Quick Taco Casserole

Since the move, I've been commuting to work instead of the hubby. Luckily, my company is very flexible about my working from home a few days a week, which I love. I feel like I have the perfect combination of social interaction and alone time so I can focus, and our little family also gets a few more hours of together time on the days when I work from home.

The days when I commute can get a little hectic, though, because I return home right about the time when the little man is starting to demand his supper. (And let's be honest, I'm ready to demand mine, too.)

Meals like this are perfect for those evenings, because I can assemble this dish quickly the night before, and the hubby can just pop it in the oven when he gets home from work.

This isn't fancy cuisine, by any means, but as the hubby says, "It tastes good and it's warm." And the little man gobbled his right up.

Quick Taco Casserole
Serves 6-8

1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 c. (8 oz.) taco sauce
3/4 c. water
1 4-oz. can diced green chiles (optional)
1 pkg. taco seasoning
12 white or yellow taco shells, or about 6 oz. tortilla chips, divided
2 c. shredded cheddar or Colby-Jack cheese, divided
Shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sliced olives, and other assorted toppings

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 11x7-inch pan, or spray with cooking spray.

2. Cook ground beef and onion over medium-high heat until browned. Stir in taco sauce, water, green chiles, and taco seasoning. Cook over medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes.

3. Layer half the broken taco shells or chips on bottom of baking dish.

I'm not quite certain why I felt this photo was important.

4. Cover with half the meat mixture and half the cheese.

5. Repeating with remaining taco shells, meat mixture, and cheese.

6. Bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

7. Let cool slightly before serving, and serve with toppings.

Shredded Beef and Cheese Enchiladas

We had back-to-back blizzards here the week of New Year's, and more than a week later, some of the roads are still glare ice. Needless to say, we stuck around the house for New Year’s Eve -- and had ourselves a little fiesta.

I’m a huge fan of enchiladas with red sauce, but even when we go to a Mexican restaurant with a huge variety of combo platters, I have difficulty finding my favorite combination: one shredded beef and bean enchilada and one cheese enchilada. (If you combine them all together, the cheese flavor gets lost.) Luckily, it’s quite easy to make these at home.

For the beef filling, I used my shredded beef taco meat recipe, which is so versatile. Plus, it’s easy to make a day or two ahead. And while I strongly encourage making your own enchilada sauce, I didn’t have the ingredients I needed on hand. But I did have enchilada sauce. Go figure.

Shredded Beef and Cheese Enchiladas
Serves 4

1 c. refried beans (I usually use fat-free)
2 large can enchilada sauce
2 beef bouillon cubes
Pinch of sugar (seriously, just a tiny pinch)
8 8-9” tortillas (corn is traditional, but I prefer flour)
1-1½ c. shredded beef taco filling
6 oz. shredded cheese (I prefer Monterey Jack)
1 c. shredded cheddar or Colby-Jack cheese
The usual accompaniments for serving: lettuce, tomato, olives, sour cream, etc.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Heat refried beans until they’re of spreading consistency. (I sometimes add a bit of water or broth to mine to make them a bit thinner.)

3. In a small saucepan, heat enchilada sauce to a simmer and add beef bouillon cubes. Stir occasionally, until bouillon is thoroughly dissolved. Add a pinch of sugar.

4. Ladle a bit of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. This helps keep the enchiladas from sticking to the bottom.

5. Heat each tortilla in the microwave for about 10 seconds. For the beef and bean enchiladas, layer some beans on the tortilla – however much you prefer. (Or leave them out altogether if you’re not a bean fan.) Top with beef.

6. Tightly roll the tortillas and place them in the baking dish.

7. For the cheese enchiladas, add beans if you prefer, and tightly roll tortilla. Place in baking dish, alternating with the beef and bean. Or however you want to arrange them.

8. When finished with all 8, top with enchilada sauce.

9. Spray the dull side of a piece of aluminum foil with cooking spray, and cover the pan (spray side down). Bake enchiladas about 30-40 minutes, or until heated through. Immediately sprinkle with 1 c. cheese.

10. Serve with toppings.

Korean Tacos

In the past two weeks, the little man has had two ear infections, two nasty colds, bronchitis, pneumonia, and the worst teething episode in the history of mankind. (Not exaggerating.) It's still hard to talk about it. The pain is too fresh.

Did I mention he's passing a lot of this stuff on to me? think we're going to back off on teaching him to sit and focus on teaching him to politely cover his mouth when he coughs and sneezes. He's lucky he's cute.

