Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with these fun, easy recipes.
Jodi’s Easy Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas
About 2 cups of cooked chicken(buy a cooked rotisserie or I slow cook my chicken so it’s easily shredded)1-2 cups sharp shredded cheddar cheese½ cup of whipped cheese2 cans red enchilada sauceLarge size tortillas
Shred or pull apart chicken, melt cream cheese, and mix. Pour about half a can of the enchilada sauce in the chicken mix. Place into the tortilla and roll them up. Place into casserole dish, seam side down. Pour 1 whole can of enchilada sauce on top. Next, sprinkle some of the shredded cheese on top and bake for about 20 minutes at 350. Sprinkle a little more cheese on top in the last 5 minutes.
Serve with all the fixings: salsa, sour cream, guacamole etc!
Sam’s Chicken Fajita Pasta (AKA: The “Just Ok” Pasta)
Serves 3–5
3 Tbsp. oil3 chicken breasts, sliced1 red bell pepper, sliced1 green bell pepper, sliced1 yellow bell pepper, sliced1 onion, sliced1 tsp salt1 tsp pepper1 Tbsp. chili powder1 Tbsp. cumin1 Tbsp. garlic powder5 cups milk4 cups penne pasta1 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded
Heat oil in a large pot over high heat. Add chicken and cook until no pink is visible, then take the chicken out. Add the bell peppers and onion, cooking until the onion is translucent. Add the chicken back to the pot with salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, and garlic powder, stirring until evenly coated. Add the milk and the penne, stirring constantly to prevent any pasta from sticking. Cook for about 8-10 minutes until pasta is cooked and the milk has reduced to a thick sauce that coats the pasta. Add the cheese and mix until melted. Serve!
Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
1 pound frozen chicken breasts1 (15 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed1 (10oz) can enchilada sauce1 medium onion, chopped1 (4 oz) can chopped green chile peppers2 cloves garlic, minced3 (14.5 oz) cans chicken broth1 teaspoon cumin1 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon black pepper1 (10 oz) package frozen corn1 can black beans, rinsed
Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chiles, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pout in chicken broth and season with cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir in corn and black beans. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on High for 3 to 4 hours. Garnish with crushed tortilla chips, sour cream, shredded cheese, or avocados.
CARNITAS (Instant Pot)
3 pounds boneless pork shoulder/Boston butt, cut in 1 1/2-inch pieces (I had a 4lb butt, but after trimming the fat it was closer to 3lbs)1 pound pork belly, cut in1-inch pieces½ cup chicken stock or broth1 Tbs. salt1 tsp. black pepper1 Tbs. chili powder1 tsp. cumin½ tsp. ground coriander
NOTE: Substituting salt-cured bacon for uncured pork belly: pork belly is basically bacon. I couldn’t find pork belly at the store so I bought giant chucks of salt-cured bacon. If you use the bacon cut back or eliminate salt bc the bacon has enough salt from curing.
Place cut up pork shoulder/Boston butt and pork belly in the instant pot. Mix together the spices and pour over the meats in the instant pot. Toss the meats so they are covered in the spices.
Cook in instant pot for 60 minutes on high. When time’s up wait for pressure to drop or quick release…your call depending on how much time you have.
Use a slotted spoon to remove the meat to a large bowl. Cook the remaining juice in the instant pot on sauté for 10-15 minutes until it’s reduced. Pour reduced sauce on the meat and toss to coat.
ANOTHER NOTE: After cooking I removed a good bit of the bacon completely and left just a little in the bowl with the pork before pouring the reduced juice over it. Personal preference
Serve with whatever you like to serve your tacos with: sour cream, cheese, pico, guac, salsa…your call
**If you want your carnitas to be crispy just put them in a large skillet over high heat and crisp em up for about 5 minutes before you pour the reduced juice on them.
Delicious Guacamole
5 fully ripe avocados1/2 cup sour creamSalt and pepper to taste1 teaspoon garlic powder (or to taste)1 teaspoon onion powder1-2 teaspoons of hot sauce3 – 4 tablespoons lemon juice (sometimes I use more…)2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped and dicedTortilla chips
Halve avocados lengthwise, twisting gently to separate halves. Remove seeds and peel avocado halves. Then mash the avocado meat or blend a few seconds in an electric blender. Mix with sour cream, onion powder, seasonings, 1 diced tomato, and lemon juice. Taste the guacamole to see if you need to add more seasoning. Chill thoroughly. Sprinkle other tomato on top and serve with tortilla chips.
