Fiesta Week – Ole Taco Casserole

My attempts to liven up

Fitz Family Taco Night continue…

I decided to try another taco casserole.

But I don’t like my chips mushy or my veggies warm in any way.

Sooooo….

I kept ‘em separate.

Perfect combo of crunchy chips…

Hot and spicy filling….

Cool and crisp veggies.

Can I get an ole???

dinner   Fiesta Week   Ole Taco Casserole

Ole Taco Casserole

WHAT YOU NEED:

1 lb gound beef

1 packet taco seasoning

3/4 cup water

1 onion chopped

1 can low fat refried beans

1 can black beans

2 cups low fat shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1 cup Spikes Santa Fe Black Bean and Corn Salsa

1 large bad tortilla chips

1 head of romaine lettuce, chopped

2 tomatoes chopped

1/2 red onion chopped

1 can sliced olives

1 avacado chopped

jalapeno slices

sour cream

dinner   Fiesta Week   Ole Taco Casserole

WHAT TO DO:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.  When skillet gets hot, add beef and brown, about 5-7 minutes.  Add in onions and cook until soft, about 4-5 minutes.

Meanwhile in a 13×9 inch baking pan, spread our refried beans in an even layer on the bottom.  Top with 1 cup black bean and corn salsa, then a layer of black beans.

Once meat has browned, add in taco seasoning and water.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 5 more minutes.

Add meat on top of the black bean layer.

Top with 1 1/2 cups cheese and bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

dinner   Fiesta Week   Ole Taco Casserole

While the casserole is baking assemble your plates.

Spread out some chips as the bottom layer.

Top with lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado, and remaining cheese.

Scoop a dollop of meat on your fixings and top with sour cream and jalapeno.

Tell me how you like this version….

dinner   Fiesta Week   Ole Taco Casserole

 

 

Creamy Chicken Noodle Casserole

Surfing around bloggie land a couple weeks back and I happened upon a chicken noodle casserole dish on my girl Anne’s Annie Bakes.  It looked so good I knew I had to grab the boys and throw together a version.

If you’ve been following along then you all know how I have recipe OCD so we switched things up a bit, but Anne is the inspiration behind this one…

Thanks Anne!

dinner   Creamy Chicken Noodle Casserole

WHAT YOU NEED:

1/2 T olive oil

1 onion diced

1/2 pound cubed bacon slab

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts

3 cups water

2 cubes beef bouillon

1/2 cup white wine

1 spring thyme

1 package cooked ziti

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup grated Asiago cheese

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup dry sherry

S&P
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 T melted butter

WHAT TO DO:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray 2-quart casserole with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium saucepan heat olive oil and bacon until bacon is crispy.  Add in onions and cook for about 7-9 minutes, until onions are soft.  Set aside to cool while your chicken cooks.

dinner   Creamy Chicken Noodle Casserole

Place chicken, water, wine, thyme and bouillon cubes in large saucepan over medium high heat.

dinner   Creamy Chicken Noodle Casserole

Cook 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center.  Drain liquid and discard;  cut chicken into cubes.

Combine cooked ziti and chicken in prepared casserole dish.

Combine soup, sour cream, Asiago cheese, mayonnaise, sherry, onion, bacon, and S&P in medium bowl:  mix well.

dinner   Creamy Chicken Noodle Casserole

Pour over pasta and chicken;  toss lightly.

dinner   Creamy Chicken Noodle Casserole

Toss Panko, Parmesan cheese and butter in small bowl.  Sprinkle over casserole.  Bake 30 to 45 minutes or until top is golden brown.

Serve with crusty bread and a big ol’ salad and everyone is happy!

Keegan’s Mashed Potatoes

You know that I’m a huge fan of mashed potatoes, well who isn’t, but I was shocked to hear from so many of your about how your kids wouldn’t try them.

WHAT????

What kid in their right mind would not want mashed potatoes and all that yummy creamy goodness?

Then I stopped to think for a second and I realized that for quite some time my boys wouldn’t try mashed potatoes?

WHAT????

How dare you scoff at a potato! A mashed potato!

You are Fitzpatricks for the love of all that is holy.

Your people have survived against all odds with the help of the magical pratties!

WHAT????

So I tried to remember how I got them to eat them for the first time, and I realized it’s the magical practice that I have leaned on time and time again…

I called the boys into the kitchen when those little beauties came out of the water and asked them to make them with me and decide what goes in them.

side dishes   Keegans Mashed Potatoes

Now they are “their” mashed potatoes.

Now they take ownership and pride in their potatoes.

Now they will actually try them and realize that mashed potatoes are nothing but GOOD.

Here is Keegan’s recipe. Keep in mind that these measurements are an estimate. He got a little crazy with the parmesan cheese.

1 lb baby red potatoes, mashed (You could use any kind of potato, I just don’t like to peel them.)
2 T chicken stock
2 T cream
2 T sour cream
2 T unsalted butter
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (though something tells me Keegan threw in closer to a 1/2 cup, he kept saying, I think it needs more cheese, mommy.)
S&P

Toss all ingredients into a large bowl. Let the kids have fun mashing those potatoes! Mix well, let the kids get creative about what they’d like to add. Dish it out and let them enjoy trying their delicious masterpiece!