Anyway, the little man and I were watching an episode of The Best Thing I Ever Ate on Food Network one day, and Adam Gertier mentioned these Korean taco-thingamajigs that he gets from a traveling taco truck. This made me long for both a traveling taco truck and a Korean taco, and I figured I could at least manage the latter.

I love bulgogi, so I used the sauce from my favorite bulgogi recipe, and topped the tacos with some cheater's kim chee. Spicy, sweet, and delicious!

Korean Tacos
Serves 4-6

1 1/4 lb. steak
1/3 c. soy sauce
¼ c. brown sugar
¼ c. rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. fresh ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
2 tsp. sambal oelek
1 Tbsp. water
1 tsp. cornstarch
8-10 small flour tortillas (about 6")
1 tsp. oil
Salt and pepper
2 c. coleslaw mix or shredded napa cabbage
1/2-1 tsp. sambal oelek
2 scallions, thinly sliced

1. Cut the steak in very small, thin slices, and marinate in 1/3 c. soy sauce for 1 hour.

2. Meanwhile, combine brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, 2 Tbsp. soy sauce, ginger, garlic, toasted sesame oil, 2 tsp. sambal oelek, water, and cornstarch. And heat your tortillas.

3. Heat oil in a wok over high heat. Remove steak from soy sauce with a slotted spoon, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and stir-fry until brown, about 4 minutes.

4. Reduce heat to medium and add sauce mixture. Cook until thickened, about 1-2 minutes.

5. Combine coleslaw mix with sambal oelek, to taste. (Remember that the beef will be spicy, too.)

6. Top heated tortillas with beef, coleslaw mix, and scallions.

Mojo Pork Tacos

I had a short week at work, and then headed out of town to visit my grandparents, and my aunt and uncle from Oregon. I got back in town just in time to greet my little brother, Cory, who is staying with us for a few days. And then the hubby and I are leaving town to stay with my family for a long weekend.

That's a lot of family time. Good thing I like 'em.

Even though it's been a busy day and we leave in the morning, I wanted to make something quick and yummy instead of grabbing takeout. I saw this recipe in Cuisine at Home and thought it was such an interesting technique for tacos that I had to try it.

I didn't follow the recipe exactly, because I was in a hurry and didn't have everything on hand. But it was very yummy -- the pork had some tang and kick, and cooking the tortilla with the beans and cheese made it almost quesadilla-like. We will definitely be making these again.

Mojo Pork Tacos
Serves 4

Marinade
1 Tbsp. orange juice (preferably fresh)
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 Tbsp. lime juice (preferably fresh)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano (Mexican, if you've got it)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

2 lb. pork loin or tenderloin
8 6" flour tortillas
1 16-oz. can low-fat refried beans
2 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Chopped lettuce and tomato (optional)

1. Combine marinade ingredients in a small bowl.

I love using fresh citrus juice. My friend Sally gave me this juicer-thing Christmas.

It's one of my favorite kitchen gadgets ever. It makes juicing fun! I bought one for oranges, too. Sally is good people.

2. Butterfly your pork, if desired. (This basically means to cut it horizontally most of the way through, so it opens like a book.) Add pork and marinade to a resealable bag and refrigerate 2-4 hours.

You really don't want to go any longer. The acid in the citrus juice will actually start to cook the pork. YOU want to cook the pork.

3. Grill pork over medium-high heat until cooked to desired doneness, about 10-15 minutes. Let rest.

4. Meanwhile, top each tortilla with a few tablespoons each of refried beans and cheese.

5. Heat a dry skillet over medium heat and cook each tortilla until the cheese is melted.

You can also do this on the grill. But it was really hot out. I wilt in the sun.

6. Slice pork into thin, bite-sized pieces.

7. Top each tortilla with pork, lettuce, and tomato. Fold over and serve.

Beef Enchiladas

The hubby was craving General Tso’s for supper tonight. I really wanted enchiladas. The hubby’s into coddling me these days, so I won. (Am I mean? I feel mean.) Although, I did offer to cook AND clean up the kitchen.

I love enchiladas, and I probably order them 90% of the time when we go out to Mexican restaurants. My favorites are beef and cheese, and I try to order one of each because the beef always seems a bit too beefy, and the cheese is too cheesy. But if you combine them, it’s perfect.

I’m also rather picky about my enchilada sauce. The red stuff that you can buy in a can is okay, and I use it on occasion in other recipes. But I don’t like it on my enchiladas. (I’m weird. On so many levels.)

