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp ground cumin

1 onion, peeled and halved

2 bay leaves

1 tsp dried oregano

2 Tb fresh lime juice

2 C water

1 medium orange, juiced and keep the spent halves

1.  Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat to 300 degrees.  Combine all the ingredients in a large Dutch oven, including the spent orange halves and juice.  Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat, uncovered.  Once it simmers, cover pot and transfer it to the oven.  Cook until the meat falls apart when prodded with a fork, about 2 hours.

2.  Remove the pot from the oven and turn on the broiler.  Use a slotted spoon to remove the meat from the pan and place it on a large foil-lined jelly roll pan.  Remove and discard everything from the pot except for the cooking liquid.  Place pot over high heat on the stove and boil until thick and syrupy, about 20 minutes.  You should have about 1 C of liquid remaining when it is finished.

3.  While the liquid is reducing, use two forks to pull each cube of pork into three equal sized pieces.  Once the liquid has become a syrup, gently fold in the pieces of pork into the pot.  Try not to break up the pork any further.  Taste and add additional salt and pepper. 

4.  Spread the pork back onto the foil lined pan and evenly spread the meat around so there is a single layer of meat.  Place the jelly roll pan on the lower middle rack of the oven and broil until the top of the meat is well browned and edges are slightly crisp, about 5 to 8 minutes.  Using a wide metal spatula, flip the pieces of meat and broil the other side until well browned and edges are slightly crisp, 5 to 8 minutes.  Serve immediately in a tortilla with all your favorite toppings.

Ranch chicken enchiladas

I was hesitant to make these but gave them a try. They were super yum! Here's the link: http://www.therecipecritic.com/2012/12/ranch-chicken-enchiladas.html?m=1

I changed the recipe not on purpose tho, I didn't realize she does it in the crockpot. I didn't have time for that. I'm sure the original is delicious. Cooking it in a crock pot is a good idea. Mine were super seasoned. Hubby LOVED it. I think I would enjoy it a touch more mild.

3 chicken breasts cooked and shredded
1/2 pkt taco seasoning
1/2 pkt ranch seasoning
3/4 c ranch, divided
3/4 c salsa, divided
Cheese shredded

Bake at 350*
Mix shredded chicken, seasonings, 1/4 c ranch 1/4 c salsa together and let hang out. I left mine for 30 min but its not necessary.
Wrap chicken up with some cheese. Put in a greased 9x13. Mix 1/2 c salsa and 1/2 c ranch pour on top. Add more shredded cheese and bake for 30 min.
Delicious!!

Mexican Lasagna

1 lb chicken, cooked, shredded 1 (16oz) sour cream 1 can black beans, rinsed, drained 1 1/2 c green salsa 1 1/2 c frozen corn 1 t garlic pwd 1 t cumin 1 t chili pwd 1 t salt chopped cilantro squeeze fresh lime juice flour tortillas 1 (8oz) mexican cheese, shredded Preheat to 350* Mix all ingredients together except cheese and tortillas. Cut flour tortillas in half and in a 9x13 spread 1/3 of mixture in pan. Place a layer of tortillas on top. Sprinkle with some cheese. continue layering using all ingredients and ending with cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes. Until cheese is bubbly. Serve with Salsa, Sour Cream, additional cilantro etc.

Pillsbury Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients

2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 (10 ounce) can red enchilada sauce
2 (8 ounce) cans Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls or Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations® refrigerated seamless dough sheet
1 1/4 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend

Directions

In 2-quart saucepan, mix chicken and 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
Separate or cut dough into 8 long rectangles (if using crescent rolls, press perforations to seal). Spoon chicken mixture and 1 tablespoon of the cheese onto 1 long side of each rectangle. Roll up; pinch edges to seal. Place seam side down in 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish. Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas, and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake at 375 degrees F 15 to 20 minutes.

sour cream enchiladas

I made these last night to have for dinner. I'll give you the recipe that I actually did, but if you want the original recipe that I adapted it from, go to Allrecipes.com and search this title.
These little guys were pretty hot. I tried to tame it down a little by leaving out the green-chili salsa it calls for, but I think next time I make it I'm going to change it up even more. Here's what I did.

1 bunch of cilantro (i left out the stems.)
1 cup of sour cream
2 (7 oz) cans of jalapeno salsa
1/2 can of diced green chilies

Puree this in a blender or food processor and set aside.

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves cooked and shredded
Flour Tortillas
1/2 can of cream of chicken soup
2nd 1/2 of can of diced green chilies

I read online to fry the tortillas up before stuffing them because it keeps them from getting soggy. I didnt fry them, just warmed them. But it might not hurt.
Mix the second ingredients together and fill tortillas.

Put enough of the sauce to cover the bottom of a 9x13 dish and place tortillas in with seam down. Pour the remaining sauce over enchiladas and top with shredded cheese.
Cover with foil and bake at 350F for about 30 minutes.

*Note: Sadly, I made these Saturday and didnt get to bake them because we went over to a friend's house. I left them in the fridge over night and we had them for lunch after church. My tortillas were SOGGY. So, dont do that. (i knew it was going to happen, but I was left in a pickle and did the best I could.) The sauce has a might good kick. I think next time I make them I'm going to put in less jalapeno salsa in the sauce. I also am going to put in more sour cream. I think I want to put cheese in the tortillas, and if you want to make more than just 6 enchiladas you need more than 2 pieces of chicken. (or maybe my chickens were just small) I ran out of sour cream, but I think that would be good in the enchiladas and I would definitely serve some with the dish as a garnish or something. Anyway, I liked them. I really liked the cilantro flavor. Maybe I'll tweek it and post it again after I mess around with it. Enjoy.