Mexican Taco Casserole

I wanted to make this and have the post ready for Cinco de Mayo, but it didn't happen. Sorry.  But you are going to want to add this to your dinner rotation. It's pretty quick, simple and delivers on flavor. I added a half of a package of Chorizo because it was in the frig, but it you don't have it just stick with the ground beefless crumbles. The leftovers reheat well in the microwave or in a small casserole. This easily makes 10 servings. You can cut the recipe in half if needed.

• 1 package Gardein Beefless Ground
• 1/2 package Tofurky chorizo style crumbles
• 1 can Rotel tomatoes, divided
• 2 cans of vegetarian re-fried beans
• 1 teaspoon Chipotle Chili Powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 medium sweet yellow onion, chopped
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3-4 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup black olives, sliced
• 1-1/2 cup Daiya cheddar cheese shreds
• 8 6" flour tortillas, chopped into bite sized pieces

Preheat oven to 400 and spray the inside of a 9x13 casserole. Then, in a large skillet cook the onion 5-6 minutes until soft.

Add the beefless ground, chorizo and stir well. Add the chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder and 1/2 the can of  Rotel tomatoes to the beef and onion mixture and stir well.

In a separate medium pan add the re-fried beans and sour cream. Stir well and cook over medium heat until heated all the way through.

Start layering the ingredients in your casserole dish: 1/2 of the beans;

then 1/2 of your meat mixture;

then add 1/2 of the tortillas;

top with and 1/2 of your cheese.

Repeat these layers.

Top the casserole with the olives, green onions and the remainder of the Rotel tomatoes.

Bake in the 400° oven for about 20-25 minutes or until your cheese is melted and the casserole is bubbling a little bit.

 

Serve with sour cream and sliced pickled jalapenos.

Enjoy!

Chick'n Tacos

We decided to try some different types of tacos, you know, not your normal beef taco. I've been playing around with this recipe for the last week and I'm here to tell ya' it's delicious. It's kind of different, but it's amazing, we've been eating variations of this for the last two weeks and this is what I've settled on.

• Tartar Sauce (recipe below)
• 1 package Gardein Chick'n strips
• Shredded cabbage mixed with some chopped cilantro
• Sliced Avocado
• Mango Datil Pepper Jelly (use what ever hot & sweet jelly or sauce you have)
• Flour Tortillas (I used burrito size, it's all I had, but prefer the smaller taco size)

Tartar Sauce

• 3 tablespoons dill relish
• 1/2 cup Just Mayo
• 1/2 of a large shallot, minced
• juice from 1/2 of  a lime
• a couple of dashes hot sauce
• kosher salt to taste

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.

Tacos

Cook chick'n strips in a non-stick skillet until brown on both sides.
While the chick'n is cooking shred, cut, slice, etc (prep) all other ingredients

Heat the flour tortilla in the microwave for about 12-13 seconds. Place on a flat surface.

Add a generous smear of  tartar sauce.

Top with 3 chick'n strips (or two if using smaller tortillas)

Cover with a generous amount of cabbage and cilantro mixture.

Add sliced avocado

Cover with your hot and sweet jelly (I had homemade Mango Datil Pepper Jelly)

If using larger tortillas, roll it up like a burrito to keep all of the yumminess on the inside. If you have small taco sized tortillas, just fold in half. There is no way to get a good picture of this.

Enjoy! No good pic here either.

I served these with chips and salsa.

Taco Salad

I made the Ranch Dressing (my last post) to use on my "clean out the frig" Taco Salad. I didn't get a pic of the ingredients that went into this salad because I wasn't sure what was going in. I usually clean out the frig on Saturday morning. I knew there was some  good things in there that could be turned into this salad:  taco meat mixed with refried black beans, an avocado, an ear of corn that had been grilled, etc. Here is what those humble leftovers transformed into - Taco Salad 

• Chopped Romaine for two large salads
• Taco meat mixed with refried black beans
• corn sliced off the cob (1/2 ear per salad)
• 1 avocado, chopped (1/2 per salad)
• 1 tomato, chopped (1/2 per salad)
• 10 black olives, halved (5 olives per salad)
• Daiya cheddar shreds
• Tostido chips for crunch
• Salsa
• Ranch Dressing
• Chia Seeds, Hemp Seeds, etc

Put lettuce on the plates:

Top with taco meat/refried bean combo

Add corn that has been cut off the cob

Add the chopped avocado

Next comes the chopped tomato

Then the black olives

I top all of this Daiya shreds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, salsa and the ranch dressing. (I bet pickled jalapeno slices would have been a good addition.) Use your imagination. Finally add some crunch by using some type of tortilla chips or corn chips.

Enjoy!