A Mexican restaurant in town – Guadalajara, for the locals – has one of the best enchilada sauces I’ve ever tasted. It’s a lot beefier and thinner than most, and has this yummy, salty, flavor. The restaurant seems to move around a lot, and it also seem to be closed for employment violations on a regular basis, but if you can manage to find it when it’s open, give it a try.

This sauce combines a more traditional red enchilada sauce with that beefier, saltier flavor. I thought it would go really well with the beef and cheese filling, because it still has enough tomato flavor to complement the beef.

I made these a bit spicy to please the hubby, who’s usually not much of an enchilada man. (They got the thumbs-up.) Feel free to omit the crushed red pepper flakes and the cayenne if you want things a bit milder.

Beef Enchiladas
Serves 4-6

1 lb. hamburger
Salt and pepper
1 pkg. spicy taco seasoning, or 1 pkg. regular taco seasoning and ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

Sauce
½ Tbsp. butter
3 tsp. flour
1 15-oz. can tomato sauce
2 c. beef broth
2 beef bouillon cubes
2 tsp. chili powder
1½ tsp. cumin
1 tsp. taco seasoning (or 1 additional tsp. cumin)
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

10-12 7” flour or corn tortillas (I prefer flour)
2 c. shredded Colby-Jack or cheddar cheese
Assorted toppings for serving, such as lettuce tomato, sour cream, etc.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Ask someone else to add the hamburger to a frying pan. I asked the hubby.

3. Brown hamburger and season with salt and pepper. Combine with taco seasoning according to package directions, and add crushed red pepper flakes, if desired.

4. Meanwhile, heat butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When butter is melted, stir in flour to form a roux. (This will slightly thicken the sauce.)

5. Add beef broth, stirring with a whisk to remove any lumps. Add tomato sauce and seasonings. Simmer over medium heat for a few minutes, then reduce to a simmer.

6. Place a ladle of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. (I used a smaller dish because I was only making a half-batch this evening.)

7. Heat a tortilla in the microwave for about 10 seconds. (You could instead dip them in warm oil briefly to soften them, but this method is faster, cleaner, and healthier.)

8. Add a few tablespoons of beef and cheese, and roll tightly. Place seam-side down in baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

9. Cover with a few ladles of sauce, and then bake for about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and top with additional sauce, and sprinkle with cheese.

10. Serve nude.

Or dressed up.

Baked Steak Burritos

I’m back! Thank you for bearing with me. It has been a week of medical procedures, bed rest, and takeout. I’ll explain one of these days. Really.

I was relentlessly spoiled by the hubby this week. Hungry for steak? He came home with gigantic New York strips (and peanut butter cup blizzards). Had an urge for pulled pork? He came home with Famous Dave’s. Even yesterday, when I was actually up and at ‘em, he fed my Old Chicago Double Deckeroni craving. He’s good peeps, the hubby.

And now my pants hurt me.

In other news, I missed my kitchen, and I think it missed me. I also missed my knives. They were away from home for professional sharpening, and I’m just not myself without my Wusthof, ya know?

Today, I’m on my feet, my knives are back home where they belong, and I am hungry for Mexican food. Baked steak burritos are an old standby; I think the original recipe appeared in a Pillsbury cookbook years ago. I’ve made countless changes to the recipe to make it bit healthier (relatively speaking) and to suit our own tastes.

The hubby adores these little buggers. He went through a phase where he requested these every few weeks and kept encouraging me to make more, more, more! Surely I could fit more than eight in a pan! (He was right.) You can throw in anything else that you like in your burritos, such as rice or other veggies. And you can certainly substitute another meat for the steak. (But then you have to change the name of the recipe.)

I like to get all my ingredients ready, and then line up my tortillas in an assembly line. And then nab whomever I can find to help. It’s a pretty quick meal that even works on a weeknight, if you’ve got some chips and salsa to snack on until the burritos are done.

Baked Steak Burritos
Makes 10 burritos (1-2 per person)

3 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1 packet taco seasoning (I prefer spicy)
1½ lb. steak, cut in small pieces
1 16-oz. can refried beans (I use fat-free)
10 soft taco-sized flour tortillas
3 c. shredded cheese, divided in half (I usually use cheddar and/or Colby-Jack)
3 green onions, finely chopped
1 can enchilada sauce (I’ve only got a 10-oz. can on me, although I prefer larger; use either mild or hot, depending on your preference)
Assorted toppings, such as lettuce, tomato, onion, olives, sour cream, etc.

