Stan's Tamale Pie

2 tablespoons of salad oil, 1 medium onion (chopped fine), 1 large diced green chilies (can), 1.5 lbs of ground beef, 1 tablespoon of chili ppowder, 1 cup of red or green taco sauce, 3 cups cheddar cheese, 1 avocado, 1 small can of corn nibblets.

first get some corn meal... 1.5 cups to 3.5 cups of water, .5 teaspoons of ground cumin, salt, and ground red pepper. bring to boil and stir continuously until cornmeal is thick enough to leave a path for 2 sec. spread this over a 3 quart casserole dish (up the sides too)

next pour the oil in a frying pan over med heat and add onions, green chilies. brown till translucent. set aside.
brown the ground beef & chili powder and remove the fat.

stir in onion and green chilies mix into meat. add the taco sauce and half the cheese and mix together...
Put into cornmeal crust.

bake at 350 for 30 to 35 mins. put the rest of the cheese on top with the corn nibblets on top 5 mins prior to finish bake

take the avocado and cube it or slice it or make guacamole... as a accompaniment also cilantro/ sour cream/ or olives/ diced tomatoes is nice over the top!

Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 c. shredded cooked chicken*

1 (15 oz) can tomatoes

1 med. onion, chopped**

1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies

1 can black beans

1 (14 1/2 oz) can chicken broth

1 (10oz) can enchilada sauce.

1 clove garlic minced

2 c. water

1 t. cumin

1 t. chili powder

1 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

1 (10 oz) pkg frozen corn (petite white is best)

1 -2 T. cilantro

Combine all in crock pot. Cook 6-8 hours on low or 3-4 on high. Serve with crushed tortilla chips and grated cheddar cheese in bottom of bowl, then ladle soup over. Top with sour cream, chopped green olives, and/or olives for garnish.

*I've used the Louis Rich Chicken Strips, a deli roasted whole chicken, and even canned chicken in an emergency.

**We like the onion sauteed before it's thrown in the soup or I use onion powder or minced onion. My kids don't like finding big pieces of onion.

Sandy's Spanish Rice

2 cups long grain rice
3 Tbsp cooking oil
3 & 1/2 cups boiling water
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cumin powder
2 chicken bouillon cubes or packets
3/4 tsp garlic powder or 2-3 cloves of fresh garlic
1 small can tomato sauce
1 small onion, diced

Brown rice slowly in skillet with cooking oil. When golden, turn fire way down and slowly* add boiling water, tomato sauce and spices. DO NOT STIR.

The more you stir, the mushier your rice will be. When it has cooked about 15 minutes, cover with tight lid and make sure your fire is on low or number 2 or 3 on knob. If it looks dry but not yet done, add a little more hot water, around 1/4 to 1/2 cup.

*Make sure you do this SLOWLY. The boiling water splashed up and burned my hand.

Sandy's Beef Enchiladas

6 dozen tortillas

Cooking oil enough to cover about 1-2 inches in skillet.
2-3 lbs ground beef cooked and browned
2 cans chili no beans I Like Wolf brand or Hormel
2 large 303 cans of tomato sauce

1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder or 2-3 cloves of fresh garlic2 med-large onion chopped or minced
1 large loaf of Velveeta (2Lbs)
1 lb of shredded fiesta blend cheese (white and yellow
cheeses for Mexican dishes) or cheddar (your choice)

Cook and brown hamburger meat, taking care to chop up large lumps. Drain fat and or rinse with hot water to remove as much fat as possible. Add chili, tomato sauce, 1 of the onions and the spices. Clean out cans of sauce and chili with about a can or two of hot water.

After stirring this and mixing well, spoon or pour entire mixture (slowly) through a colander, separating the juice-sauce from the meat. This will make your chili meat very tasty, but you do not want it to be too runny. Set aside the sauce for the topping of the dish later.

