New Mexico Chefs Salad
I’m in the mood for a salad today. We call this a New Mexico Chef Salad. I don’t know why, I guess because it has a lot of ingredients, we’re in New Mexico and it taste awesome…
- 1 lb of ground beef or pork. (I like to shred leftover pork roast to use in this. Taste better in my opinion.)
- 1 16oz can of pinto beans or black beans - drained and rinsed.
- 1 16oz can of whole kernel corn - drained
- 1 can chopped green chilies (fresh are better if you have them)
- 1 cup of sliced black olives (reserve a little for garnish)
- 1 cup of your favorite cheese - grated
- 2 cups of crushed tortilla chips
- 1 head of lettuce - shredded
- 1 cucumber - peeled and diced
- 3 tomatoes - diced
- 2 avocados - 1 diced the other sliced for garnish
- 1 onion - diced (optional)
- Dressing of choice (I like to get a container of Green Chili dip, add just a little lime juice to loosen it up a bit, and pour it on. But that’s just me.)
Brown the ground meat. Drain off the fat. Add the beans and chilies. Add salt to taste. Cook for about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Combine all the vegetables in a large bowl. Lightly toss the avocado, cheese, olives and chips into the lettuce mixture. Add the meat and beans. Mix lightly again.
Garnish with sliced avocado, some of the sliced black olives and sliced tomatoes. Place some tortilla chips around the edge so it looks pretty. Chow down and enjoy!
If you ain’t sweatin it ain’t chili,
Chuckwagon 505
Chimichangas
One of the reasons I got into cooking was I like to know what I’m putting into my body. Store bought frozen and even some restaurant Chimichangas have ingredients you really shouldn’t be ingesting. We have sort of combined different recipes we have come across and came up with this one. I think you’re going to like these…
- 1 stewing chicken
- ½ cup of cream of chicken soup
- ½ cup of sour cream
- 1 can of chopped green chili or ½ cup chopped fresh chili
- ½ teaspoon of garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon of cumin
- salt and pepper to taste
- 12 flour tortillas
- oil for frying
- 1 28oz can of enchilada sauce - your choice green or red
For the garnish
Chopped tomatoes sour cream chopped lettuce grated cheese guacamole or diced avocado
Boil the chicken until it’s falling off the bone. Drain-reserving the broth. Freeze it for future use. Remove the skin from the chicken then de-bone and shred it. Add the soup, sour cream, chilies, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper. Taste for any adjustments needed in the spices.
Heat a couple of inches of oil in a deep skillet until a cube of bread browns in 40 to 60 seconds.
Warm one tortilla at a time on a hot griddle. Place ¼ to ½ cup (depending on the size of your tortillas) chicken mixture across the middle of the tortilla. Fold the sides in, then roll and secure with a toothpick. Fry on all sides until golden brown. Place on a dish in a warm oven until all your chimichangas are rolled fried and ready to serve.
Garnish as desired. I like to serve these with Spanish rice and refried beans. Enjoy!
If you ain’t sweatin, it ain’t chili,
Chuckwagon 505
Awesome Chili Bites
Today we have an easy to make snack food that’s perfect munchies for that next movie or ball game. Grab a plate of these Chili Bites and a cold one, kick back and relax …
- 1 can of refrigerated biscuits
- 1 egg white - slightly beaten
Filling
- ½ lb of bacon - cut in ¼ inch squares
- ½ an onion - chopped
- 1 can green chili - drained and chopped (use fresh if you got them)
- 1 3oz package of cream cheese
- ½ cup of your favorite cheese - shredded
- ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Preheat your oven to 375°
Fry the bacon until crisp. Remove from the skillet. Add the onion to the bacon drippings. Cook until there translucent. Remove the onion.
In a medium bowl, mix all the ingredients for the filling.
Press or roll each biscuit to about ¼ inch thick. Place about 1 tablespoon of filling in the middle. Brush the edges with water. Fold over and seal with a fork. With the point of a sharp knife make 2-3 vents in each “biscuit”
Brush them with the beaten egg white. Place on a cookie sheet sprayed with nonstick spray.
Bake for 12 - 15 minutes.
They’re great as is but a little dip never hurt anyone.
There is one problem though, you’re most likely going to run out before you want to.
Enjoy!
If you ain’t sweatin, it ain’t chili,
Chuckwagon 505
Granny’s Rolled Tacos
These are a take off of the deep fried rolled tacos you find in some restaurants. I prefer these because you can add the garnishment of your choice and you don’t get as much of that greasy taste…
- 1 lb of ground beef (I like to use ground chuck)
- 1 package of taco seasoning
- 12 corn tortillas
- 1 cup of finely grated cheese of your choice
- Tomatoes - chopped
- Lettuce - chopped
- Onion - chopped or not
- Salsa - optional
- Oil for frying
Fry the ground beef. Add the taco seasoning and cook according to package directions.
While the meat mixture is simmering, fry the tortillas quickly, making sure they remain soft enough to roll. Drain on paper towels.
Put a couple of tablespoons of meat mixture across a tortilla fairly close to the edge. Sprinkle with the grated cheese, and then add the tomatoes, lettuce and onion. Set out a bowl of salsa for dipping if desired. (Also great dipped in guacamole)
Place on a plate seam side down. Cover with a towel to keep warm until all are rolled. Make plenty! These aren’t only great tasting they’re fun to eat.
We came up with these tacos because our grandbabies were such picky eaters and tacos were on the “but I don’t like it” list.
We did the cooking and frying and the kids did the “filling” and rolling. I don’t ever remember there being any leftovers. Any time you include the little ones when cooking, they always eat better. Enjoy!
If you ain’t sweatin, it ain’t chili,
Chuckwagon505
Steve’s Poppers
How about some appetizers for your next get together? Steve’s Poppers are some of the best I’ve ever tasted. Many folks are leery of Jalapenos but these are not hot. Even the kids love them…
- 1 8oz package of cream cheese
- 1 bag of shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 package of bacon - regular or turkey
- 15-18 Jalapenos
Cut the Jalapenos in half length wise. Remove the seeds and veins.
Combine the cream cheese and mozzarella cheese. Soften that mixture in the microwave.
Fill each Jalapeno half with the cheese mixture. Cut the bacon to fit and place on the top of each one.
Bake in a 400° oven for 30 minutes or until the cheese is browned and the bacon is cooked through.
Serve hot on a platter. My suggestion is if you have more than 4-5 people you better double this. They go fast. Enjoy!
If you ain’t sweatin, it ain’t chili,
Chuckwagon 505