Category: TEXMEX / BRAZILIAN / CAJUN / CUBAN

CARNITAS – GREEN CHILE STYLE

The recipe I was given years ago lacked in flavor so I modified it and we’re extremely happy with the outcome. I’ve been making them this way for years. Originally the roasting was done on a rack with water underneath and just a simple salt and pepper.
Now I use a large onion diced as my natural rack to protect the pork. The onions bake together and become an essential flavor to the dish. I place the pork roast on top of the onion pieces and surround it with a can of diced green chiles and 4-5 cloves of minced garlic. Then I pour a can of salsa verde enchilada sauce** on top of the green chiles and onions.  Cover it with foil and bake for 2 hours at 350°.
Then uncover it and bake another hour or until fork tender.  Remove the roast to a cutting board and shred it into bite sized pieces. 

Add the pork pieces back into the onion mixture and coat well.

Serve with your favorite salsa, grated cheese and sour cream. Enjoy!

**TO MAKE YOUR OWN SAUCE:
3 jalapenos
1/2 pound tomatillos
2 tablespoons minced cilantro leaves
3cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

  • Grill jalapenos until lightly charred.
  • Halve the tomatillos and simmer until soft. Allow to cool and drain off water.
  • Blend the peppers, tomatillos, garlic and salt until smooth.
  • Stir in cilantro.

HOMEMADE REFRIED BEANS

REFRIED BEANS
2 1/2 cups pinto beans
1 small onion, chopped fine
4 tablespoons bacon grease
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup sour cream
1 cup cheddar/ Monterey Jack grated cheese
Cotija cheese, optional
Jalapenos, optional

  • Rinse beans and pick out any bad ones.
  • In a small stock pot cover the beans with about 3 inches of water. If there are still any bad beans in there they will float to the top.
  • Bring them to a boil, lower heat and simmer 2 hours or until skins break.
  • Drain.
  • In a heavy skillet (cast iron works best), melt the bacon grease and butter.
  • Saute’ onion until translucent.
  • Add beans and stir well.
  • Smash beans continuously until desired texture is reached.
  • Transfer beans into a large mixing bowl.
  • Use hand mixer and beat smooth.
  • Add sour cream, salt, pepper and red pepper.
  • Beat smooth again.
  • Transfer into a 9×9 casserole and top with cheese, if desired.
  • Bake 20 minutes at 350°.
  • Garnish with Cotija cheese and jalapenos if desired.

ENCHILADAS RANCHERAS LASAGNA

So do you know what the first step is in making Enchiladas Rancheras is?  To make a pot roast one day and pork carnitas the next of course.  I’ve made these enchiladas for years but always find the best flavor comes from using leftover pot roast & leftover pork carnitas in tandem along with fresh made tortillas and tomato sauce.  I’d like to say I made these tortillas, but I ran out of time with company coming and purchased  them from a local market who makes them fresh in the store.  I just love watching those girls work!
ENCHILADAS RANCHERAS LASAGNA
Shredded beef
4 large tomatoes,sliced
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 large can can chopped green chiles
2 cups shredded cheese (I like a combo of jalapeno cheddar and Monterey jack)
tortillas
PURE
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Spray baking dish with PURE.
  • Roast tomatoes until crushable.
  • Add green chiles and garlic until well blended.
  • Stir in salt and pepper.
  • Puree’.
  • Split sauce in half.
  • Soak shredded meat for at least an hour in the sauce (though I prefer over night).
  • Spread your tortilla lightly with some of the tomato sauce.  
  • Fill with meat and sprinkle with cheese.
  • Roll up and place in baking dish.
  • When full, pour remaining sauce over the enchiladas.**
  • Top with remaining cheese.
  • Bake for 30 minutes.
  • Serve with GARDEN TOMATO SALSA and Fresh Guacamole.
**This time I was trying to feed a full house and was running out of refrigerator space so I tried something new and made 2 layers in the same pan and made a casserole out of it – worked like a dream.  We just called it Lasagna cut it into squares and everyone was happy.

CHICKEN EMPANADAS

aka CHICKEN TURNOVERS
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 large bunch green onions, chopped
1/4 cup salsa
1/4 cup guacamole
1 can refrigerator biscuits, grand size
1 cup shredded shredded cheddar cheese

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Combine in large bowl the salsa, guacamole, green onions, chicken and cheese.
  • On a floured board between wax paper layers, roll out each biscuit to about double the original size.
  • Fill each biscuit with chicken mixture and fold over into a moon shape.
  • Press the edges firmly to seal.
  • Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Serve with a side of sour cream and salsa for dipping.

FRITO PIE RE-VISITED aka BLACK BEAN CHICKEN NACHOS

My mom sent me a recipe recently that she’d made and said they’d really loved.  It is sooooo simple, EXTREMELY TASTY, but moreover it was really easy to “modify” – you know me, I MUST modify!  I’ll put the original recipe up and note the adjustments in red.

FRITO PIE RE-VISITED aka BLACK BEAN CHICKEN NACHOS
1 tablespoon butter
4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts (1 lb.) 1 pound chicken tenders **
1 cup TACO BELL thick & chunky salsa 1 cup PACE thick and chunky salsa
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, undrained 1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained but not rinsed
1 cup KRAFT 2% Milk shredded Cheddar Cheese 1 cup TILLAMOOK medium shredded cheddar cheese
FRITOS

  • Melt butter in skillet and brown chicken until just cooked through.
  • Add salsa and beans.  Bring to a boil and cover. Simmer on medium to low about 5 minutes.
  • Remove from heat.
  • Top with cheese. Cover and let stand until cheese is melted – 4-5 minutes.
  • Serve over Fritos and a dollop of sour cream.

