Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:

1/3 c. honey

1/4 c. lime juice

1 T. chili powder

1/2 t. garlic powder

1 lb. chicken, cooked and shredded

8-10 flour tortillas

1 lb. Monterrey jack cheese, shredded

2 c. green enchilada sauce *

1/2 c. heavy cream **

* I didn't have green enchilada sauce, so I used green salsa.

** Didn't have any heavy cream on hand, so I combined milk and melted butter

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix the honey, lime juice, chili powder and garlic powder together and toss with the shredded chicken. Let it marinate for at least 1/2 hour.

3. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Pour enough enchilada sauce on the bottom of pan to create a thing layer on the bottom.

4. Fill flour tortillas with chicken and a generous amount of shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas.

5. Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the heavy cream and leftover marinade. Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas and top with reserved cheese.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top. 

Rating: 4 of 5

These were pretty good. LaDon said they were the best enchiladas he's had to date....of course, that could be because he has a love affair with cheese and there is a LOT of cheese in this dish. I thought the taste was different, but good. The honey and lime weren't super strong, but there were there and made a nice combination with the chili powder. I'd make them again.

Source: The Girl Who Ate Everything, Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

Slow Cooker Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can corn, undrained

1 can Rotel, undrained (aka: green chilies and tomatoes)

1 pkg. ranch dressing mix

1 t. cumin

1 T. chili powder *

1 t. onion powder

1 8-oz pkg. light cream cheese

2 chicken breasts

* I thought the whole T. was a little too much heat for me, so next time I will only use 1/2 T.

Recipe:

1. Drain and rinse black beans. Place chicken at bottom of slow cooker pot. Pour on can of corn, Rotel, and black beans.

2. Top with seasonings and ranch mix. Stir together.

3. Place cream cheese on top. Cover with lid and cook on low 6-8 hours.

4. Stir cream cheese into chili. Use 2 forks to shred chicken. Stir together and serve.

Rating: 4.5 of 5

A bit spicy for my taste with the whole tablespoon of chili powder, but that's easily fixed. We really liked this chili. I don't really have much to say about it other than it was a creamy version of the Chicken Tortilla Soup, which is one of our all time favorite soups. And, I do think this soup would be good topped with some chopped cilantro.

Source: Plain Chicken, Slow Cooker Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Ingredients:

1 T. chili powder

1/4 t. garlic powder

1/4 t. onion powder

pinch of cayenne pepper

1.4 t. dried oregano

1/2 t. paprika

1 1/2 t. ground cumin

1 t. table salt

1/2 t. black pepper

Recipe:

1. Mix all spices together until well combined. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in your spice cabinet and use as needed.

Rating: 4 of 5

This isn't exactly the taste that I like for tacos, but it's close enough and good enough that I've been convinced that making taco seasoning is easier than buying it.

Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe, Homemade Taco Seasoning

Homemade Buffalo Wing Sauce

Ingredients: Yields: 1/2 cup

1/4 c. rice wine vinegar *

2 t. chili powder

1 t. smoked paprika

1/2 t. sweet paprika **

2 t. garlic powder

1/2 t. onion powder

1/2 t. cayenne powder***

1/4 t. salt

1/2 t. sugar

2 t. canola oil

* I used just rice vinegar

** I had paprika on hand, don't know what kind it was, so I used what I had for both

***Um....I just noticed now that this said "powder" not "pepper." I didn't know there was such a thing as cayenne powder.

Recipe:

1. Cook all ingredients over medium-high heat until just starting to bubble.

2. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

3. Store in an air tight bottle. Keep refrigerated.

Rating: 3.75 of 5
This stuff has some real kick...but maybe that's because I made more than it called for. Either way, it definitely tastes like buffalo sauce. Super easy to throw together too.

Source: Domestic Fits, Homemade Buffalo Wing Sauce

Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Enchiladas

Ingredients:

2 lb. beef chuck pot roast

1 t. cumin

1 t. chili powder

1 t. garlic salt

1 t. Mexican oregano*

1 pinch coarse salt **

1 pinch freshly ground black pepper

1 4-oz can diced green chilies

1 10-oz can hot enchilada sauce***

1 20-oz can mild enchilada sauce

10 6-inch flour tortillas

1/2 c. cilantro, chopped

2 c. shredded Monterey jack cheese

*I just used the oregano I had on hand

**I used Kosher salt as my coarse salt

*** Ok, so I didn't have the time to hunt down the cans of green chilies or enchiladas sauces. So, instead I bought 4 8-oz cans of Ro Tel's Zesty Tomato and Green Chili Sauce Original. This combo made for an alteration in preparation, but I think it still turned out fine.

