Tag Archives: Tacos/Quesadillas/Enchiladas/Burritos

Salsa Verde Chicken Nachos

May 29, 2020

Whenever tortilla chips are in sight I always end up eating way too many -especially if guacamole is involved- and filling up before I get to the rest of my meal. Who says guac/salsa and chips can’t be a meal, anyway? Well, nachos is the solution. It makes tortilla chips the main event and you can add as many toppings (lots of protein, even veggies) to make it more healthful/filling!

These salsa verde chicken nachos are our latest favorite creation. It’s a simple concoction: toss chicken in salsa verde and pile it on a bed or crispy chips with lots of cheese, beans, and corn. When it comes out of the oven all toasted and melty, add the peppers and onion, cilantro, tomatoes/salsa, avocado, and sour cream. It’s a feast.

Salsa Verde Chicken Nachos

INGREDIENTS

tortilla chips (our favorite are Late July Thin and Crispy)
cheese, grated (Colby/Monterey/Pepper Jack, Cheddar, Mexican blend, etc.)
cooked chicken, shredded
salsa verde (our favorite is Trader Joe’s)
black or pinto beans
corn (fresh or frozen)
red/orange/yellow bell pepper, diced
green onion or chives, chopped
cilantro, chopped
tomato, diced
pico de gallo or salsa
sour cream
guacamole or avocado, pitted and sliced
pickled or fresh jalapeno, sliced

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with cooking spray. Toss chicken in salsa verde to coat. Spread a layer of tortilla chips on the pan, top with a generous amount of shredded cheese, chicken, beans, and corn (and any other toppings you want baked in the oven). Sprinkle a bit more cheese on top.
  2. Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until the cheese has fully melted and the chips are beginning to brown.
  3. Remove from the oven and top with additional toppings: red pepper, onion/chive, cilantro, tomato, pico/salsa, sour cream, guacamole/avocado, jalapeno, etc. and serve immediately.

Easy Salsa Verde Enchiladas

May 12, 2020

I had some issues last week uploading photos to my site. But I found a solution and I’m back with the promised enchilada recipe today! (I was also having fun with my sister visiting and enjoying some summer-like weather. We were picking up takeout at our favorite places- including Pike Place market that has some amazing pickup options- and hiking/playing at the state parks that just reopened.) But back to the enchiladas…

This is my easy salsa verde enchilada. It uses a jar of salsa verde (we always buy it from Trader Joe’s because it’s the best!) mixed with sour cream for the sauce. I’ve made the filling many ways- with shredded chicken or a combo of chicken and spinach, sometimes corn too, chicken and beans, or just veggies such as mushroom, spinach and corn. I season it with some cumin, garlic, paprika, and oregano- you could throw in a 1/2 tsp. or so of chili powder if you want or up the cayenne for more heat. And of course there’s lots of cheese. The hardest part is filling and rolling up all those tortillas. The sauce and more cheese go on top and it bakes until golden and bubbling. Then I sprinkle on some onion and cilantro and serve it with all the toppings… black olives for the olive lovers around here, shredded lettuce, tomatoes/salsa/pico, avocado, extra sour cream. It’s easy and adaptable and one of my favorite Mexican comfort foods.

p.s. This makes a great dish to take friends/family who need a meal. You can bake it for them and take it hot or give it to them unbaked and provide instructions for baking it later. I suspect it can be frozen and baked right out of the freezer (you’ll need to extend the baking time depending on how cold it is). Provide the toppings on the side and you’re all set! We usually eat these enchiladas with refried beans and tortilla chips (because I want to keep it easy). If you have some extra time, this Mexican rice and black bean dish is sooo good!

