Crockpot Taco Chicken Bowls

Ingredients

1½ lbs. chicken breasts
1 (16 oz.) jar salsa
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained
½ lb. (8 oz.) frozen corn
1 Tbsp chili powder
½ Tbsp cumin
½ Tbsp minced garlic
½ tsp dried oregano
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ tsp salt
to taste cracked pepper
2 cups dry rice
8 oz. shredded cheddar
½ bunch cilantro (optional)

Instructions

Add everything except the rice, cheese, and cilantro to the slow cooker along with ¼ cup of water (for good measure). Give everything a good stir and make sure the chicken is covered in the mixture.
Secure the lid on your slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hrs.

Near the end of the cooking time, cook the two cups of rice according to the package directions (Bring the rice and 3 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot with a lid in place, as soon as it reaches a boil, reduced the heat to low and let simmer for 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving).
After 8 hours of cooking, carefully remove the lid of the slow cooker. Stir with a fork to shred the chicken (it should be super tender and will shred easily). Build the taco bowls by placing rice on the bottom, then the taco chicken mix, shredded cheese and fresh cilantro.

One Pot Burrito Bowl

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup red bell pepper
1/2 cup diced sweet onion
1 pound lean hamburger
1/3 cup Salsa
1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 15 oz can corn, drained
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 4 oz can diced green chiles
1 cup rice
1 Tablespoon taco seasoning
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 cup shredded cheddar/jack cheese
S & P to taste

Optional toppings:

Sour cream
Cilantro
Green Onions
Tomatoes
Avocado

Directions:

In a large pan heat the olive oil over medium heat. Saute the onions and red peppers. Add in hamburger and cook until browned. Stir in salsa, black beans, corn, tomatoes, green chiles, jasmine rice, taco seasoning and chili powder. Pour in chicken stock and then bring to a light boil. Cover the pan and reduce heat to low. Cook for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the rice is all the way cooked.

When rice is done, S&P to taste. Top with your favorite toppings. We like to serve over lettuce in a salad bowl and eat with tortilla chips.

One Pot Mexican Skillet Pasta

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound hamburger
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 cups salsa, homemade or store-bought
2 cups cooked elbows pasta
1 Roma tomato, diced
1 cup corn kernels
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add ground turkey and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks; drain excess fat.
Stir in tomato sauce and salsa until well combined. Add pasta, tomato, corn and black beans, and gently toss to combine.
Stir in cheese until melted through, about 1-2 minutes.
Serve immediately, topped with

Grilled Veggie Burritos

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
2 cups Long Grain Rice
4 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
2 whole Limes, Juiced And Zested
1/4 cup Chopped Cilantro
2 whole Zucchini, Cut Into Slices Lengthwise
1 whole Yellow Squash, Cut Into Slices Lengthwise
2 ears Corn, Leaves And Silk Removed
Olive Oil For Brushing
Salt For Sprinkling
1 can Seasoned Black Beans (15 Ounce Can)
6 whole Burrito-sized Flour Tortillas
1 whole Small Onion, Finely Chopped
2 whole Roma Tomatoes, Diced
1 cup Grated Monterey Jack Cheese
Optional Toppings: Salsa, Sour Cream, Guacamole, Extra Cilantro, Hot Sauce

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add rice and stir around for 2 minutes. Pour in chicken broth and the juice and zest of 1 lime. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20-25 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed. Stir in the juice and zest from the remaining lime, then stir in the cilantro. Set aside.

Brush zucchini and squash slices, along with the ears of corn, with olive oil.

Sprinkle with salt. Grill them on a grill pan, a charcoal grill, or saute them in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, turning them halfway through. Remove when the veggies have great color on the outside.

Set aside to cool, then dice them.

Heat the beans in a small saucepan until hot.

Warm the tortillas in the microwave for 30 seconds.

To assemble the burritos, lay out each tortilla on your work surface. Spoon on rice, then beans, then sprinkle on plenty of grilled veggies. Top with chopped onion, tomato, cheese, and any other toppings you'd like. Spoon salsa all across the top. Tuck in the sides, then roll the burrito up as tightly as you can. Cut in half and chow down!

Enchiladas

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cups enchilada sauce, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces ground beef
1 (4.5-ounce) can diced green chiles
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup canned corn kernels, drained
1/2 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/4 cups Monterey Jack cheese, divided
1 1/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
12 (6-inch) flour tortillas, warmed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced
1 Roma tomato, diced

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Pour 1 cup enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish; set aside.

Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add ground beef, green chiles, salt and pepper, to taste. Cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks; drain excess fat.

In a large bowl, combine beef, corn, beans, 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese and 1/2 cup cheddar cheese.

To assemble the enchiladas, lay tortilla on a flat surface and spoon 1/4 cup of the beef mixture in the center. Roll the tortilla and place seam side down onto prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas and beef mixture. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheeses.
Place into oven and bake until bubbly, about 20 minutes.