**Next time I’ll cut the tenders into bite sized pieces.

TACO RING

A lot of people have asked about this recipe of late, so I thought it was time to share it. It is so simple and looks so good too. It’s great for Super Bowl parties, potlucks, etc… Kids really love it too.

1 1/2 pounds ground beef  
taco seasoning

1 large onion, chopped small
4 oz. can chopped green chiles, not drained
1 package refrigerator crescent rolls
1 large tomato, chopped
1 bunch green onions, sliced
3 cups shredded lettuce
1 package Sargento Mexican blend fine shredded cheese
sour cream

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • In a skillet brown the ground beef and onion. Drain.
  • Add taco seasoning and green chiles.
  • Simmer 5-10 minutes. Drain again so there is no excess moisture.
  • I use my stoneware pizza stone. Lightly spray it with PURE.
  • Unroll the crescent rolls and separate them.
  • Arrange the rolls (wide edges inward with the thin corner edge slightly hanging off the pizza stone) in a circular pattern around the pizza stone with the corners slightly touching.
  • Arrange the meat mixture in a circular pattern covering the large end portion of the crescent rolls. Sprinkle 1/3 -1/2 of the cheese over the meat.
  • Pull the small pointed end up over the meat mixture and pinch into large portion creating a ring that resembles a wreath. You will have an open area with meat showing through.
  • Bake according to the biscuit directions and golden.
  • I also serve it on the stoneware. Arrange the shredded lettuce, green onions and tomatoes in the center and edges. For just us, I just put it directly on the plate.
  • Garnish with sour cream and remaining cheese.
  • Serve immediately.

FIRE ROASTED ENCHILADAS via MISSISSIPPI POT ROAST aka PEPERONCINI POT ROAST

This recipe is floating all over Pinterest and always looks so good I finally had to try it. I wasn’t disappointed. It’s FANTASTIC!  At the end of the cooking time you have a melt in your mouth roast and gravy too!
Mississippi Pot RoastMISSISSIPPI POT ROAST aka PEPERONCINI POT ROAST
3 pound chuck roast
1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix (dry)
1 packet Au Jus mix
6 pepperocini peppers
1 stick butter, sliced into slivers
1 large onion, cut into slivers
1 stalk celery, sliced
2 cups baby carrots, halved
2 large Yukon potatoes, cut into chunks
  • Layer the celery, onions and carrots in a 6 quart slow cooker.
  • Top with roast.
  • Sprinkle the dry mixes over the roast.
  • Top with peppers and then butter slices.
  • Cook on low 8 hours.

CHICKEN & GREEN CHILE FLAUTAS

CHICKEN & GREEN CHILE FLAUTAS
3 cups cooked and shredded rotisserie chicken
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sour cream
1 can original Rotel tomatoes and chiles, drained VERY well
1 small can green chiles, drained VERY well
1 bunch green onions, sliced lengthwise and then again in half moons
sea salt and pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar and jack Mexican mix cheese
6 inch flour tortillas
Canola oil for frying
Salsa, sour cream, guacamole and taco sauce for dipping

  • In a large bowl combine the chicken pieces, cream cheese, sour cream, Rotel tomatoes and chiles and shredded cheese until well blended.
  • Fill each tortilla with two heaping tablespoons of chicken mixture towards one side and then roll tightly.  Place seam side down on a platter.  DO NOT begin frying until they are all filled.  
  • Add enough oil to a large skillet to generously cover the bottom.  Heat to medium.
  • Cook tortillas seam side down and then turning to brown all the way around.
  • DO NOT crowd the pan.
  • Drain on paper towels.
  • Serve with your favorite sauces.

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS SUIZA

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS SUIZA

2 pounds boneless chicken breasts (or bone in if your prefer)** SEE NOTES
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 cup sour cream
4 ounce can chopped green chiles, drained well
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 can Rotel mild original tomatoes with green chiles, drained
10 ounce can mild enchilada sauce, green
2 cups finely shredded jack and cheddar cheese
tortillas

  • Place chicken in stock pot with enough water to cover, salt and pepper.
  • Bring to a low rolling boil until chicken is cooked through.
  • Cool, de-bone if necessary and cut into bite sized pieces, preferably shredded.

 

  • In a large bowl mix together the chicken pieces, Rotel tomatoes, green chiles, 1 cup of the cheese and 1/4 cup of the sour cream. Mix well.

ASSEMBLY

  • I like to slice off the major portion of the arc of the tortilla so I have a large rectangle to work with.
  • Lightly spread a thin layer of sour cream on each tortilla.
  • Divide the chicken mixture amongst all the tortillas and roll them securely.
  • Place each one seam side down, side by side in a lightly sprayed rectangular baking dish.
  • Pour the sauce evenly over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.
  • Bake foil covered for 30 minutes at 325 degrees.
  • Uncover and bake another 15 minutes until cheese is melted and crisp.
  • Serve with re-fried beans.

NOTES: Rotisserie chicken pieces make an awesome substitution and decrease your prep time 😀

Originally posted 2-5-2010
Updated 7-25-2022