Easy Salsa Verde Enchiladas

INGREDIENTS

16 oz. salsa verde (we love Trader Joe’s brand)
1/2 cup sour cream
~4 cups cooked chicken, diced or shredded
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. dried Mexican oregano
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/8 tsp. cayenne
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
8-12 tortillas (I use flour, if you use small corn tortillas you will need more)
~2 cups grated cheese (Colby/pepper jack, cheddar, Mexican blend, etc.)

optional toppings:
black olives
shredded lettuce
diced tomato, salsa, or pico de gallo
avocado or guacamole
sour cream
chopped cilantro
sliced green onion or chives

DIRECTIONS

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the salsa verde and sour cream.
  2. In a second bowl, combine the chicken with the spices and season to taste with salt and pepper. (If you’re using a rotisserie chicken the meat won’t need much seasoning but plain chicken breast will need more.) Add 1 cup of the cheese and 1/4 cup of the salsa/sour cream mixture to the chicken and toss to combine.
  3. Coat a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray (or butter/oil). Place some filling in each tortilla and roll up tightly. Place filled tortillas in the prepared baking dish.
  4. Pour the remaining salsa verde-sour cream mixture over top of the tortillas in the dish. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of cheese (or more if you like it extra cheesy)!
  5. Bake in preheated 375 F oven for 20-25 min until the top has browned and the filling is bubbling. When it comes out of the oven I sprinkle mine with onion and cilantro. Serve with toppings of choice.

Makes a 9×13 pan of enchiladas.

Baked Creamy Chicken (or Bean and Veggie) Taquitos

April 14, 2020

Another recipe I’ve been making for years that’s a favorite around here. My friend Megan who I haven’t seen in far too long made these for me when I visited her in Chicago (back when we had two less babies each… things have changed!). I was pregnant with Gwen at the time and couldn’t enjoy much of anything I ate… but these were so good! I made sure to snag the recipe and once I recovered my appetite again starting making them myself.

I add a few extra spices (oregano, cayenne) and some chopped spinach (because why not!) but otherwise follow the original recipe closely. BONUS they freeze well- instructions are provided below!

UPDATE: I recently made these vegetarian by replacing the chicken with black beans and corn and they were just as delicious! So I’ve since revised the recipe to include that option below.

Baked Creamy Chicken (or Bean and Veggie) Taquitos

INGREDIENTS

1/3 cup (3 oz.) cream cheese
1/4 cup salsa verde (we LOVE Trader Joe’s brand)
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
pinch Mexican oregano (optional)
pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp. sliced green onions
2-3 cups shredded cooked chicken (rotisserie chicken works great here) OR for a vegetarian version: 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed + 1 cup frozen corn
1 cup grated Pepper/Colby/Monterey Jack cheese (or Cheddar, Mexican blend, etc.)
1/2- 1 cup frozen chopped spinach (measured frozen), thawed and excess water squeezed out (optional)
8-12 (depending on size) flour or corn tortillas 
cooking spray or olive oil or melted butter
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

  1. To make the filling, heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it’s soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, garlic, oregano, and cayenne. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken (or beans and corn), spinach (if using), and cheese and combine well. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.
    (You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.)
  2. Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.
  3. If using corn tortillas, work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave, wrapped in damp paper towels until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If using flour tortillas straight from the fridge, it helps to warm them in the microwave so they’re easier to roll. Place 2-3 T of chicken (or bean) mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1 inch from the edges. Roll up tortillas and place seam down on a baking sheet, not touching one another. Spray lightly with cooking spray, or lightly brush with olive oil/butter and sprinkle lightly with salt (optional).
  4. Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving. Dip in sour cream, salsa, guacamole, etc. or our favorite sour cream-salsa verde combo*!

*Whisk to combine sour cream with extra salsa verde. I usually don’t measure but it’s about equal parts sour cream and salsa. It makes the BEST dipping sauce!

