Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup, from Shelli

Chicken Tortilla Soup in the crock pot.

Two chicken breasts
28 oz can petite diced tomatoes
Generous shakes of Fiesta seasoning (TS)

Let get happy on LOW for several hours.

Pull out chicken, shred, put back in (or shred in pot like I do)

An hour or so before serving, I dumped in a bag of Birds' Eye Southwestern Corn and Veggies and about 2 c chicken broth.

Ladle into bowls, crumble up tortilla chips and top w/cheese and sour cream. Yum.

Veggie and Shrimp Fajitas, from Shelli

Veggie & Shrimp fajitas

Two zucchini
Two squash
One red pepper
One onion (I used a white onion)
1 pkg McCormick Citrus Lime Marinade mix (need oil & vinegar)
One pound 31-40ct shrimp

I used my mandolin to julienne the squashes and pepper. Then I sliced the onion thinly. I peeled/deveined the shrimp and put them in a separate bowl. Then I mixed up the marinade and divided it between the veggies and the shrimp. I let them hang out in fridge for a few hours.

Ex-MIL's Tacos, from Clair

Beef Mixture

Ground beef
Tomato sauce
Diced onion
Hot sauce
Salt & Pepper

Brown the beef and onion until semi cooked. Add everything else to taste. You don't need too much tomato sauce... the mixture should not be liquidy.

Chicken Mixture

Boneless skinless chicken breast
Salsa
1 can diced tomatoes

Pour diced tomatoes and about 1/2 jar of salsa on the chicken. Cover with foil and bake at 375 for half an hour or so. Once out of the over, shred. I mix in some of the juice to the shredded chicken.

OK, so once you have the mixture of your choice, you need to heat some oil and a pat of butter in a cast iron skillet. Place a corn tortilla in the skillet. Add a TB or two of the chicken or beef to the center of the tortilla. Fold in half to create a taco. You'll have to hold the taco for a few seconds until the tortilla keeps its shape. Cook on each side until the taco is your desired crispness. Jonah likes his semi-soft. I like mine crispy but still chewy. Be sure to add more butter and oil as needed. I usually add butter every other rotation (I will do 3 tacos in the pan at once).

Fill with lettuce, sour cream salsa, cheese & tomatoes. Yum!

Mexican Lasagna IV, from Shelli

In the crock pot went:

1 lb chicken breast
1 jar Trader Joe's salsa verde
1 packet Citrus Lime grill marinade

^cook low and slow till it falls apart

Then I sprayed a 9x13" pan with cooking spray.

12 white corn tortillas (cut in half)
1 28oz can enchilada sauce
1 14.5 oz can Bush's mild chili beans
1 small jar diced green chiles
cheese of choice (I used 2% monterey jack)

Layer 1/3 tortillas, then chicken, beans, chiles, cheese and sauce. Top with 1/3 tortillas, press down. Repeat, then top with last 1/3 tortillas, rest of sauce, top w/cheese if desired (mine had 1/2 cheese b/c Alec doesn't eat it).

Bake at 375* for 20ish minutes.

YUM! I put a dab of guac on top of mine. Sooooo good. You could also put corn or other assorted veggies in it.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole, from Karli

3 chicken breasts
4oz cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar
4 tortillas
cumin
garlic powder
salt
pepper

Boil chicken in slightly salted water (reserve half cup of broth). Shred chicken and mix with broth, sour cream, cream cheese and seasonings. Cook until well blended. Layer tortillas in bottom of 9x13 pan (you may have to tear them to fit). Cover tortillas with chicken mixture and then top with cheddar cheese. Bake at 350° until cheese is melted.

Carnitas, an idea from Carrie

Dinner tonight is carnitas. In the crockpot I have thrown: 1 16oz jar of Ortega salsa verde Salt, pepper, cumin, Garlic Garlic Cubed pork (that I browned first) Let simmer all day. Serve on tortillias with cheese and lettuce!

Spicy Turkey Meat Mix for Mexican Food, from Kris

- 1 TBSP olive oil
- 1 package ground turkey breast
- 1 onion chopped finely
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 TBSP worchestershire sauce
- 1 TBSP chili powder
- 3 large or 4 small chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped well (add less for less spicy, more for more spicy - I like spicy!)

In skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and saute until onions are soft. Add garlic and saute for 1 or 2 more minutes. Add ground turkey and increase heat a little. When turkey is halfway browned (or so), add chili powder and worchestershire sauce. Finish browning turkey until done. Add chipotle peppers and stir to combine.

This meat will make yummy filling for tacos, taco salads, topping nachos, fill burritos - it's good and has lots of flavor and spice!

Tortilla Soup, suggested by Stephanie

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Slow-Cooker-Chicken-Tortilla-Soup/Detail.aspx

Usually I throw in raw chicken to cook all day in the crock pot, fish it out and shred it an hour or two before dinner and add it back in, but I have leftover pork so I'll probably shred that and throw it in for a bit at the end.

Mexican Chopped Salad, from Mandy

I am often without jicama, so have been known to sub cukes. It's good.


