Slow Cooker Hearty Chili

I am always looking for easy potluck recipes.  This one is inexpensive and fairly mild.  For Clyde and my tastes we would do medium salsa and add some pepper flakes - but then we like things spicy.  This is really a very mild chili - even New Englanders liked it and I joke that they can't stand anything spicier than black pepper.

Slow Cooker Hearty Chili
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
4-5 cans (15 ounces each) red kidney beans, drained
1 can 16 ounces tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups mild salsa (I use the thick and chunky kinds)
1 cup frozen corn
2 Tablespoon chili powder
1/2 Tablespoon Fajita Seasoning

Brown the ground beef.  I add the chili powder and fajita Seasoning to the ground beef and bloom the flavors (I also add the pepper flakes here if they are going to be added.)  Add the meat to the slow cooker and all the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker, stirring to blend well.  Cover with the lid.  Cook on low for 5-6 hours or high 3-4 hours.  Stir just before serving.  Top with cheese and serve with fresh tortillas or crunchy tortilla chips.

This will serve 12 nicely.

Note:  I have a friend that topped her leftovers with cornbread batter and baked it as she would her cornbread.  There was nothing left.  

I love these because of the history behind them. They truly are Navajo tacos from the time of the "Trail of Tears". My family really enjoys the taste. They are fried so definitely not a frequent food, but still yummy.




Navajo Tacos
2 cup unbleached flour
1 tsp salt
1 Tbs powdered milk
1 Tbs baking powder
1 cup water
Vegetable oil for frying
Extra flour to flour your hands


Heat oil on stove to about 350 degrees. (Med-hi) Mix flour, salt, milk and baking powder together. Add water and mix with your hands. Knead it and shape it into 8 balls. Pull each dough ball and flatten. Spread and pull. Don't worry if it is round. Then put into oil. Turn after a couple of minutes. When the other side is golden remove from oil and put on paper towel to drain.


Serve with your favorite taco toppings.

Taco Cheese Dip

This is also called Chili Cheese Dip

1/2 pound Velveeta cheese
1 can mild chopped green chiles
1 Tablespoon or 1 package Taco Seasoning
1 1/2 cup fat free sour cream or plain yogurt
Tortilla Chips and or vegetable sticks

Melt cheese in microwave safe bowl, in microwave stirring every 2 minutes until melted.  Stir in sour cream and chiles.  Add Taco Seasoning.  Can be served warm or cold.   

Note:  I serve it in the smallest crockpot that is for dips.  It keeps it just the right temperature and makes a great queso for Taco parties or just a warm a dip on a cold night.  Some people thing even the mild chiles are too hot.  I tend to eliminate them around here and just add roasted red peppers instead.  I however like spicy heat so the hotter the better in my mind.

Mexican Fried Rice Casserole

This is a recipe I came up with when I had a bunch of leftovers and didn't know what to do with the little bittses (as my mother would say).  So I combined them and came up with this.  This meal is ready in 15 minutes.

Mexican Fried Rice Casserole
2 or more cups of leftover rice
1 cup cooked chicken, pork or beef, cubed (or more if you have it)
1 can black beans or kidney beans, drained and rinsed or if you have leftover refried beans in the refrigerator - add them at the end
1/4 -1/2 cup salsa - as spicy as your family likes
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 -1/2 teaspoon Cajun Seasoning (optional)

In 1 or 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil, brown the rice.  I add the spices just after I brown the rice because it blooms them and makes them really pop.  Add the meat, beans and salsa and heat through.  I like this not to be soupy but to be able to hold its shape in a tortilla or on a chip.  Salt and pepper to taste and serve on flour or corn tortillas or as is with a salad. 

Note: This is a quick and easy meal.  The spices can be adjusted to your family's taste.  Some families may want more or less spice than others.  I serve it with lettuce, tomato and shredded cheese on tortilla chips or tortillas but it is great just on its own (which is how I eat it since I don't need the extra carbs).  If I have it, I make guacamole with it.  It is filling and healthy meal plus you just about emptied the refrigerator!

Quick Black Bean Soup

For some reason people think that soup is just for winter.  I like them year round because like this one, they are quick. This is not a heavy soup.  I serve it with tortilla chips and a shredded lettuce salad.  Dinner is ready in less than 30 minutes.  It is somewhat like a taco soup but lighter.  You make it as spicy as you want by how hot the salsa is you put in.
Quick Black Bean Soup
2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 small onion, minced (optional)
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups chicken  broth
1 cup salsa (as spicy as you like - store-bought or homemade)
The juice of one lime
Melt butter in a medium saucepan and cook onions until golden.  Add chicken and cook until edges start to turn a golden brown.  Add the drained black beans, the chicken broth and salsa.  Simmer together for 20 minutes.  Add the juice of the lime just before serving and just heat through.  Serve with a side salad and tortilla chips or warmed corn tortillas. 