Heat about 1 cup of cooking oil till "frying hot." While this is heating, prepare a cookie sheet with paper towels for them. This will be your working space to roll them. Be prepared to arrange them in 6stacks (or 4 if you have a small cookie sheet) for easier and faster rolling. DO NOT FRY tortillas but take 2 at a time and place them in hot oil

for just a second or two then take out quickly. You just want to soften them. If you do not remove quickly they will get too hard and crispy to roll.

Place in each softened and hot tortilla a strip or two of the Velveeta, a tablespoon or so of meat and extra chopped onion IF you like onion as much as I do. You can leave it out if you want as long as it has good flavor. For those who like the flavor of onion but do not care for the onion crunch, blend it and add it to the meat mixture.
Once you have these things in the center, or actually in a row in the middle of the tortilla, begin to roll it by pulling the ingredients to the edge with the edge of the tortilla. Roll as tightly as possible and place neatly in a baking dish or plate.

If you are fixing for a crowd, a cake pan does well, or a glass oven proof baking dish. When finished rolling, spoon sauce over enchiladas generously so they won't be dry. Top with grated cheese, chopped green onion, minced red peppers, or whatever you like to decorate with. If you will put the cheese along the middle of the row of
enchiladas you will be able to see where to cut and serve the enchiladas better. In other words, leave a little on each end of the enchilada without cheese, but be sure to cover entire enchilada with sauce first. You do not want your sauce to be too thick. It should be like a thin gravy in consistency. They are wonderful on a plate and cooked in the microwave. But be careful not to overcook. Normally, unless completely frozen, each enchilada including rice and beans on the plate should not cook for more than 30 seconds. In other words if you have 3 on a plate, 1 & 1/2 minutes is all it needs, max.
For oven baking, heat oven to 375 degrees and place in oven for 15-20 minutes or until sauce is bubbling and cheese looks melted. Avoid browning the cheese or letting it overcook and become crusty. They are much better if they are hot but soft and tender, so you can cut them with a fork.

I always make plenty of enchiladas and freeze trays for another day when I do not have time to cook. These make nice gifts for busy people who enjoy good mexican food. You can choose to use the cheddar cheese instead of the Velveeta but I have had more compliments with the Velveeta because it melts and blends with the meat mixture so well. Most people do not know I use Velveeta ONLY for the inside of the enchilada. And only for the BEEF enchilada.

Serve with Spanish rice, beans, refried beans, guacamole, salsa & chips, and anything else you can think of that sounds good with enchiladas.

Sandy's Chicken Enchiladas

4 lg chicken breasts, cooked and shredded or cut in small pieces (I like mine shredded)

2 medium size onions, (or one really large) minced or dices small
3 cans green chiles (walmart has their brand GV for .67 cents and they are just right (mild)
1 lg of Monterrey Jack cheese, cut in strips or shredded. Can use mozzarella if you have it.
Chicken bouillon, enough to make 6 cups of broth
1 teaspoon garlic powder or 2-3 cloves fresh garlic minced
1 red bell pepper chopped small or minced (for decor as well as flavor)
1/2 to 1 cup green onions sliced thin (for decor as well as flavor)
1/2 pint sour cream (I use FAT FREE or LOW FAT)
Corn Starch
5-6 dozen corn tortillas or 2 dozen large flour tortillas

Take the chicken and cook it first. Take out of pan to cool once it's cooked. When cool cut shred (pull apart with hands). Set broth aside to make sauce.

To shredded chicken add 2 cans green chiles and 1 chopped onion. (My hubby likes cooked onions so I saute them quickly in a teaspoon of oil or PAM.)
You can either add 2 cups of shredded MJ cheese or cut in narrow strips for each enchilada. Salt, pepper and garlic powder or fresh garlic to taste

Making sauce: (this is the secret to a good enchilada I think)
Make sure you have about six - 8 cups of liquid. Add water if
necessary. Add chicken bouillon to make a rich broth. Add 1 can green chiles, 1/2 chopped or minced onions, salt, pepper (to taste) and garlic powder. Make a paste with 1/2 cup water and 2/3 cup corn starch. When completely smooth, slowly add to the chicken broth and stir continuously until smooth and thick. Needs to be about the
consistency of thin cake batter. IF YOUR SAUCE IS TOO THIN, make a little more corn starch paste taking care to use COLD water. IF YOUR SAUCE IS TOO THICK, quickly
add water and bouillon and stir.

Heat about 1 cup of cooking oil till frying hot. While this isheating, prepare a cookie sheet with paper towels for them. This will be your working space to roll them. DO NOT FRY tortillas but take 2 at a time and place them in hot oil for just a second or two then take out quickly. You just want to soften them. If you do not remove quickly they will get too hard and crispy to roll. As soon as you can handle them, place chicken mixture and cheese in each tortilla (about 2 tablespoons) making sure you do not have them too full to roll. Roll tightly and place in a baking dish or cake pan.

Once you have rolled the enchiladas, cover with this sauce generously and then top with shredded cheese either cheddar or more white cheese) and decorate with green onions sliced thin and minced or chopped red and or green bell peppers.

You can vary this dish with green salsa added to the sauce, make them as hot as you like, or serve the salsa on the side, to please everyone.

They are wonderful on a plate and cooked in the microwave. But be careful not to overcook. Normally, unless completely frozen, each enchilada including rice and beans on the plate should not cook for more than 30 seconds. In other words if you have 3 on a plate, 1 & 1/2 minutes is all it needs, max. For oven baking, heat oven to 375 degrees and place in oven for 15-20 minutes or until sauce is bubbling and cheese looks melted. Avoid browning the cheese or letting it overcook and become crusty. They are much better if they are hot but soft and tender, so you can cut them with a fork. I always make plenty of enchiladas and freeze trays for another day when I do not have time to cook. These make nice gifts for busy people who enjoy good mexican food.

Tortilla Soup

But, to be honest, we leave out the tortilla chips a lot. =0)

This soup mix is for a gift jar...but we like it so much I keep the mix in the pantry for a quick dinner.  On a rushed night, dumping a bunch of things into a pot to simmer for 20 minutes is my kind of dinner.  

Seasonings:

2T. chichen bouillon granules

2t. lemonade powder with sugar

1t. lemon pepper

1t. dried cilantro leaves

1/2 t. garlic powder

1/2 t. ground cumin

1/2 t. salt (I usually leave this out)

1/4 c. dried minced onions (I use 2 T.)

1c. rice

1 10 oz. can chicken

1 14.5 oz can tomatoes (I like Hunt's Fire Roasted or something with green chilies)

Add everything to a pot with 10c. water.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.  Serve with crushed chips at the bottom of the bowl.  Garnish with shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado, olives...you name it.  YUM!

Mexican Lasagna

There is no “real” recipe, and feel free to add and change.

The basic:
9x13 Pyrex
6 Flour tortillas (I use soft taco size)
Enchilada sauce
Refried beans 30oz can
1# Ground beef (browned)
Taco seasoning packet (I use about ½ packet to 1# meat…but my kids don’t like spicy…and you can always add heat later but you can’t take it out)
Shredded Cheese (2c. shredded pkg…or more if you like)

In the bottom of the Pyrex, pour a little enchilada sauce.
Layer 2 tortillas to cover the bottom.
½ can of beans
½ seasoned meat
2 fistfuls of cheese
some more E. sauce
repeat
top with 2 tortillas and some E. sauce

Bake covered until heated through…maybe 20-30 min at 350
Then uncover…sprinkle with cheese and bake until cheese melts.

Variations…
Use chicken, use different beans, I’ve even used whole wheat tortillas (you could use corn…I just don’t like them) sometimes I’ll serve with olives, avocado, cilantro, or cotija cheese on top.