Mexican Chopped Salad

Salad
2 1/2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 can (15.5 oz) black beans, rinsed and well drained
3/4 cup chopped seeded tomato
3/4 cup chopped peeled jicama
3/4 cup fresh corn kernels, uncooked (or frozen or canned)
3/4 cup thinly sliced radishes
Half a ripe avocado, diced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese

Honey-Lime Dressing
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro (or more to taste)
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
1 tsp chopped jalapeño pepper (use canned for less heat)

Toss all salad ingredients in a large bowl. In separate bowl, mix dressing ingredients. Pour dressing over mixture and toss again. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Chicken Enchilada Suiza Casserole, suggested by Kris

Chicken enchilada suiza casserole (a la Weight Watchers Book):

Sauce:
- 1 can of diced green chilis
- 2 cans healthy request cream of chicken soup
- 1 1/3 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup light sour cream
- 1 cup diced onions
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp cumin, salt and pepper to taste

Other ingredients:
- package of corn tortillas (about 24)
- low fat cheese
- cooked, shredded chicken (I boiled the chicken in chicken broth with some fresh cracked pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and cumin until chicken was cooked throughthen cooled and shredded it).

Putting it together:
Layer sauce first in casserole dish, top with 6 corn torillas, shredded chicken, cheese, sauce and repeat layers 3 more times. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Yum!

Chicken Fajita Quesadillas, an idea from Kris

I made chicken fajita quesadillas tonight. We had BBQ'd some bone in chicken breasts night before last with just some creole seasoning sprinkled on them. We had 2 breasts left over (we bought a 5 pack and cook 'em all, knowing we'd have an epiphany of something to do with the leftovers).

I took the chicken off the bone and chopped it up. In a pan, I sauteed a diced onion. When it was soft, I added a diced yellow pepper and diced red pepper as well as the chicken. I then added a can of fire roasted green chilis 1 tsp of the creole seasoning I used on the chicken, and the juice of 1 lime. I let it cook together until hot and the liquid had evaporated. I have a waffle iron that has a griddle on the opposite sides from the waffle-y part, so I flipped them both over to make a sandwich press. I put a tortilla on the bottom, spread some pepper jack cheese, topped with veggie/chicken mix, more cheese and another tortilla. I closed the griddle and let it cook until the tortillas were toasty. Cut them into 4ths and served the wedges with sour cream and salsa. They were damn good. I'm having leftovers for lunch at work tomorrow!

Kris's Famous Blackened Fish Tacos, by Kris

Tonight I made my famous Blackened Fish Tacos. My family (well, not my children, but me and my wife) love the fish tacos. I used fresh cilantro from my garden... I call them Blackened, although they are not truly blackened - but I use a cajun spice rub and put them on the grill.

Blackened Fish Tacos:

spice rub:
- 1 tsp course salt (I use sea salt)
- 1 TBSP smoked paprika
- 2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp course ground black pepper
- 1/2 TBSP garlic powder
- 1 TBSP onion powder
- 1/2 TBSP ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander seed
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil

Mix together in small tupperware (I throw it into a small tupperware with a lid and shake the hell out of it until it's mixed well).

For the tacos:
- Mahi Mahi fillets (I use 1 fillet for 2 tacos)
- 1 fresh lime
- 1 TBSP olive oil
- cajun spice rub (see above)

Cilantro-Lime sour cream
- 1 container sour cream
- juice of 1 fresh lime
- handful of cilantro
- 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper

Putting it together:
I used Mahi Mahi for my tacos, but any firm white flesh fish will work (cod, halibut, tilapia, blue marlin). Heat the grill on high while preparing the fillets. I put a small amount of olive oil on the fish, then squeeze a lime over them. Rub the oil and lime juice into the fish, then sprinkle liberally with the spice rub (every bit of fish is covered in the spice rub). Turn the grill down to low and cook fish until done (our grill has 3 heating elements, I usually cook the fish in the middle element on low while the 2 side elements are on medium-high heat). Combine all the ingredients for the cilantro-lime sour cream in a blender and mix until it looks like a green cream sauce. Take the fish off the grill when it is done and squeeze more fresh lime juice over them while they are hot.

To assemble the tacos, I put corn torillas on the hot grill for a few seconds each side. Add a small sprinkling of cheese, place 1/2 fish fillet (cut lengthwise) on the tortilla, top with shredded cabbage, cilantro-lime cour cream, some pico de gallo, fresh cilantro sprigs and a fresh lime wedge. Of course, it goes best served with a tall, cold Mexican beer with lime wedges as well.... I hope that you all try it!

Chicken Bean Stuff, from Shelli

Tonight we had chicken/bean stuff in tortillas with Mexican Rice by Goya.

Mexican Rice (chicken flavor by Goya)...make per package instructions.

Chicken Bean Stuff:

1-10oz pkg original roasted chicken shortcuts from perdue (or use fresh chix if you're not a lazy beyatch like me)
1 can Goya black beans, drained, rinsed
Onions & Peppers (chopped--I use frozen...see above)
taco seasoning or Goya adobo seasoning, to taste

Put a tsp or two of olive oil in pan. Cook up onions and peppers along with beans. Season. Stir in chicken, cook until heated through.