Serve immediately, garnished with cilantro, avocado and tomato, if desired.

Taco Spaghetti

Ingredients:

* 1 pound ground beef
* 1 packet taco seasoning
* 1 can black beans
* 1 to 2 cups frozen corn
* 1 can crushed or pureed tomatoes
* 1/2 pound whole wheat spaghetti

Directions:

Start by cooking ground beef in a large skillet.

Add a packet of taco seasoning.

Drain and rinse one can of black beans and add it to the skillet.

Add frozen corn.  You don’t need to thaw or pre-cook it in anyway.  It will heat up in the skillet with the other ingredients.

Add one can of crushed or pureed tomatoes.

And mix!

While this is happening, boil a pot of water and cook some whole wheat spaghetti.   You could also use regular spaghetti or even spaghetti squash.  And if you have some other kind of pasta at home,  use it!  Any noodle will work.

BBQ Chicken Salad

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 boneless, skinless thin-sliced chicken breasts
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 Roma tomato, diced
3/4 cup canned corn kernels, drained
3/4 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup Ranch dressing
1/4 cup BBQ sauce
1/4 cup tortilla strips

INSTRUCTIONS:

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat.

Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper, to taste. Add to skillet and cook, flipping once, until cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side. Let cool before dicing into bite-size pieces.

To assemble the salad, place romaine lettuce in a large bowl; top with tomato, corn, beans, onion and cheeses.

Pour Ranch dressing and BBQ sauce on top of the salad and gently toss to combine.

Serve immediately,topped with tortilla strips.

Beef Enchiladas

Ingredients:

• 1 cup prechopped onion 
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 (15-ounce) can unsalted tomato sauce
• 3 cups cooked hamburger meat
• 1 (15-ounce) can unsalted black beans, rinsed and drained
• 12 (6-inch) flour tortillas
• Cooking spray
• 3 ounces preshredded 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese (about 3/4 cup)
• 1 cup chopped tomato 
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 6 tablespoons sour cream

Directions:

1. 1. Preheat broiler to high.
2. 2. Combine first 9 ingredients in a medium saucepan; stir with a whisk. Bring to a boil over high heat; cook 2 minutes or until thickened. Reserve 1 1/2 cups sauce mixture. Add chicken and beans to pan; cook 2 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly heated.
3. 3. Stack tortillas; wrap stack in damp paper towels and microwave at HIGH for 25 seconds. Spoon about 1/3 cup chicken mixture in center of each tortilla; roll up. Arrange tortillas, seam sides down, in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with reserved sauce and cheese. Broil 3 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned and sauce is bubbly. Top with tomato and cilantro. Serve with sour cream.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

2 whole boneless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup diced onions
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
3 cloves, garlic minced
1 can (10oz) rotel tomatoes with green chilies
32 ounces chicken broth
3 tablespoons tomato paste
4 cups hot water
2 cans (15oz) black beans, drained
3 tablespoons cornmeal
5 whole corn tortillas, cut into uniform strips about 2 to 3 inches

Garnishes:

Sour cream
Diced avocados
Diced red onions
Salsa
Pico De Gallo
Grated cheeses
Cilantro

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, and salt. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil on chicken breasts, then sprinkle a small amount of spice mix on both sides. Set aside the rest of the spice mix.

Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until chicken is done. Use two forks to shred chicken. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pot over medium high heat. Add onions, bell peppers, and minced garlic. Stir and begin cooking, then add the rest of the spice mix. Stir to combine, then add shredded chicken and stir.

Pour in rotel, chicken broth, tomato paste, water, and black beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes, uncovered.

Mix cornmeal with small amount of water. Pour into soup, then simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Check seasonings, adding more if needed - add more chili powder if it needs more spice and be sure not to under salt. Turn off heat and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Five minutes before serving, gently stir in tortilla strips.

Serve in bowls with favorite garnishes.

Taco Tater Tot Bake

Ingredients:

1lb ground beef
1 small onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 package taco seasoning or 3 tbsp homemade taco seasoning
1 (16oz) bag frozen corn
1 (4oz) can green chilies, diced/drained
1 (12oz) can black beans, drained
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
1 (16oz) package frozen tater tots
1 (10.5oz) can red enchilada sauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish. Heat a skillet to medium high heat. Add in ground beef, onion, and garlic. Cook until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain fat. Add in taco seasoning, frozen corn, green chilies, and beans. Cook until heated through. In a large bowl combine the meat mixture, 1 cup cheese and tater tots. Mix until combined.

Pour about 1/3 of the enchilada sauce on bottom of the 9x13 baking dish. Add in tater tot mixture and smooth to flat. Pour remaining enchilada sauce on top and bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes. During the last few minutes sprinkle remaining cheese on top of dish and cook until melted. Serve warm!

**You may also add olives to this recipe to change it up some**