Baked Tacos

Got the recipe idea from this and this

INGREDIENTS:(makes 9x13"pan full)
Small tortillas
2 cans refried beans
Shredded chicken:(see photo)
     4 chicken breasts
     1 can cream of mushroom
     Pace "Onion & Chipotle" dip (or substitute velveeta or whatever)
     Lawry's Mesquite marinade.
"Mexican rice":(see photo)
     12oz orzo pasta (I used alphabet pasta)
     3oz tomato paste (approx.)
     24oz (ish) chicken broth
     Southwest seasoning/chili powder
     alfredo (as needed)
Cheese sauce:
     16oz Mexican Velveeta
     1 can rotel
sour cream
other toppings of choice

DIRECTIONS:
Prepare shredded chicken the night before, or at least 4 hrs before baking the tacos.
To make chicken, throw the raw chicken in slow cooker, combine the other ingreds and pour over the chicken. Cook for ~2-4 hours on high until chicken reaches 165F, then shred it.
(You can cook ground beef instead of chicken if you want.)
Preheat oven to 400F.
In a big saucepan over med heat, combine the velveeta and rotel to make the sauce. (can microwave instead).
In another saucepan, heat up the refried beans.
In a skillet, add some oil over med heat and add pasta. Stir until lightly browned. Add in seasoning. tomato pasta, and chicken broth and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat. cover, and simmer for 15-20min.
Grease a 9x13" baking dish, fill tortillas with the refried beans, pasta, chicken, and queso and arrange in pan.
Bake 15-20min till everythings melty.

I STRONGLY recommend making your own tortillas, I bought corn tortillas from the store and they really hampered the taste, def going to make my own next time.

more photos:

Pizza Flatbreads *AWESOME*

Used this recipe as a starting point. These are really good & easy to customize with whatever toppings you like

INGREDIENTS:

Flatbread (I've used"Flat-Out" brand flatbread varieties, pre-made store bought Naan, and Kangaroo brand flatbread)

Sauce (I used alfredo & Prego vodka sauce or fontina/asiago flavor)

Toppings:

     Grilled chicken (I got pre-cooked sliced chicken, & heated up in sauce pan with seasonings/olive oil)

     Crumbled turkey sausage

     fresh spinach, chopped

     Feta

     shredded cheese

     "real" bacon bits
     Italian seasoning

alternate version (last photos):
alfredo / pasta sauce
crumbled pre-cooked turkey sausage
bacon bits
fresh mushrooms
spinach
shredded provel cheese
Italian seasoning
Spicy "Flat-Out" flatbread & plain Naan

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375F.

Lay out the flatbread on a greased baking sheet.

Spread thin layer of sauce(s). Top with toppings.

Bake 12-15min, till kinda crispy.

Serve with left over sauce for dipping.

more photos: (I have made these a bunch of times, large photo gallery lol)

Honey Pork Steaks

Borrowed idea from this pork chop recipe

INGREDIENTS:
2 pork steaks
kosher salt
cracked pepper
olive oil
1/2 - 1/3 c honey
couple dashes of dried rosemary (or fresh)
(optional) garlic&herb seasoning

DIRECTIONS:
Rub both sides of steaks with salt/pepper and brush with olive oil.
In a small bowl combine honey, rosemary, and some more olive oil.
Grill steaks until done, (at least 145F). While they are grilling baste with the honey mixture, and additional seasonings if desired.

more photos:

Southwestern Hash Brown Casserole

Recipe adapted from this. We liked it, has a very slight mexican flavor

INGREDIENTS: (makes a 9x13"pan)
28-30oz frozen hash browns
1 can cream of chicken soup (low sodium)
1 can rotel, drained
16oz lite sour cream
16oz Mexican Velveeta, cut into pieces
8oz shredded sharp cheddar
1/2 stick butter, sliced
Cheezits, crushed (I filled a ziploc sandwich bag and crushed them)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400F.
In large bowl combine the sour cream, cream of chicken soup, rotel, & velveeta.
If the hash browns are frozen into a brick, break them up while theyre still in the bag, then stir into the mixture.
Spread the mixture in a greased 9x13" baking dish.
Sprinkle shredded cheddar on top, then the crushed cheezits, then arrange pieces of butter on top.
Bake 40-45min.

more photos:

Bacon Ranch Green Beans

These tasted really good, I found the recipe here!

INGREDIENTS:
28oz canned green beans, drained
1/2 - 1/3 chicken broth
1 packet ranch mix
1 packet (3oz, or more if you loves bacon) real bacon bits

DIRECTIONS:
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and heat up. Serve warm.

more photos:

Monster Calzone

Super awesome recipe borrowed from here!

INGREDIENTS:
1 tube refrigerated pizza dough
alfredo(1/2 - 1c)
pasta sauce (1/2 - 1c)
pepperoni
canadian bacon, chopped
crumbled sausage (I used pre-cooked turkey sausage)
3oz real bacon bits (or cooked/crumbled bacon)
8oz ricotta cheese (I have subbed with deli mozzarella before)
shredded Imo's Provel cheese (or whatever other shredded cheese)
olive oil, for basting
Italian seasoning

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 425F.
Grease/cornmeal a baking sheet.
Roll out pizza dough and thin out/form into a big square/rectangle/circle shape.
Basically you are going to put the filling on one half of the dough, then fold the other side over to form a big pocket with pizza toppings inside.
On one half of the dough, spread the ricotta cheese. (If you use deli mozz, skip this step and put the mozz on last) see last photos below
Spread a layer of pasta sauce and alfredo sauce.
Top with a layer of pepperoni, sausage, canadian bacon, bacon, shredded cheese.
Fold the other half of the dough over and pinch edges shut.
Brush olive oil over the top and sprinkle with Italian seasoning.
Bake 20-25min, until lightly browned.
Let stand a few min before cutting it. Serve with heated leftover pasta sauce/alfredo mixture.

more photos:

Beef Stroganoff II (slow cooker version)

Modded this recipe from this recipe !

INGREDIENTS: (I used a 7qt slow cooker, it was filled about half way)
3lb bottom round roast (or whatever cut you want)
1 onion, chopped (I used cuisinart)
few dashes minced garlic
few dashes of Worcestershire
couple dashes of paprika
1 can cream of mushroom (healthy request version)
1 can golden mushroom soup
1 can beefy mushroom soup
1 packet slow cooker or pot roast seasoning (I used McCormick Beef Stroganoff seasoning)
8oz can sliced mushroom pieces
8oz cream cheese (or neufchatel)

16oz pasta (I used rotini)
2 jars alfredo

DIRECTIONS:
Cut the fat off the roast, and cut roast into cubes/strips
Chop or mince the onion
Place the onion and the cubed beef in the slow cooker.
Sprinkle minced garlic over the beef, then top with paprika and Worcestershire.
In a bowl combine the mushroom soups and seasoning packet. Pour on top of everything in the slow cooker.
Cook on low for 6-8hrs (or 3-4hrs on high).
Before serving mix in the drained can of mushrooms, and then tear the cream cheese into pieces and stir it in until it melts.

Cook pasta and then mix it with alfredo.
Serve beef mixture over pasta.

more photos: