Instant Pot Taco Soup

 One thing I cannot stand about most cooking blogs are the excessive amounts of words LONG before the initial recipe is posted. I feel I have to scroll for AGES and AGES just to find out the ingredients and how to cook the meal. It's super frustrating! And on top of it, all those ads and random pictures that have nothing to do with the actual recipe at hand. I mean, sure...your kid is cute in their rain boots splashing in the bath tub, but what does that have anything to do with that baked chicken recipe?? So...no fear. You will NEVER have to endure that with my blog! (Rant over)

This Taco Soup is one of my cooler weather go-tos! SO simple to put together and the instant pot does the rest! This tastes even better served with tortilla chips but it's also pretty incredible as is. 

>>>Instant Pot Taco Soup<<<

Ingredients:

2 lbs ground beef

2 cans black beans

2 cans whole kernel corn, drained

1 can Rotel

1 can petite diced tomatoes

28 oz can crushed tomatoes

2 cans kidney beans (I use light red)

2 cups water

2 pkg dry ranch seasoning mix

2 pkg taco seasoning

1.) Put ground beef in instant pot, set to saute and brown (5-7 minutes). Cancel Saute setting then drain grease. 

2.) Add all other ingredients to pot along with beef, stirring to combine thoroughly. 

3.) Place lid on pot and select Pressure Cook, High Cook and change cook time to 13 minutes. 

4.) Once cook time is completed, quick release pressure before removing lid. 

5.) Serve in bowls topped with shredded cheddar and tortilla chips or just by it's good ol' self!

Ground Beef Quesadillas

We don't necessarily enjoy "taco night" on Tuesdays. For us, it's whenever this mom is in the mood for it. Here lately, I've gotten on a quesadilla kick and I'm all for easy! These fit that bill perfectly! I love black beans in my quesadillas and I also add Rotel because I love tomatoes in my taco dishes but the rotel gives it an extra zeal and amps up the spice just enough (because I'm a pansy and don't like spicy food). Another thing I love about this recipe is I can use the remaining two tortillas and leftover shredded cheese to easily whip up a couple cheese quesadillas for my picky eaters. Serve the ground beef enchiladas with salsa (our fave)!

Bonus: If there is anything I've learned about cooking over the years, is shortcuts. Onions make dishes tasty but they can be a pain (literally) to prepare. Whenever a recipe calls for "chopped" onion, I ALWAYS use frozen chopped onions. Walmart and Publix carry them but are often out of stock. When I find them, I stock up because my eyes, personally, can't handle the burn from the acidity and my hubby isn't always home when I need him to dice up an onion for me. Plus, you can't taste a difference. 

Ground Beef Quesadillas

Ingredients:

2 lbs ground beef

1 cup chopped onions

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes 

10oz can Rotel (I use mild), drained

15oz can black beans 

3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (I use sharp, always)

8 burrito-size flour tortillas 

2 tbsp butter, melted

1.) In large frying pan, cook ground beef with onions over medium heat until onions are translucent and beef is no longer pink. Add garlic and cook for another minute or two.  Drain grease. 

2.) Add cumin, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, can of Rotel and black beans into meat mixture and stir. Continue cooking over medium until heated through. 

3.) Bush butter on one side of each tortilla and stack on one plate.

4.) In another large frying pan  set over low-medium heat (or if you'd like you can just dump the meat mixture into a large bowl, wipe the pan you were using for that and reuse it for this next step), place one tortilla buttered side down in pan . Working quickly, add Monterey Jack cheese, 3-4 tbsp meat mixture, followed by shredded cheddar cheese on one half of the tortilla. 

5.) Fold in half and cook until browned. You can easily go ahead and make a second quesadilla on the other side of the pan while that one is cooking. Repeat with remaining ingredients until all quesadillas are cooked. 

6.) Cut each quesadilla into thirds  and serve with chunky salsa!

Crunchy Southwest Chicken Wrap

My eight year old son helped me whip these up one night recently! VERY kid friendly dish to create together! No cooking required if you already have chopped, cooked chicken on hand. Also, canned chicken works wonderfully too but I would suggest nook it in the microwave for about 5 minutes in a bowl to warm it up beforehand.

Crunchy Southwest Chicken Wrap



3/4 cup light sour cream
3/4 cup salsa
1 1/2tbsp taco seasoning

4 large tortillas (burrito size)
1/3 cup shredded lettuce
1/2 cup tomato, diced
1 whole avocado, diced
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 cup cooked chicken, shredded
1 cup fritos, crushed

1.) In a bowl, mix together sour cream, salsa and taco seasoning until well blended.

2.) Lay a tortilla flat on a cutting board. Spread 1 heaping tablespoon of sauce over the bottom half of the tortilla, leaving an inch border on each side.

3.) Sprinkle lettuce, tomato, avocado, cheese and chicken over the sauce. Add crushed Fritos on top. Drizzle 1 tbsp sauce on top.

4.) Fold in sides and roll tightly. Poke toothpick through to hold on each side before slicing in half. Repeat with remaining wraps.

Pulled Pork Enchiladas and Mexican Rice

Y'all....made this new recipe last night and my husband claimed they  were "PERFECT" and stated they are by far his new favorite dish I make. He demanded more...haha! So easy too! I used leftover pulled pork for this so if you are not using leftovers, cook your pork accordingly beforehand. I love easy, tasty, filling meals that my whole crew loves! I paired it with my Mexican rice and it definitely satisfied my hunger for Mexican food! I used shredded sharp cheddar cheese on mine but I bet shredded Mexican blend would be great too! Also, I used mild salsa for my rice but, again, if you prefer hotter, by all means choose a different one.