Sam’s Steak Fajitas for One
½ cup soy sauce½ cup lime juice from 6 to 8 limes½ cup canola oil (I used vegetable oil)½ teaspoon liquid smoke¼ cup packed brown sugar2 teaspoons cumin2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper1 tablespoon chili powder3 medium cloves garlic, finely minced (about 1 tablespoon)2 pounds trimmed skirt steak (about 1 whole steak),1 large red bell pepper, sliced for fajitas1 large yellow bell pepper, sliced for fajitas1 large green bell pepper, sliced for fajitas1 white or yellow onion, sliced for fajitasFresh flour or corn tortillas, hotGuacamole, pico de gallo, sour cream, shredded cheese, and salsa, for serving, if desired
Combine soy sauce, lime juice, oil, liquid smoke, brown sugar, cumin, black pepper, chili powder, and garlic in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Transfer 1/2 cup of marinade to a large bowl and set aside. Place steak in a gallon-sized zipper-lock bag and add remaining marinade. Seal bag, squeezing out as much air as possible. Massage bag until meat is fully coated in marinade. Lay flat in the refrigerator, turning every couple of hours for at least 3 hours and up to 10.
While steak marinates, toss peppers and onions in bowl with reserved 1/2 cup marinade. Refrigerate until ready to use.
When ready, light one side of your grill…medium/high to high heat. Place cast-iron skillet unlit side. When grill is ready place steak on the heated side and turn every couple of minutes until a nice char develops on both sides.
Remove cooked steak, place on plate and cover with foil.
Slide the cast iron to the heated side of the grill and add the marinated vegetables. Stir and cook for about 10 minutes, until vegetables are softened and charred in spots.
Thinly slice meat against the grain, warm tortillas and make your fajitas.
Pork Tacos
3-5 lb pork roast1 (1.25 oz) package taco seasoning1 cup water1 (4 oz) can green chiliesTortillas
Put pork roast, water, taco seasoning and green chilies in a crockpot on low for 6 hours. Once it’s cooked shred the pork with a fork and discard any fat. Add the shredded pork back to the crockpot to keep warm. Serve on tortillas with pineapple salsa, cheese and your favorite toppings!
Sam’s Simple Ceviche
1 lb tilapia filets, cut into half-inch pieces1 green bell pepper, chopped1 red onion, chopped2 cloves garlic, minced1 lemon3 limes1 Tablespoon olive oil2 large or 3 small tomatoes, chopped1 Tablespoon fresh cilantro, minced1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, minced1 jalapeno, seeded and dicedsalt and pepper to taste
Squeeze the lemon and limes in a non-reacting (ceramic, glass, etc) bowl. Add the olive oil and mix. Add the chopped fish and cover. Place in the fridge for an hour.
Remove bowl from the fridge, all all the other ingredients, and mix well. Cover and return to the fridge for as short as another hour or as long as overnight.
Serve on a bed of lettuce or each as a cool dip with chips.
**To save time you can add everything to the bowl at once: juices, oil, fish, veggies, and spices, mix well, stir and cover for an hour.
Murph-a-ritas (Margaritas)
1/2 capful Cointreau1 oz tequila (mid-priced, avoid the cheapo stuff)Juice of 1 limeSimple sugar mixture
(Simple sugar mixture: In a 12 oz cup (or larger) fill 1/3 of cup with sugar, rest with water. Taste should be sweet.)
In highball glass rub the squeezed lime peel on rim. Salt the rim. Mix Cointreau, tequila and lime juice. Fill highball with ice and top with simple sugar mixture. These can be made without alcohol. Just use a splash of OJ and no alcohol (clearly…) Also, just make 1 margarita at a time to keep the quality of the margarita awesome!
Quick and Easy Puff Pastry “Churro” Sticks
1 Box of Pepperidge Farm R Puff Pastry Sheets
1/4 cup of butter melted
3 tablespoons of sugar
1 tablespoon of cinnamon
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put the Pepperidge Farm(R) Puff Pastry Sheets into strips. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Brush the butter onto the cooked Pepperidge Farm(R) Puff Pastry Sheets. Sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Sam’s Chicken Marinade
2 Tbs Olive Oil
3 Cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs lime juice
2 Tbs taco seasoning
Dash of liquid smoke
3 boneless chicken breasts, pounded even
Mix first 5 ingredients in a bowl and roll chicken pieces in mixture until covered. Put chicken and marinade in gallon Ziplock for 1-24 hours
Grill at 400 for 6-8 minutes per side.
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