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Stir in taco seasoning. Add beef. Cook about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is cooked and tender.

You can periodically add a bit of water if the mixture gets too dry. I typically add about 1/3 cup water or so to make things saucier. I’m a saucy gal.

It kind of reminds me of Gravy Train at this point. But try not to think about that.

3. Heat refried beans in microwave or in saucepan.

4. Heat each tortilla in the microwave for 10 seconds. Lay tortillas on flat surface. Spread each tortilla with refried beans. Divide beef, green onions, and 1 1/2 c. cheese amongst tortillas.

5. Fold burritos. First fold in the sides.

Then fold over the front.

And fold over the back.

6. Place burritos, seam-side down, in baking dish. (I can fit two rows of five if I snuggle 'em in nicely.) Top with enchilada sauce and remaining cheese.

7. Bake about 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and burritos are heated through.

8. Serve with desired toppings.

Slow-Cooked Spicy Shredded Pork

We had yet again another winter storm today, so it was a good day to stay tucked inside with something yummy simmering in the slow cooker. I saw a recipe for spicy shredded pork on thepioneerwoman.com, and knew I had to try something like that. (And thanks to dandeelionsoup for pointing me to that site – it cracks me up. And includes much better photography than you’ll find here. But please don’t go away. I like you.)

I decided to try the pork in the slow cooker rather than in the oven. I lose a bit of color on the pork that way, but it sure is handier than having to keep an eye on things in the oven.

I did make some changes to the rub recipe, and I sort of halved it because I used a much smaller roast. I also added some chipotle Tabasco sauce and lime juice after the pork was done because I wanted it to have a bit more kick. But you might want to taste it first to see if you think it needs the extra zing.

Slow-Cooked Spicy Shredded Pork
Serves 8-10

Spice rub
½ tsp. dried oregano, preferably Mexican oregano
1 tsp. ground cumin
¾ Tbsp. chili powder (I used New Mexico red)
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, peeled
½ onion, cut in chunks
1 Tbsp. salt
Fresh ground pepper
1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. olive oil

3½-lb. pork shoulder
2 Tbsp. chipotle Tabasco (optional)
2 Tbsp. lime juice (optional)
Tortillas and toppings, for serving (or use this as filling in whatever Mexican dish you like)

1. Combine the spice rub ingredients in a food processor. Process until smooth.

It’ll get more appetizing. Just keep an open mind.

2. Spread rub on all sides of pork, rubbing into crevices.

Rubbing meat is kind of a hobby of mine.

3. Put pork in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 8 hours, or until pork is tender.

4. Remove pork from slow cooker and shred meat with two forks. Return to slow cooker, combine with juices, and heat through. Add Tabasco and lime juice, if you choose.

5. Serve pork with tortillas and toppings, or as filling for enchiladas, burritos, and the like.

I ate mine in tortillas with rice, pepper cheese, red onion, tomato, and more chipotle Tabasco. And no lettuce for some reason. How odd.

Shredded Beef Tacos

I’m a big fan of shredded meat, especially beef, and also of my slow cookers. You’ve probably gathered that by now. Because I hope to spend a big chunk of time doing some holiday baking today, I think it’s time to break out another shredded beef slow cooker meal. And this is another of my favorites, by a long shot.

I invented this recipe – if you can call it that – one day when we had multiple sets of company stopping by at different times, and I wanted to try and repurpose my food. Also, my house was too messy for me to spend much time in the kitchen. So I threw a roast in the crockpot and added a few quick ingredients that I thought might be yummy. Lo and behold, when our first guests stopped by, we had mini tostadas with a variety of salsas, and when my brother and his girlfriend stopped by for supper, we had shredded beef soft tacos.

This filling is incredibly versatile – use it in tacos, nachos, enchiladas, burritos, quesadillas, anything you like. Add rice. Add beans. The hubby and I aren’t always good at eating our leftovers (we like to cook too much), but I’d be thrilled to have a container of this sitting in my fridge at all times. I can eat leftover tacos like nobody’s business.

Shredded Beef Tacos
Serves 6-8

1 2-3 lb. beef roast
8 oz. tomato sauce
1 pkg. spicy taco seasoning (you can use regular, if you prefer; I think the only difference is crushed red pepper flakes)
2 beef bouillon cubes
1½ Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1½ tsp. lime juice
Tortillas or taco shells and toppings

1. Place roast in slow cooker. Pour tomato sauce over roast, and sprinkle with taco seasoning, bouillon, Worcestershire, and lime juice.