Recipe:

1. Arrange the beef in the slow cooker and toss all the spices in, cover and cook on the lowest setting for 6 hours. *

2. Shred with two forks. Place in a bowl and add the diced chilies. Combine **

3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

4. Mix the two enchilada sauces together in a bowl and pour a small amount in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish.

5. Evenly divide the beef mixture and cilantro at the edge of each tortillas; roll up tightly and layer in the dish seam side down. Continue until the dish is filled.

6. Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the top.

7. Place in the oven for about 40 minutes, until the cheese is browned and bubbly.

8. Let sit for about 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with cilantro.

*I, like usual, cut the time in half and cooked on high. I actually, cooked on high with all the spices for 2 hours and then added 2 cans of tomato/chili sauce and cooked for another 1.5 hours.

** This step is skipped because of the sauce situation mentioned earlier.

Rating: 4 of 5
These were pretty good, but they weren't great. Maybe it's because I made some changes in the recipe, but they weren't crazy drastic changes. I think here's my problems with the recipe: I didn't like using pot roast as the meat. It was a little tougher than I anticipated. I loved the cilantro, but I thought the enchiladas were a little skinny. Next time I think I'll add some corn, beans, a little bit of rice, and some others to give it a bigger punch. Also, if you're in a hurry, this dish definitely doesn't need to be in the oven for 40 minutes. I actually only had mine in for 25ish. That happens when this are thrown together hot. I did like the tomato/chili sauce I used. It was the perfect amount of spicy for me.

Source: Bev Cooks, Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Enchiladas

Navajo Tacos

Ingredients:

Meat mixture:

1 onion, chopped

1 lb. ground beef or turkey

3/4 c. water

1 envelope taco seasoning

1 15-oz. can whole kernel corn, drained

1 16-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

up to 1 T. chili powder, optional

Fry bread:

3 c. flour

1 T. baking powder

1 t. salt

1 1/2 c. warm water

2 c. vegetable oil, for frying

Toppings:

lettuce

tomato

sour cream

salsa

refried beans

shredded cheese

avocado

cilantro

Recipe:

For meat:

1. Crumble together onion and ground beef. Cook over medium-high heat until meat it cooked through.

2. Add 3/4 c. water, taco seasoning, corn, and black beans. Allow the mixture to simmer while you make the fry bread.

3. Add additional chili powder, if desired.

For fry bread:

1. In a medium size bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.

2. Add water and stir together. Dough may be slightly sticky.

3. Pour the vegetable oil into a medium size saucepan and heat the oil over medium heat.

4. Divide dough into 6 pieces. On a generously floured surface, pat the dough pieces into a flat round shape about 5-6 inches across.

5. When oil is hot, carefully place dough round into the hot oil until the bottom side is golden brown. With a metal set of tongs, flip the round, and cook the other side until puffy and golden brown. Remove the bread and place onto a paper towel lined plate.

6. Pile meat and toppings on the fry bread and enjoy!

Rating: 3.5 of 5

Ok, first off, I thought the fry bread was really good. Definitely hit the spot for me. But, the meat sauce is not what I normally have for Navajo Tacos. When I think Navajo tacos, I think a bean and meat chili type topping. So, the fry bread, great. Meat, not so much and need to hunt for the perfect recipe.

Source: Recipe Shoebox, Navajo Tacos

Chicken Enchiladas with Red Chile Sauce

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped fine

2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped fine

1 t. canola oil

3 medium cloves garlic, minced

3 T. chili powder

2 t. ground cumin

3 t. sugar

1 15-oz can tomato sauce

1 c. water

1 large beefsteak tomato, seeded and chopped

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 large breasts)

2 c. shredded cheese

1/2 c. minced fresh cilantro

12 6-inch soft corn tortillas

cooking spray

salt and ground black pepper

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 425.

2. Combine the onion, jalapeno, 1/2 t. salt, and oil in a large saucepan. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the onions and peppers have softened, 8-10 minutes.

3. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin and sugar, and cook until fragrant, less than 30 seconds.

4. Stir in the tomato sauce, water, and chopped tomato. Bring to a simmer, and cook until slightly thickened, 5 minutes.

5. Nestle the chicken into the sauce. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 12-20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate, and set aside to cool.