Serve in tortillas w/all the usual fixings.

There, dinner's done. It wasn't half bad. I just invented that tonight. Go me.

Suggested by Karli - Kraft's Chicken Enchilada Skillet

I made Chicken Enchilada Skillet from the Kraft Food and Family magazine. Let's see if I can remember off the top of my head....
3-4 chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces
1 14oz can chicken broth
1/4 cup ranch dressing
2 TBS flour
4-5 flour tortillas cut into bite size pieces
shredded cheese of choice (I used sharp cheddar)
2 TBS olive oil

Cook chicken in olive oil until done. Mix broth, dressing and flour together and pour in skillet. Stir in tortillas and simmer until sauce thickens. Sprinkle cheese on top, cover with lid until cheese melts.It was very yummy!

I used fat free dressing and 2% milk cheese so it wasn't too bad for us either.

Semi-Mexican Feast, an idea from Carrie

Chicken breasts, diced, seasoned with fajita seasoning (McCorrmik) then sauteed in a little oil. Served with a can of pinto beans that have been seasoned with a packet of Goya con azafran and simmered until soft. Cole Slaw.

Fake Mexican Rice, from Dani

Last night I made a fake mexican rice to have with our tacos, because we were out of refried beans, and I'm trying to use up some of the stuff in my cabinets before I go shopping again.

1.5c instant brown rice
1.25c water
About 1tsp of hot sauce (I used valentina's, it's in the mexican food aisle)
About 1/4c tomato sauce
2tsp paprika

Just cook the rice like the package directions say, only with a little less water, and then add the paprika, hot sauce and tomato sauce, and cook a little longer (I did mine in the microwave) and then fluff with a fork. Mine tasted almost just like real mexican rice.

Chicken Enchiladas, from Michelle

Tonight I'm making chicken enchiladas:

½ stick butter
1 med. Onion, chopped
4-oz. can green chilies, drained and chopped
1 lb. chicken strips
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. red pepper
4 oz. Philadelphia cream cheese, cubed
8 (9-inch) flour tortillas
8-oz. pkg. cheddar/Jack Cheese, shredded
½ pt. heavy whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Add green chilies, sauté 1 minute. Add chicken, salt, red pepper and sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes. Stir in cream cheese, stirring constantly until melted. Let cool for 5 minutes. Spoon 2 or 3 tablespoons of mixture down center of each tortilla. Roll up tortillas and place seam side down in a lightly greased 13x9 inch baking dish. Sprinkle cheese and drizzle with whipping cream. Bake 30 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Taco Pie, from Karli

Taco Pie

4 chicken breasts
1 package taco seasoning
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies
shredded cheddar cheese
tortillas

Mix taco seasoning and tomatoes in small bowl. Lay chicken on bottom of crockpot and cover with tomato mixture. Cook on high for 3 hours or low for 5-6. Shred chicken, stir and cook for another hour or so.

Line baking pan (I used a Pampered Chef stone bar pan) with tortillas. You will have to tear them into funny shapes to cover bottom. Spread chicken mixture over tortillas and top with cheese. Bake @ 350° until cheese is melted.

Taco Pie, from Stephanie

I made the Layered Taco Dip in an 9x9 pan last time and had some leftover beans and salsa mix. Together with our other random leftovers and lack of tortillas, I came up with Taco Pie (again, neither tacos nor pie).

In a shallow, microwave- or oven-safe dish, layer:

1 cup refried beans and salsa mixture
1/3 cup black beans, sprinkled
1 chicken breast, cooked, shredded, and taco seasoningized
1/3 jar nacho cheese dip
1/3 cup black beans, sprinkled
1/8 cup fresh minced onion

Microwave for 2-3 minutes or until hot, or cook in the oven until hot. Then add:

1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar and colby cheeses

And cook using desired method until cheese melts.

Serve each person a plate of chips and a little bowl of sour cream. No double dipping!

Layered Taco Dip, from Stephanie

Layered Taco Dip

1 can refried beans
1/2 cup salsa (ish... enough to make it spreadable, not make soup)

Mix and set aside.

1 brick cream cheese
1 packet taco seasoning

Mix and set aside.

1/3 jar nacho cheese dip (tostitos queso is good!)

8oz sour cream

8oz shredded cheese - mexican blend, colby jack, cheddar, whatever. Something with some color is nice. I used 50/50 cheddar and colby the last time I made this.

In a relatively shallow pan (9x13 works well with these amounts), spread the bean mixture, then the cream cheese mixture, cheese sauce, sour cream, and shredded cheese. You can add shredded lettuce, diced fresh tomato, olives, or other (disgusting) things that you personally like to the top... but I don't. Serve cold with scoop tortilla chips, sturdy tortilla chips, fritos scoops, ... whatever.

I'm all about minimizing bowls so I mix the beans and salsa in the serving dish. Also, it helps to pop the beans and salsa in the fridge for a while or the freezer for a few minutes and to make sure the cream cheese is soft before trying to spread it.