Mommie Cooks’s Mexicali Rice

TGIF!  I can’t believe it’s Friday already and you may have arrived here via the Friday follows.  Welcome welcome, come on in, get comfy.  I hope you have a little looksie and be sure to let me know you were here so I can come back and return the love.

side dishes   Mommie Cooks’s Mexicali Rice

side dishes   Mommie Cooks’s Mexicali Rice

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, it’s my guest post part deux over at Mommie Cooks.  Today I’m slinging some drinks old school style perfect for your Friday afternoon cocktails.   Go over and visit Julie’s blog for my refreshing little pick me up.

side dishes   Mommie Cooks’s Mexicali Rice

Once again, in honor of my girl Julie, I’m showing the love by sharing with you a fantastic side dish to go along with the chicken we served up yesterday.  She calls this Mexicali Rice, I call it delicious.
side dishes   Mommie Cooks’s Mexicali Rice
1 Cup of Jasmine Rice
2 Cups of Chicken/Veggie Broth
1/2 Cup of Evaporated Milk
1/4 Cup of Sour Cream
1 Cup of Corn
1 Small Handful of Cilantro, Chopped
2 Adobo Peppers, Chopped
1 7 Oz. Can of Diced Green Chiles
1 Cup of Diced Tomatoes
1/2 Cup of Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/2 tsp of Chili Powder
1/2 tsp of Cumin
S&P
1 lime, zested and juiced

Once again, anything I added is in italics…I have recipe OCD.

side dishes   Mommie Cooks’s Mexicali RicePlace your broth in a pot on the stove and get it boiling.  Add in your jasmine rice, turn it down to low, cover it up and let it cook for 20 minutes or until cooked through.  Now add in your chopped green chiles, corn, and cilantro.  Stir it up and then add in your sour cream, milk and cheese.  Mix it up well and let your cheese take a few minutes to melt.   Now stir in your adobo peppers and spices; the cumin and chili powder.  Stir it up good.  Finally, add in your diced tomatoes and give it a minute to heat up.  Season with S&P, lime zest and lime juice.

FYI – My hubs is one of those people out there who HATES cilantro, I apologize to all the cilantro growers out there.  He freaks out if it’s in anything and can spot it from miles away, so I just substitute parsley for his and all the more cilantro for the rest of us.  Apparantly though it’s true, there is a large number of the population that hate it because it tastes like soap to them.  I saw that on Oprah or something.  And that is hysterical because that is what he always told me.  I tell him he’s ridiculous and that it tastes nothing like soap.  He claims that I clearly never talked back to my Momma and never had to have the Ivory Sandwich.  Not this girl…can you hand me back that halo please????
What about you?  Do you have strong cilantro feelings?

Beef Strogonoff

dinner   Beef Strogonoff

Serves:  4   Prep Time: 10 minutes  Cook time:  30 minutes

Easy Beef Strogonoff

2 ribeye steak, cut into thin strips (or NY Strip or whatever is leftover in the fridge)

3 T flour, divided

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

1 medium onion, sliced

8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 can beef broth

1 can cream of mushroom soup

S&P

1 cup sour cream

Cooked noodles

Season the steak with S&P and dust strips with 2 T flour. In a large skillet, brown the steak in the olive oil and butter. Remove from the pan and set aside. Toss in your onions and mushrooms to the drippings. Saute for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is soft. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon flour and allow to cook for a minute or so. Toss the steak back into the pan and add the soup and broth. Season with S&P.  Cook over low heat for about 30 minutes, covered. Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream. Serve over cooked noodles.

Kickin’ Chicken Stroganoff

This recipe is a sure fire hit.  I gave this one to my friend Shelbi to try on her family chock full o’ picky eaters. Her four year old not only finished his plate for the first time he asked for seconds. She cried. Then I cried. Try it and let me know if you cry!  Little story for ya.  The hubs is a real meat and potatoes kind of guy.  He’s not into fancy cooking and doesn’t get excited much about food.  The first time I served up this puppy and he quickly polished off his first plate and looked at me with big eyes and a silly grin and said, “is this hamburger helper?”  Now, some may consider that an insult but I know my guy…that was the biggest compliment he could ever give me.  Don’t get between that man and his cheeseburger macaroni!

dinner   Kickin’ Chicken Stroganoff

Serves: 4                        Prep time: 10 minutes                        Cook time: 25 minutes

1 lb                                    ground chicken

2 T                                    butter, divided

1 T                                    extra virgin olive oil

1 small                         onion, sliced

1 c                                    mushrooms, sliced

1 clove                                    garlic, chopped

1 10 oz can                        low sodium cream of mushroom soup

½ c                                    chicken stock

1 T                                    Worcestershire Sauce

¾ c                                    sour cream

S&P

¼ c                                    chopped parsley

1 bag                                    whole wheat egg noodles

Set a large pot of water to boil for your noodles.  In a large skillet heat 1 T butter and olive oil over medium high heat.  Add in ground chicken and allow to brown.  Once chicken is browned toss in your onions, mushrooms and garlic.  Cook for about 5 minutes or until your vegetables begin to soften.  Next add in the soup, chicken stock, Worcestershire sauce, and season with S&P.   Bring to a boil then turn the heat down to low and allow to simmer while your pasta cooks.

When water is boiling, flavor your water with a handful of salt then add in pasta.  Cook to package directions, usually about 8 minutes.  Drain and toss with remaining T butter.

Remove stroganoff from heat and stir in sour cream and parsley.  Top noodles with stroganoff sauce and serve with roasted veggies.

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