Pulled Pork Enchiladas--Servings 4-6



Ingredients:

2 cups pulled pork (great use for leftovers!)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 can black beans, drained
1 can corn kernels, drained
2 cups shredded cheese
8 tortillas
3 cups red enchilada sauce

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.)  Heat cooked pulled pork in large microwaveable dish until hot (took mine 6 minutes).

3.) Add the corn, black beans, 1/2 cup enchilada sauce and 1/2 cup cheese into the bowl and mix to combine.

4.) Spread 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce onto bottom of 13x9 baking dish.

5.) Place 1/2 cup filling into a tortilla and roll up and place in baking dish. (I seriously used my CLEAN hands here, y'all. And I guessed the "1/2 cup".)

6.) Pour over the remaining enchilada sauce and bake 10 minutes.

7.) Remove from the oven and add cheese then bake for another 10-15 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden.

8.) Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

9.) Serve with Mexican Rice (below) for an even more satisfying meal!)



Mexican Rice-- 8 servings

 


Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil
2 cups long-grain white rice
1/2 chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups mild salsa
2 cups chicken broth
2 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste

1.) In a large pot or dutch oven over medium-low heat, add oil and chopped onions. Cook until softened.  Then add minced garlic and cook for another minute.

2.) Add the uncooked long-grain white rice to the pan and brown with the onions for about 5 minutes.

3.) Add salsa, chicken broth, cumin, salt and pepper.

4.) Bring the rice to a boil and then lower heat to simmer. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Do not stir! Rice will absorb broth while it cooks.

5.) Remove lid and fluff with fork. Enjoy!

Skinny Chimichangas

Dear readers of TempTASTEtions, we got a new house! Moving day is next Thursday so we've been all fired up and anxious excited about getting moved in! Which is why I've not been posting recipes like I wish I could. Honestly, haven't been cooking as much these days either to share new recipes with y'all. Next week will most definitely be the same situation. So it will be at least a couple weeks before I can get back on track with this blog. Hopefully, I can eventually get around to updating this blog and putting a more appealing background on it. I did manage to try a couple new recipes recently. So I will leave you with those for now. Both are healthier options to most recipes I put out there :)

These chimichangas are low carb, REALLY yummy and seriously almost tasted like something I'd order at an authentic Mexican restaurant. You just GOTTA try these!

Skinny Chimichangas

1/2 lb ground turkey breast
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
8oz can tomato sauce
2 tbsp. mild green chili pepper, chopped
1/3 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
8in. fat-free flour tortillas

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a nonstick baking sheet with nonstick spray; set aside.

2. Spray a medium nonstick skillet with nonstick spray; set over medium-high heat. Add the turkey, onion, garlic, chili powder, oregano, and cumin. Cook, breaking up the turkey with a wooden spoon until browned, about 6 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce and the chilies; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the flavors are blended and the mixture thickens, slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheddar cheese.

3. Meanwhile, wrap the tortillas in foil and place in the oven to warm for 10 minutes.

4. Spoon about 1/2 cup of the filling into the center of each tortilla. Fold in the sides, then roll to enclose the filling.

5. Place the chimichangas, seam-side down, on the baking sheet. Lightly spray the tops of the tortillas with nonstick spray. Bake until golden and crisp, about 20 minutes. Do not turn.

Skinny Fettuccini Alfredo

12 oz fettuccine (or any pasta shape)

1 tbsp. olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbsp. flour

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup low-fat milk (I used 1%)

3/4 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

(optional topping: chopped fresh parsley)

1. Cook pasta al dente according to package directions, in generously salted water.

2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté one minute, stirring occasionally, until fragrant. Sprinkle with flour, and stir to combine. Sauté for an additional minute to cook the flour, stirring occasionally.

3. Slowly add chicken broth, whisking to combine until smooth. Whisk in milk, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Let cook for an additional minute until thickened, then stir in Parmesan cheese until melted. Reduce heat to medium-low until pasta reaches al dente.

4. Drain pasta, then immediately add pasta to the sauté pan with alfredo sauce. Toss to combine. Serve topped with chopped fresh parsley if desired.

Queso Taco Pasta Bake

Now, this recipe is something to savor! One of my faves because I LOVE all the fresh ingredients that go into putting it together. Especially the lime. Makes me feel inspired every time! And the smell is so invigorating! Probably my absolute favorite part and that's saying a LOT since the taste is amazing too! This recipe is thanks to Jenny over at Picky Palate (www.picky-palate.com). I love almost everything she cooks/bakes! I highly recommend you check her out if you haven't already . Doubt you'll be disappointed!

Queso Taco Pasta Bake

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup prepared mild salsa
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onions
1 tablespoons minced garlic
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (10oz) can Rotel tomatoes, mild
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
3/4 pound small pasta of your choice
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and lightly spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Place butter into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir to melt. Whisk in flour, salt and pepper for about 30 seconds until bubbly. Slowly whisk in chicken broth until smooth. Increase heat to high while whisking until thickened. Takes 3-5 minutes. Stir in cheese and salsa, turn off heat and set aside.

3. Place 2 tablespoons olive oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Sauté onions until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add ground beef, salt and pepper, cooking until browned. Drain fat if necessary. Add tomatoes, cumin and lime juice, stir to combine.

4. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and run under cold water.

5. Transfer beef, noodles and queso to a large pot or Dutch oven over medium low heat. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper to your liking. Transfer to prepared baking dish and top with shredded cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes until cheese is melted. Serve warm.