6. Strain the sauce through a strainer into a medium bowl, pressing the onion mixture to extract as much liquid as possible. Transfer the onions to a large bowl and set aside. Season sauce with additional salt and pepper to taste.

7. Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add to the onion mixture, and add 1/4 c. of the enchilada sauce, 1 c. cheese, and the cilantro. Toss to combine.

8. Stack the tortillas on a plate and cove with plastic wrap; microwave on high until warm and pliable, 40-60 seconds. Spread the tortillas on a clean work surface, and spoon 1/3 c. of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of each. Tightly roll each tortilla and lay seam-side down in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish.

10. Lightly spray the tops of the enchiladas with cooking spray. Place in the oven, uncovered, for about 7 minutes, or until the tortillas start to brown slightly.

11. Reduce heat to 400 degrees F. Remove enchiladas and pour sauce evenly on top. Top with the remaining cheese. Cover dish with foil, and bake an additional 20 minutes, or until heated through.

12. Remove foil and bake another 5 minutes, until cheese browns. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

13. Serve with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, additional cilantro, etc.

Rating: 3.5 of 5

These enchiladas were good, but they weren't out of this world, or even on par with restaurant enchiladas at all. But, then again, I have pretty high standards for enchiladas. Have you been to Mama Chu's in Provo (their chimichangas are to.die.for. delicious)? I liked the browning process of the tortillas at the very beginning to give it the crunch factor. I thought the spicy factor for this dish was just right. I was expecting it to be a little bit more kick-y with 2 jalapenos AND 3 T. of chili powder. But, it was fine. At this point, I'm not sure if I would make these again. Not because they weren't good, but just because I think there is a better enchiladas recipe out there.

Source: Pink Parsley, Chicken Enchiladas with Red Chile Sauce

Southwest Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

1/2 lb bowtie pasta

1 14-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 Roma tomatoes, diced or about 3/4 c. of halved cherry tomatoes *

1 large red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, diced

1/2 c. sliced green onions

1/2 c. frozen fresh corn **

zest from 2 limes

8 oz diced cooked chicken, optional

1/2 c Queso Fresco or Cotija cheese or grated jack, cheedar, or pepperjack

* I used 3 tomatoes

** I just used one can of corn

Dressing:

6 T. fresh lime juice (about 3 juicy limes) *

1/4 c. white wine or rice vinegar

4-5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1 1/2 t. chili powder

1 t. cumin

1/2 t. coriander

1/2 t. kosher or sea salt

2 t. sugar (add a touch more if your limes are extra sour/bitter)

3/4 c. canola oil

1/2 c. roughly chopped cilantro

* I got enough juice out of 2 limes

Recipe:

1. Place pasta in salted water until cooked. While it's cooking, prepare dressing.

2. Zest your limes and place the zest in a large salad bowl.

3. To prepare dressing: place the lime juice, vinegar, garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, salt and sugar in a blender. Process until smooth. *

4. With the motor running slowly, add the oil in a steady stream until incorporated. Add the cilantro and pulse so it gets broken up, but some pieces still remain in tact.

5. Salad: When pasta is done cooking, drain and rinse immediately with cold water to cool. Place the pasta in the large salad bowl with the lime zest.

6. Add black beans, tomatoes, diced pepper, green onions, corn, and chicken if desired.

7. Toss with dressing. Taste, and add additional salt and pepper to taste.

8. For best results, chill for 1 hour before serving. Right before serving, sprinkle cheese on top. Serve with extra lime wedges if desired.

* My blender blade doesn't reach low enough to do this, so I just whisked it in a bowl and really chopped the cilantro.

Rating: 3.5 of 5

This is a good pasta salad. Much better than I expected it to be. I really liked it. The lime taste is pretty strong as is the chili powder/cumin. But, still really good. Be warned though, this makes a HUGE batch. As in it's lasted 2 adults lunch and dinner for 3 days and still have some left. A lot. We alternated shredded cheddar and Parmesan on top. Also, plain cheese quesadillas are an excellent side with this. Oh, and I really don't think you need that extra lime wedge. That would be TOO much lime....and I like lime.

Source: OurBestBites.com, Southwest Pasta Salad

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Ingredients:

1/3 c. (3 oz) cream cheese

1/4 c. green salsa

1 T. fresh lime juice

1/2 t. cumin

1 t. chili powder

1/2 t. onion powder

1/4 t. granulated garlic, or garlic powder

3 T. chopped cilantro

2 T. sliced green onions

2 c. shredded cooked chicken

1 c. grated pepperjack cheese

small corn tortillas

kosher salt

Recipe:

1. Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

2. Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.

3. Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. (It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or are coming unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.) *

4. Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges. **

5. Roll the tortilla up as tight as you can. Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt of top.

6. Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.

* I, honestly, don't care if the tortillas cracked. I would roll some that were practically ripped in half.

** Rather than spreading the mixture on just the lower third, I spread it all around and really didn't pay much attention to this step. We like out taquitos thick and less corn torilla-y.

Rating: 4.5 of 5

We loved these! I don't really know what to say about them other than they are absolutely delicious! But, let's be honest, everything that comes from Our Best Bites is absolutely delicious. Really, though, I love the crunchy tortilla you get from baking them. The creamy chicken filling is a nice flavorful blend of everything American-Mexican. Unworthy review of the amazing-ness of these taquitos.

Source: Our Best Bites, Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

1 c. onion, chopped

1 t. garlic, minced

3 c. chicken broth

1 14.5-oz can Mexican diced tomatoes*

1/2 t. chili powder

1/4 t. ground cumin

**1 can of corn, drained**

1 1/2 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast, cubed

2 T. cornstarch (don't have cornstarch on hand? Not a problem! Just use flour and double the amount!)

1/4 c. water

1/4 c. Mexican cheese blend, shredded

1 T. fresh cilantro, minced

Tortilla chips

* I couldn't find Mexican diced tomatoes, so I just bought "diced tomatoes with green chilies"

** I added the can of corn to the recipe. I love corn and thought it would make a nice addition....and it did!

Recipe:

1. In a large saucepan, combine the first six ingredients; bring to a boil. Add chicken.

2. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 4-6 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Combine cornstarch and water and stir until smooth.

3. Stir cornstarch/water mixture into soup. Let soup simmer for 15 additional minutes.

4. Serve soup topped with cheese, cilantro and with tortilla chips.

Rating: 4.5 of 5

For soup, we thought this was great. Neither of us are huge soup lovers. But, this recipe is quick and easy. The cilantro makes all the difference though! That being said, we do LOVE cilantro. We wanted to have a dollop of sour cream with it as garnishing, but Ally would have eaten nothing else. We will definitely be having this recipe again.

Source: Food on the Table

Chili-Lime Chicken Kabobs

Ingredients:

3 T. olive oil

1 1/2 T. red wine vinegar

1 lime, juiced

1 t. chili powder

1/2 t. paprika

1/2 t. onion powder *

1/2 t. garlic powder

pinch ground cayenne pepper **

salt and ground black pepper taste

1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces

* I used chopped onion.

** I didn't have any cayenne pepper so I just left it out.

Recipe:

1. In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, vinegar, and lime juice. Add chili powder, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk until oil and vinegar are blended.

2. Add chicken to the bowl. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for 1-2 hours. *

3. Preheat grill for medium-high heat.

4. Thread chicken onto skewers. Grill chicken for about 10 minutes or until the juices run clear.

* At this point in the recipe, I just threw everything into a skillet and sauteed the chicken until cooked. We don't have a grill. It smelled really, really spicey....like heartburn in a pot....so I added a can of crushed pineapple without the juice.

Rating: 2.75 of 5

I would give this a 3 but I think LaDon's was probably lower. With the added pineapple it tasted a lot like sweet and sour chicken. I liked it just fine. LaDon really liked it with shredded cheese and sour cream on top and without the rice. With the pineapple it wasn't spicy at all. Maybe when we have a grill I will make the recipe as it is.

Source: All Recipes Dinner Tonight, pg. 145

Sweet Chicken

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts

vegetable oil
spoonful of white sugar
3-4 spoonfulls of brown sugar, split
4 shakes of chili powder, split
2 shakes of garlic powder
1 shake of Italian seasoning
1 shake of black pepper


Recipe:
Mix the ingredients together in a sauce pan. Add chicken and cook until chicken is white and juices run clear. Drain out the juices. Add the other half of brown sugar and chili powder. Let simmer 5 more minutes or so.

Remove from heat and shred.

Rating: 4 of 5
We really liked this chicken and the best part of it was that Ally liked it and ate it!! It's sweet with a little spicy kick. It went super well with the Creamy Tomatillo Dressing~Cafe Rio Style. It was strong enough to be tasted amongst all the other things in the salad, but not so strong as to drown out the dressing taste. We will definitely be having this again!

Source: from the wanna-be-inventive side of my brain