Homemade Taco Seasoning

Need to make tacos but don't have one of the seasoning packets from the grocery store for your meat? I recently found this homemade taco seasoning recipe at Tammy's Recipes.

1 clove minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash of black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground chili powder
Your favorite hot sauce, to taste

Brown a pound of ground beef with garlic and onion. Drain and return to pan. Add the salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and some hot sauce.

Green Chili Auction Special

12 corn tortillas
1 lb. hamburger meat
1 onion, chopped
1 can crm chicken soup
1 can Pet milk
4 c. grated cheddar cheese
1 can chopped green chilis

Brown hamburger meat with onions.
In a bowl, combine cream of chicken soup and Pet milk.
Fry tortillas just long enough to soften them. Line 9X13 baking dish.
Spread layer of hamburger, green chilis and grated cheese.
Cover with half of soup mixture.
Spread another layer of fried tortillas, the remaining hamburger, green chilis and soup mixture.
Cover with remaining cheese.
Bake 30-45 minutes at 375 or until cooked through.

Taco Salad

Last night I prepared taco salad for my family and the two other families in our supper co-op. This recipe came from Nan's recipe blog which you can find here. I made some slight modifications to the recipe, so am recording it all here (if I don't record it somewhere, I will forget what I did).

Here is a list of ingredients needed:

lettuce (I mixed bagged Romaine lettuce with iceberg)

1 to 1 1/2 c. grated cheese ( I used low fat mild cheddar)

1 can black beans (rinsed, of course)

sliced olives

chopped onions

sliced avocados

cooked chicken

tortilla or corn chips


Nan used a store-bought rotisserie chicken! Those things are yummy and convenient, but since I was cooking for 3 families, I opted for a more economical route. I bought chicken leg quarters and after consulting Main Street Mom, used this recipe (from the Oct. 2008 issue of Everyday Food) to give it a Mexican flavor:

In a slow cooker, combine chicken, 4 garlic cloves (thinly sliced), 1/2 c. salsa, 1 to 2 T. chopped canned chipotle chilis in adobo, 1 T. chili powder, 1 t. salt, and 1/4 t. pepper. Cover; cook on high 4 hours or on low 8 hours.

Transfer chicken to a bowl, and shred, using 2 forks; moisten with cooking juices.

The results of the slow cooking and wonderful spices produces a very tasty chicken that can be used for tacos, quesadillas , etc.

To make the taco salad, place chips on a plate or bowl and top with all other ingredients. Then, pour this dressing over it all:

1/2 c. Ranch dressing

1/2 c. salsa

1/4 c. sour cream

3-5 shakes of Tabasco sauce

1 can diced green chilis


Combine all ingredients and stir.

Then get ready to "slap your mamma!" (never heard that phrase? you must not live down south!)

Andrea Howard's Mexicorn Dip

4 cans Mexicorn, drained
4 oz. can chopped green chilies
3-6 scallions, thinly sliced
8 oz. finely grated Monterey Jack cheese
8 oz. finely grated Cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream*
1 cup mayo*
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
*I usually use low-fat or fat-free
Mix it all together. Chill well. Serve with tortilla chips. Enjoy!!

Southwest Chicken

4 skinless, boneless uncooked chicken breasts
1 c. salsa
1 c. frozen corn kernels
1 c. low-fat shredded cheddar cheese

Place chicken in baking pan sprayed with Pam. Pour salsa and corn over chicken breasts. Bake at 350 for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven and top with cheese. Bake an additional 5 minutes until cheese melts.

***found on weight watchers. com

Southwestern Pizza

That's the name I've given it....I don't know its official name, but I call it pizza cuz it's round. I learned it at a Pampered Chef party Monday night and have already cooked it for my family this week. It is very good! Like I said, I don't have the official recipe, but here's how I made it. Adapt as you need.

Saute chopped onion and minced garlic in a large skillet. Add cooked chicken, salsa, and southwestern seasonings of your choice (I used chili powder and cumin). Cook until warmed.

Put large flour tortilla in round deep dish baker, spread with refried beans, then chicken mixture, then shredded cheddar cheese. Repeat layers until dish is full. Cover with flour tortilla, shredded cheese and tomato slices.

Bake in 350 oven until warmed through and cheese melted.

Edited: Note: I found out the official name for this dish is "Southwestern Lasagna" because of its layers. The pizza name still fits, I think, because its round. So, you pick what you want to call it and go with it!