FREEZER INSTRUCTIONS: Prepare the taquitos through rolling them out and placing them on the baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the freezer and freeze until solid, then transfer to a large freezer bag. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 425 and place the taquitos on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

Adapted from Our Best Bites

BBQ Chicken Nachos

March 23, 2020

Yes, it’s really me here with a new recipe for you! It took a pandemic/quarantine and my husband’s office being forced to close for the next two months to allow me enough time to get black to blogging, but I’m excited to be here! I have almost a hundred recipes waiting to be shared. Most of them are simple/quick meals that have become favorites for feeding three hungry kids without sacrificing my love for good food.

I’ll try to share soon about our family and how we’ve grown and moved and all the changes over the last couple years as I post more recipes! Today I bring you BBQ Chicken Nachos, inspired by our favorite BBQ Chicken Pizza and just as delicious. These nachos are quick to throw together (especially if you use a rotisserie chicken), a complete meal on a pan, easy to feed a crowd AND clean up and equally fit for a party or weeknight dinner. (Notice I don’t include amounts because I never measure anything, adapt this recipe to your taste and needs…)

BBQ Chicken Nachos

INGREDIENTS

tortilla chips
chicken, cooked and shredded or diced (I use about half of a rotisserie chicken)
bbq sauce
Colby/Monterey/Pepper Jack and Smoked Gouda, grated
canned black or pinto beans, drained and rinsed
corn

other toppings:
bell pepper
green onion/chives
cilantro, chopped
salsa
sour cream
avocado or guacamole
pickled jalapeno

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with cooking spray. Toss chicken in bbq sauce to coat. Spread a layer of tortilla chips on the pan, top with a generous amount of shredded cheese, bbq chicken, beans, and roasted corn (and any other toppings you want baked in the oven). Sprinkle a bit more cheese on top.

2. Bake in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes until the cheese has fully melted and the chips are beginning to brown.

3. Remove from the oven and top with additional toppings: red pepper, onion/chive, cilantro, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, jalapeno, etc. and serve immediately.

NOTES:

tortilla chips- our favorites are Trader Joe’s organic blue corn tortilla chips, and Late July’s thin and crispy restaurant style tortilla chips

bbq sauce- our favorites are Bone Suckin’ and Whole Foods’ 365 brand Texas True

Smoked Gouda- I highly recommend using some smoked Gouda in this recipe, it gives it the perfect smoky bbq flavor!

corn- fresh, frozen, or canned, my favorite is Trader Joe’s frozen roasted corn kernels

Sweet and Spicy Pork and Pineapple Tacos

July 6, 2015

IMG_8048

I’ve found a lot of favorite new recipes on Mel’s Kitchen Cafe recently. This one I’ve already made twice and know it’ll be a frequent repeater because it’s absolutely yummy (especially with ancho chili powder- you must try it!) and comes together so so quickly. Pork tenderloin might be my favorite cut of meat- it’s super lean and still has so much flavor. These pork tacos are sweet (thanks to the pineapple/juice) and just a bit spicy (from the chili powder/cayenne) and amazingly tender. We wrapped the sweet and spicy pork filling in warm corn tortillas (the Tortillaland uncooked corn tortillas from Costco) and topped them with salsa verde, a touch of sour cream, and guacamole.

Sweet and Spicy Pork and Pineapple Tacos

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs. pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. chili powder (I used ancho chili powder because I love the flavor)
pinch of cayenne pepper (more to taste, if wanted)
1/4 cup pineapple juice
3 cups diced pineapple (fresh or frozen preferred to canned)
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
warm corn or flour tortillas, for serving
salsa verde, for serving (optional)
sour cream, for serving (optional)
guacamole or avocado, for serving (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the pork pieces and add them to the hot skillet, browning on each side until golden (the pork doesn’t need to cook all the way through in this step, just get a nice color on all the pieces).

2. Stir in the garlic, cumin, chili powder and cayenne and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the juice and pineapple and simmer the mixture until the pork is just cooked through, 5-8 minutes.
Stir in the cilantro. Serve with corn or flour tortillas and salsa, sour cream, and guacamole (all optional).

Serves 8 (I halve it to serve four.)

(Adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe)