Green chili, black bean, bacon cheese burger

Tonights dinner was hamburgers. I didn't want just regular hamburgers, I didn't have many vegetables since I we are running a little low until pay day. I read a stuffed burger recipe that used green chili's and onions. I thought this was a great idea.  Hidden veggies! I'm all about that! Again using what I have on hand to create a dinner that is healthy and that my kids will eat. Tricky, tricky, tricky. Next to the whole wheat homemade buns, I thought this would be a delicious addition.

Ingredients
1 1/2 lb ground beef 85/15
1-4oz can of green chili's drained
1 pkg beefy onion lipton soup
1/2 a can of black bean refried beans
4-5 dashes of Frank's Red Hot pepper sauce
salt and pepper to taste
cheese slices
 bacon slices - browned

Directions
Mix the ground beef, green chili's, lipton soup, refried beans and Red hot pepper sauce. Don't over mix as it can make the the burgers tough. Heat a non stick skillet on med-high heat.

Form into meat patties. Once formed, place burgers in hot skillet, browning on each side approx. 3 minutes each side.

Should not move until ready to flip to create a nice crust. After flipped add cheese slices to melt while the other side cooks. 

Once the burgers are browned with cheese on top. Place bacon on burger and on bun of choice. Top with lettuce, tomato, onion and any other toppings desired.

This is a pretty yummy burger. All of my children ate their burger without complaint. It was full of nutrients and very tasty. As far as I'm concerned is that it's pretty healthy.

Taco Salad

Tonights dinner was a kind of like the saying "when life gives you lemons make lemonaid", kind of night. I wanted to use up a pound of ground beef. I decided I would either make my enchirito's or Tacos. The consensus of the house was Tacos. So I started making tacos. I had purchased a big taco dinner kit, a couple of weeks ago. I was going to use that. Well, the kit came with two packages of 10 tacos, 2 pkg taco seasoning, and two taco sauce packages. I was so excited to have everything I needed. Then I pulled out the taco shells to bake them in the oven, and they are all CRACKED! I just really dislike that... don't you?!

Well, I informed the boys no taco's tonight. They started asking why after I got them excited about dinner. So, I told them nevermind, we would have taco salad instead. I quickly added a few other ingredients, cooked the broken shells and made a delicious thrown together, last minute salad. I had two helpings with extra greens. It was so tasty :)

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 can Rotel tomatoes with green chili's
1 can refried beans with green chili's and lime
1 pkg taco seasoning with instructed water
1 pkg taco sauce
sour cream
cheese
1 bag mixed salad greens
4 cups spinach
10-20 crushed or broken taco shells

Directions:
Brown ground beef. Then make the taco meat per package instructions, adding water, and taco seasoning to the browned ground beef. After the taco meat is made, add the refried beans, and Rotel tomatoes. Stir to combine.

While the refried beans, taco meat, and Rotel tomato's are heating through, place the taco shells in preheated oven (per package directions), and mix together the mixed salad greens and spinach in a large bowl. set aside

Once the taco meat mixture is heated through remove from burner and turn off stove. Remove the taco shells from the oven (heating them), then start layering your salad.

On each plate, place a generous portion of salad greens/spinach mixture. Then top with taco meat mixture. Sprinkle with cheese and a dollop of sour cream. Next sprinkle some taco sauce around the top of the salad, then sprinkle the warmed broken taco shells on top. Larger pieces can be placed around the edge for scooping the salad. Serve warm.

Verdict: I loved it! I really liked the salad. I have some leftover salad mix and taco meat, I will be eating that for lunch tomorrow. :)

Chicken Enchirito lasagna

I usually plan out my menu at the beginning of the week, typically sunday, but sometimes monday. Unfortunately for me I didn't plan my weekly menu. One thing I regret on days like today. I get a brain (excuse my language) fart. I usually have a very difficult time thinking what to make for dinner, when I've been so busy all day with my school stuff, the kids school stuff, housework, and running errands and the list goes on and on... I'm hopeful some of you can relate :) Well, Today I stood in my kitchen and had this blank stare on my face when the kids asked me what was for dinner. I couldn't think of anything, then I open the fridge and start saying things that are easy like spaghetti, meatloaf, spaghetti with meatballs, and one of my son says GRILLED CHEESE... I think to myself... that would use all the bread I've allotted for the boys lunches till payday. So NO... He then says "but we haven't had that in a LLLOOONNNGG time..." (picture puppy dog eyes and a big fat lower lip) of course I still said NO but I knew that he still wouldn't be too happy, so I turned and walked to the pantry. Trying to avoid the conversation as to why not. So I start thinking of what I have in the fridge and what I have in the pantry, and then what I have in Food Storage. What can I make...? I think and think and think. Then I decide on Enchirito's Well, I didn't want to use country sausage or turkey sausage, and then I remembered I had bbq pork, (which might be good) or chicken from the baked chicken from Thursday last week. or was it friday... anyways, it's still good. So I decide on chicken. So we are going to have chicken enchirito's... Then I remember my sister makes this layered enchilada stuff instead of rolling the tortillas. So I had an "AH HA!" moment... I will make a layered enchiritio with refried beans, a chicken mixture with cheese and enchilada sauce. Now doesn't that sound yummy.... All the while I'm trying to see what I can add to the dish to increase the vegetable intake without having to make a side dish. (too many dishes already dirty) I need a one dish meal. So I scrounge up some onions, a can of rotel tomatoes with green chili's, and mushrooms. I thought about some fresh spinach or celery, but then thought, it's a mexican type dish, these don't really go. So I ditched those two items. YEAH me... I think these would be good.  Well, I at least hope they will be good, if not it's still dinner.

So bare with me as I threw stuff in a bowl, and I didn't measure. these are estimates, you can use less if it looks like too much of one thing, and more of something if it looks too little.  Sorry, That is how I cook sometimes, by sight, taste and smell.

Ingredients:
aprox. 3-4 cups cubed already cooked chicken
1 can rotel tomatoes with green chili's
1 can enchilada sauce
1 can refried beans with chili's and lime
1/4 of a red onion, diced (or minced) personal preference
4 button mushrooms no stems chopped
4 bella portabello mushrooms, no stems chopped
1/4 tsp ground cumin
2 Tbsp chili powder
2 -3 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground pepper
14 flour tortilla's 6 inch (small) tortillas

Directions:
In a medium bowl, mix together the cubed chicken, tomatoes, red onion, chopped mushrooms, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper, and 1 cup of the enchilada sauce. mix well, incorporating all ingredients.

Next, in a 13 X9X2 inch pan, spray with non stick cooking spray, and pour 1/2 of the remaining enchilada sauce in the bottom of the pan.

Then, spread some of the refried beans on tortilla's and layer on the bottom of the pan, enough to cover the bottom. * NOTE: you may need to rip some of the tortilla's in half to cover the bottom, I had two full tortillas on the bottom and 4 halves. Place the refried bean side down in the enchilada sauce.

Then spoon half of the chicken mixture on top of the tortillas, and sprinkle with cheese.

Repeat one more layer, Refried bean on tortilla, refried bean side down on the cheese, then spread the chicken mixture on top of the tortilla, then cover with cheese.

Now, layering 6 flour tortillas on top of the cheese (no refried beans should be left in the can). Then top with the enchilada sauce and sprinkle with cheese.

Cover with foil, sprayed with non stick cooking spray. Bake in a 350F oven until heated through aprox 45 minutes, then remove the foil, and bake another 5-10 minutes to brown the cheese.

Let set about 5-10 minutes before serving.

Dehydrated Red Bean Refried Beans

Ok, so I know there is another recipe on here for refried beans. But today I made them a little different. I decided to try and make refried beans from dehydrated red beans today. I know your thinking what the heck is that... well, they are part of my food storage. They are considered quick cooking red beans. They were previously cooked, then dehydrated. They have a great shelf life, and are very easy to cook with, i recommend these instead of the dry beans that take FOREVER to cook, between soaking overnight and cooking a long time. These dry beans are a great alternative. So, I again have no refried beans for taco night. We've been really trying to get creative here at home. Trying to see how long until we go to the store again, living off what abundance we already have. So, I have created this new recipe. I hope you enjoy. This is where you can purchase Dehydrated Red Beans.

Ingredients:

3 tbsp bacon grease

2 tsp minced garlic

1 can black beans

3 cups dehydrated red beans

6 cups of water

Directions:

Place water in a pot to boil. Once water is boiling, add the dehydrated red beans. Bring back to a boil. keep at a light boil on medium heat. boil for 20 min. stirring periodically. about 10 min into it, add the drained and rinsed can of black beans. stir and continue to boil. If there is any excess water, drain most of the water from the beans. Then, place back on to medium heat. add the garlic and bacon grease. Mash with potato masher. and let cook down.

I had enough for two meals, so I took about half out and put in a container in the fridge for later this week. Then I am adding it to our Taco meat for taco night. Smells yummy and tastes yummy too. Enjoy :)

Slow cooker Taco dinner

Ok, tonight is Taco night, or a variation on it. Usually Tuesdays are Taco night at our house. Sometimes we like to take advantage of Del Taco's 3 taco's for $1.00 on busy tuesday nights. Well, tonight we are having taco night at home. When I make my taco's at home I like to add for added texture, and protein refried beans to my taco meat, it also mellows the flavor out and it helps to stretch the beef out, for more tacos for my hungry brood of boys. :) So, with that said, I scoured my pantry for a staple in my house of refried beans. I realized I ran out and didn't even know it. So I made homemade refried beans with one can of black beans and one can of pinto beans. They smelled so good. I will include that recipe here too. In case you don't have a can or two of refried beans. :)

Slow cooker Taco's

1 1/2 lb ground beef or turkey

1-2 cans of refried beans (personal option)

1 cup salsa

1-2 packages of taco seasoning mix - depending on how many cans of refried beans - if two cans use 2 pkg taco seasoning mix.

1/2 large onion (diced)

Either in the crock pot or in a pan separately brown the beef and onions together. Once the beef is browned and the onions soft, add in the remainder of the ingredients, set on low for 6-7 hrs and dinner will be ready. As it cooks the water will reduce and have a nice flavor.

My kids have liked using tostada shells or tortilla's heated in the microwave with their dinner. Sometimes we heat up the house and use taco shells warmed in the oven. It's your personal choice. This is also good rolled in a croissant dough and baked in the oven in a taco round. :)

Homemade refried beans

1 can black beans

1 can pinto beans

1 tbsp minced garlic

3 tbsp bacon grease (I refrigerate leftover grease from cooking bacon)

1/2 can of water (use one of the cans the beans were in)

Heat on high heat for 3 min until boiling, and bacon grease is melted. Mix and then mash with

potato masher until preferred consistency. The longer it boils, the thicker it becomes, stirring constantly.

The verdict, YUMMY! my kids will devour this tonight with no problem. It is yummy and full of good vitamins and veggies. Even if they only put cheese on their tacos. It is one of the little ways I hide veggies into their diet. If you find that it is too spicy for your kids, you can omit the salsa, or use a mild salsa, or add a can of diced tomatos instead of the salsa. :)

OK, on another note... when I came home tonight my taco meat was pretty watery. I added one packet of potato flakes into the mixture and it thickened up quickly and was still yummy! My kids or my husband didn't even notice. I only had a little bit of my taco mix left. Very tasty and not too spicy.