Happy Spring everyone! It has been way too long since I last
posted. I had to take an impromptu break from blogging because life got crazy. Like
really crazy. Adulting is so hard. Things haven’t quite settled back down yet,
but I’m going to try my best to at least post once a month.
Since our schedule has been so jam packed lately, I’ve really had to dial back my cooking. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still cooking. I’ve just really simplified my approach to cooking. Time is of the essence, so I’ve been trying to cook things that don’t monopolize my entire day. As much as I would love to spend my entire weekend cooking and meal prepping, I’ve had to prioritize other things above cooking for the time being.
As a result, I’m falling back on fail proof, time saving recipes that I love! They don’t cut back on flavor, but they do cut back on time and that is a huge plus. Remember that Zesty Taco Seasoning recipe I shared? I use that handy dandy seasoning in my Taco Pie. This recipe is so easy because almost all of the ingredients are pre-made. For the pie crust, I just use a store bought pre-made pie crust you can pick up from the refrigerated aisle of the grocery store. I use canned enchilada sauce and refried beans, so that cuts back on time. And my homemade taco seasoning is just sitting in my pantry on standby, so the only thing that needs to be prepared is the ground beef. I love this Taco Pie because it’s a nice alternative to taco night. It’s so easy to prepare and makes for good leftovers. You can top your pie with lettuce, tomatoes, green onions, black olives, salsa or sour cream.
To make the taco meat, brown 1 lb of ground beef over medium to high heat. You can also substitute ground turkey or ground chicken. Add 3 tbsp of taco seasoning and ½ cup of water to the taco meat. Stir and bring to a boil for 2 minutes, then turn heat down to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
Spray a pie dish with cooking spray. Lay the pie crust in the pie dish, press gently into the dish and poke holes into the bottom of the crust with a fork. Bake the pie crust at 450 degrees F for 8 minutes and then remove from the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F.
Spoon the refried beans into the bottom of the baked pie crust. Top the refried beans layer with the cooked taco meat. Pour the enchilada sauce over top of the taco meat. Finally, top the pie with 2 cups of shredded cheese of your choice. I like cheddar or a Mexican blend. Return the pie into the 375-degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes until beans are warm and the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven and let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes before cutting into the pie.
Top pie with any desired toppings, such as lettuce, tomato, sour cream, green onions or salsa.
Happy new year everyone! It’s already been a super busy
start to the year, but I’m feeling very positive and optimistic about 2019. In
the new year, I’m focusing on spending more time doing things I love, which
also includes cooking things that I love. Mexican food is hands down my
favorite type of food. I love dining at authentic Mexican restaurants. Let’s be
honest, queso is life.
I also love cooking Mexican inspired dishes at home. We probably eat some sort of Mexican food at least once a week. That being said, I always have taco seasoning on hand in my kitchen. When I was in college, I used to just buy the taco seasoning packets and taco kits. Now that I’m older and wiser, I’ve learned it’s a lot healthier and cost effective to make taco seasoning in bulk using spices from your pantry. Another reason I like making my own taco seasoning is because I have more control over the flavor of the taco seasoning.
This Zesty Taco Seasoning is perfect to stash away in the
pantry for taco night. And beyond tacos, you can use this for burritos,
enchiladas, burgers, chilis and in soups like my Slow
Cooker Chicken Verde and White Bean Soup. You can easily store this seasoning
in a pretty mason jar or a tightly sealed Tupper Ware container. I highly
recommend making a batch of this taco seasoning! Having this seasoning on hand in
my pantry is so convenient and allows me to whip up tacos in a pinch. “Taco bout”
a win win. See what I did there?
Measure the spices and dump into a mason jar or tightly sealed Tupper Ware container. Seal with lid and shake to mix all the spices together.
To make tacos, brown 1 lb of taco meat over medium to high heat. You can use ground turkey, ground beef or ground chicken. Add 3 tbsp of taco seasoning and ½ cup of water to the taco meat. Stir and bring to a boil for 2 minutes, then turn heat down to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
The uses of this seasoning are endless! Add 2-3 tbsp of seasoning to soups, chilis, burgers and chicken for a meal that is packed with flavor.
Happy Fall! I am so thrilled that Fall is officially here! I love everything about this time of year, the beautiful fall foliage, the cooler temps and the anticipation of the holidays that are quickly approaching. Also, I love October because almost all of my family member’s birthdays are in October, including mine. And as fate had it, my husband’s birthday is conveniently October 1st and mine is just three days later on October 4th. It’s safe to say that we will never forget each other’s birthdays.
Now that cooler temperatures have arrived, I’ve been resurfacing some of my Fall and Winter soup recipes. Soup is always one of my go-to weeknight dinners because it is typically pretty low maintenance. It’s always nice to throw into a slow cooker in the morning and come home to a piping hot pot of soup. Soup is such a comforting food and perfect for this time of year.
I’m kicking off the Fall season with this delicious Mexican inspired soup recipe, Chicken Verde and White Bean Soup. I love Mexican food. We probably eat it at least once a week, so I have a nice arsenal of Mexican inspired recipes that I like to rotate through. This soup is perfect to serve if you are hosting guests for football game day. It’s also an easy recipe to throw into the slow cooker in the morning and come home to after a long day of work. Packed with flavor and a little heat, this soup will surely spice up your day!
Slice 1 fresh jalapeno in half length wise, remove the seeds, dice finely and then set aside. If you aren’t a huge fan of spicy food, feel free to use half of the jalapeno in the soup or omit this ingredient completely.
Cut 1 lime in half and set aside.
Place 2 boneless chicken breasts in the slow cooker.
To the slow cooker, add 1 can of green chiles, 1 can of navy beans, 1 cup of frozen white sweet corn, ½ cup of salsa verde, 1 packet of taco seasoning, fresh jalapeno to taste, squeeze in the juice of 1 lime and finally pour in the container of chicken stock over top all of your ingredients.
Stir the ingredients together, cover with the lid and set the slow cooker to “low” for 8 hours.
After cooking for 8 hours, remove the chicken breasts from the slow cooker, shred the chicken and return the chicken back into the soup once completely shredded.
Recipe Notes
This soup is great on its own, but it’s also great to top with shredded cheese, cilantro, crushed up tortilla chips and you can even squeeze in some extra lime juice.