Doesn’t look like much, does it?

2. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours, or until roast is tender.

3. Remove roast from slow cooker and shred meat with two forks.

4. Return to slow cooker and combine with juices. Serve with taco shells and preferred toppings. Such as lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, salsa, and olives.

Steak Quesadillas with Barbecued Black Beans

I love Thanksgiving as much as the next person, but for a few days beforehand, I like to eat foods that are as far from Thanksgiving fare as possible. (I’ll be getting my monthly quota of gravy on Thursday afternoon, thank you very much. ) I don’t grow as weary of leftovers that way.

I really had nothing in mind for supper this evening, although I knew the hubby left a steak in the fridge. Because I dropped it on my foot this morning. But I got increasingly hungry for quesadillas as the day grew on. I’m the quesadilla queen; I can put anything in a tortilla with melty cheese and it will be great.

I did a quick marinade for the steak and hurried out to grill it in the dark. Then I threw on some black beans to stew for a bit to make a sort of barbecued black bean topping for the quesadillas. I could have put them directly in the tortillas, but that would have been messy. And I’m quite dainty, you know.

Steak Quesadillas with Barbecued Black Beans
Serves 4-6

1 lb. steak

Marinade
2 Tbsp. lime juice
¼ c. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. Worcestshire sauce
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced

Beans
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
¼ c. chicken broth
½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp. chipotle Tabasco
1 tsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. barbecue sauce

4-6 10” flour tortillas
Pepperjack or three-pepper cheese, shredded

1. Combine marinade ingredients and pour over steak. Let sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Grill until steak is cooked to medium, about 15 minutes. Let steak rest about 5 minutes.

2. Add beans to small saucepan over medium heat. Add remaining ingredients and stir. Let simmer about 10 minutes, or until beans are slightly thickened. (You can also cook your beans in a pot on the grill, alongside the steak. Rumor has it that the beans don’t burn on the grill.)

3. Cut steak in small, thin pieces. Add steak to half the tortilla and top with cheese.

Fold empty side of tortilla over.

4. Heat a large frying pan over high heat. Cook the quesadilla on both sides until toasted.

5. Cut each quesadilla in four wedges and serve with black beans.

Steak and Pepper Fajitas

This dish is one that the hubby has been making for, well, longer than he’s known me. He cooked this on one of our first dates, and his technique has only improved since then. The steak and peppers are simmered with wine, lemon juice, and lime juice, which keeps the steak tender and flavorful.

I was busy elsewhere in the house while the hubby was cooking this evening (OK, so I was watching DVDs in the basement). I yelled up once to ensure that the hubby was appropriately photographing the event for my post, and then didn’t talk to him again until he brought me a plate.

And the camera.

Now, I’ve never actually cooked this dish myself. But I really had no idea about the magic it takes to pull these fajitas together. I never would have guessed what happens in my kitchen when I’m not there.

Steak and Pepper Fajitas
Serves 6

1 ¼ lbs. steak
Wok oil or vegetable
2 green bell peppers
Lemon juice
Lime juice
White wine
Pepperjack cheese
Flour tortillas (8”-10”)

1. Trim steak and cut in ¼”-½” slices. Stem and seed peppers, and cut in thin strips.

You know, small enough to fit in the palm of your hand.

2. Heat wok over medium heat. Add oil, and then add steak. Cover wok and cook until the steak is brown and tender, about 30 minutes.

Hop on the stove and give it a stir every once in a while.

3. Add peppers to pan.

4. Gather your wine, lemon juice, and lime juice.

Santa and the hubby prefer white Zinfandel, and they like the lemon and lime squeezers 'cause they're cute.

5. Add a few good splashes of wine (about ¼ c.) and a few splashes of lemon juice and lime juice (a few teaspoons). Cover and cook until peppers are tender, about 10 minutes. Add a few more splashes of lemon juice and lime juice while peppers are softening.

6. Meanwhile, heat your tortillas. Fetch your cheese from the fridge using whatever means necessary.

7. Slice cheese into thin strips. This may require the use of a very large knife.

8. Assemble.

Now really, eat, Santa. Eat. Nobody likes a skinny Santa.

Place heated tortilla on plate. Add a layer of beef and peppers, and top with slices of cheese.

9. Nuke in the microwave for about 15 seconds or so to make the cheese melty.

10. Ask the elves to clean the kitchen and relax with a big ol’ mug of caramel cocoa sipper.

And to all a good night!