Carne Asada

I found this recipe because I needed a way to revive about 5 pounds of grilled chicken that was so dry - it was like swallowing sandpaper.  This is spicy hot but oh so good.  It reminded me of food on the River Walk in San Antonio.


Carne Asada
4 strips bacon
4-5 pounds chuck roast
14 1/2 ounces diced tomatoes
1 can chipotle chile's in adobo sauce
1 onion, finely minced
1 jalapeno - seeded and minced
3 Tablespoons chili powder
3-4 teaspoons cumin
4 garlic cloves, grated fine
4 cups water
4 teaspoons brown sugar


Fry the bacon strips until crisp.  Drain on paper towels and reserve the bacon fat.  Cut the chuck roast into 1 inch pieces.  Add 1 Tablespoon bacon fat back into the dutch oven and brown the chuck roast cubes in batches - so each piece is browned on all sides.  This will take 10-15 minutes.  In the meantime in a food processor or blender combine the diced tomatoes and chipotle chili's together until it is smooth.  


Remove the meat and add the 2 more Tablespoons of the bacon fat and soften the onion and jalapeno pepper.  When the onion is completely softened and starting to brown, add the chili powder and cumin.  Add the grated garlic cloves.  Cook just until you smell the garlic.  Add 4 cups of water and the brown sugar.  Add the meat back in and cut the bacon up into small pieces.  Add it back into the pot.  Add the diced tomato and chipotle mixture, stirring well.  Simmer for 1 hour with a lid on.  Remove the lid and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour more until thickened and the meat is tender.  If it is not to the thickness you want, then add 2 Tablespoons Jiffy corn muffin mix to some of the broth, blend it will and then add it back into to the pot.  Serve in bowls like chile or serve on tortillas.  


Note:  I made this with the leftover chicken breast instead of beef and I intended to make taco salads with it.  The dry chicken breast soaked up the juice of this and it came out moist and delicious but really just a shredded spicy chicken.  However since I put out the salad fixings with tortilla chips - what happened on many of the mens plates were what I would call Super Nachos.  They were meat, refried beans, cheese and guacamole on each chip with salad on the side.  It was a hit no matter how you looked at it.

Ropa Vieja

This was the main dish that Trisha Freel brought on Sunday. It was so good that I had to share it. This can go by two things - little ropes or little rags. It is basically shredded beef and boy is it tasty. This version is not overly spicy for those in my family that cannot handle 'hot' foods. I loved it and wanted to save some for Clyde but by the time he finished up his meetings there was none left. This feeds a lot of people, so plan on leftovers. Trish said it freezes well and she actually puts some up so that she has leftovers at a future date. This would make great filling for Tamales!

Ropa Vieja
1 large boneless chuck roast
2 can condensed beef consomme
2 cans beef broth
1 onion, quartered
1 teaspoon oregano (Mexican if you can find it)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Place meat in a slow cooker with liquid and onion. Sprinkle spices on top of meat. Cover and cook on low for a minimum of 8-10 hours - until meat is tender and will shred easily.

Remove from the cooker and shred the meat with forks. Reserve the cooking juices and mash the onion.

Sauce: {Begin about 1/2 hour before the meat will be done}
1 large onion, sliced thinly
1 large pepper, sliced thinly (use a bell pepper or an Italian cooking pepper}
Olive oil
Minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon oregano (Mexican if you can find it)
1/2 Adobo seasoning
Salt to taste
1-2 packets Badia Sazon Tropical (found in the Spanish aisle of your super market. Adds flavor and color to the dish)
1-2 can diced tomatoes
1-2 can tomato sauce
Saute onion in olive oil in a large dutch oven. When onions become tender, add green pepper and minced garlic. When garlic is fragrant at the spices. When you can smell the spices (1-2 minutes, add the tomatoes. When the meat is shredded, add it to the sauce and let it simmer.

Add one can of tomato sauce and 1-1 1/2 cups of the leftover juices from the meat. Stir together. Depending on how juicy you like the sauce, just keep adding tomato sauce and cooking juice until you get the desired texture you want for dish. This is great served over rice or on a bun so keep that in mind. Over rice it can be more like gravy, on a bun, you might want it a little thicker. I kept it warm in the slow cooker.

Note: For Clyde and me, we will not be adding the second onion (the one in the sauce). The first onion basically disintegrated so it wasn't even noticed in the sauce. However if you minced the onion so that there were not big chunks, no one would see the onion but the flavor would be there. Enjoy!

Mexican Rice Burritos

These are tasty and really a good summer meal. You can make them with plain rice, homemade Mexican Rice or store bought Mexican Rice. I suggest the Mexican rice because it bumps up the flavor factor for the recipe. The recipe is below.

Mexican Rice Burritos
1 cup Mexican Rice
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 can, drained and rinsed black beans (kidney or pinto work fine too)
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon or lime juice
8-large whole wheat tortillas
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese
Shredded lettuce

In a skillet combine the rice, chicken, beans, chili powder, cumin and Cajun seasoning. Heat through. When everthing is simmering well then add the lemon juice and remove from the heat. Lay out the 8 tortillas and portion out the filling so that all 8 are equally filled. Add the cheese and lettuce and roll. Serve with Salsa or queso on the side.

Note: Any meat can be used and because we have beans, rice and whole wheat tortillas, you can go meatless and still have a complete protein. It is amazing how satisfying these are. I have served them with leftover ground beef, pork, chicken and meatless. They are good every time.

Authentic Mexican Rice {This makes quite a bit but it is the real deal!}
1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 Tablespoon instant minced onion
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 quart chicken broth
Fry uncooked rice in oil until light brown. Add salt and spices and blend well (you want to bloom the spices not burn them). Stir in chicken broth and cover tightly. Cook until all water is absorbed - about 25 minutes.

Tamale Soup

This is really good! It is quick and tasty. We are going to spice ours up a little more next time but this is a great recipe for family's that like things mild.

1 pound ground pork or beef
1 pound ground chicken or turkey
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 beef bouillon cubes
2 cups water
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup green chile enchilada sauce
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 15-ounce can tomatoe sauce
1 15-ounce pinto beans, drained
10 fresh tamales, frozen or canned, husks removed
Grated cheese

Brown ground meat with onion in a large skillet (if meat is too lean, add 1 Tablespoon oil). Drain off grease. Add the chili powder, salt and pepper, mixing until the chili is blended well. Add remaining ingredients except for the tamales and cheese. Cook on low heat until flavors are blended. Ten minutes before serving, cut the tamales into 1-inch pieces and add to soup. If the tamales are not frozen, they will fall apart after cooking for extended periods of time. So if using canned tamales, drop in just before serving and just heat through. Top the serving with cheese if desired and serve with tortilla chips.

Note: I made mine with meatloaf mix because the one I found was made with beef, pork and chicken. It turned out great. I made the recipe today for the meal after the meetings for the military students. My soup ended up being served with a wonderful fruit salad, a tossed salad, some pineapple salsa and some guacamole along with some dinner rolls. It was a wonderful meal. Enjoy!

Nachos Grande

This is great party dish but it is also light dinner dish for those summer nights when you just don't want to cook. It does heat up the oven for a bit - but it is worth it.

1 15-ounce can chile beans in chili gravy
9 Tablespoons picante sauce, store bought or homemade
1 15-ounce bag corn tortilla chips (a great way to use up leftover or chips that are old little old)
4 cups grated Cheddar cheese or Mexican Blend cheese
1 avocado (otional)
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 Tablespoon grated onion
4 scallions, white and green parts, finely chopped
1 Roma tomatoes, chopped or 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, quarted
Jalepeno Pepper, chopped or sliced (optional)
Slice piitted black or green olives (optional)
Smoked red pepper, chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mash the chili beans with 1/2 cup of the picante sauce, until well mixed. Grease 2 - 9x13 pans and place the 1/2 the chips in each pan. Spoon the bean mixture into the pans. Sprinkle with grated cheese over the top. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the beans are bubbling.

Meanwhile, halve, pit and scoop out the avocado. Mix with the lemon juice, 1/2 cup sour cream, grated onion, and 1 Tablespoon Picante sauce. Garnish the nachos with the gaucamole, remaining sour cream, scallions, and tomatoes. Garnish with jalepeno pepper, black olive and or smoked red pepper if desired. Make 4-5 servings for a main dish or as an appetizer or party dish will serve 8-10.

Note: Clyde hates guacamole so I serve that on the side. We have both developed a sensitivity to onions/scallions and bell peppers so we have deleted those from our diet. The other thing I do to this is add 1 Tablespoon of Taco seasoning to the sour cream. It just adds a bit of zing to the dish. If I don't have chili in the house, I have used spicy refried beans instead.

Black Bean and Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:
1 can of Black Beans
2 cooked Chicken Breasts
1-2 cans of red enchilada sauce (depends on how much sauce you like)
6 Burrito sized tortillas
1/2 block shredded mild cheddar cheese
3 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin

Preheat oven to 425

Prep:
Shred the cooked chicken breasts. I like to cook mine in the microwave and then shred them by hand. But you can always use a food processor or chopper to cut the chicken up into small pieces. Set aside.
Pour the black beans, chili powder and cumin into a blender or food processor and mix until smooth.
Put a spoonful of the black bean mixture, some chicken and a little shredded cheese in the center of each tortilla. Fold the ends and roll each tortilla then place them in a large baking dish.
Top with red enchilada sauce ( 1 or 2 can depending on how much sauce you like) and the remaining shredded cheese. Take a piece of tin foil and fold it in half and then cover the enchiladas - this way it works more like a tent and the cheese won't stick to it.
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes then uncover and cook for the remaining 5 minutes.