CHICKEN TACO SOUP...CROCKPOT STYLE

Good Morning Loves...
y'all grab a pen and paper because you will want to
jot down this recipe....you are going to LOVE this easy, delicious recipe!
I just adore crockpot recipes where you can just add
all the ingredients at once, turn your slow cooker on Low....
and dinner is ready when you are!

This recipe was just so yummy and filling for a Saturday night dinner....
The recipe was actually entitled White Chicken Chili, but I call
it Chicken Taco Soup which is more descriptive of the recipe.

The SALSA VERDE was the perfect ingredient too!

15 ounce can pinto beans drained

15.5 ounce can great northern beans drained

11 ounce can shoepeg corn drained

10 ounce can Rotel (diced tomatoes and green chilies)

2 cups chicken broth

16 ounce jar salsa verde

1 ½-2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs

1 cup diced yellow onion about 1 medium onion

2 tablespoons taco seasoning

Garnish Options:
 tortilla chips, lime wedges, jalapeno slices,
sour cream, cilantro, avocado slices

Drain the pinto beans, great northern beans, and corn.

To a crockpot, add the drained beans and corn,
 Rotel, broth, salsa verde, chicken, onion, and taco seasoning.

Stir the mixture until combined well.
Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 4-5 hours.

Break the chicken into smaller pieces either inside the crockpot
 or by transferring to a bowl, shredding,
and returning to the crockpot.

Ladle and serve with garnishes as desired.

It's Texas thing....y'all are gonna love this one!

 

KING RANCH CHICKEN by LADY BIRD JOHNSON

 

LADY BIRD'S recipe made this casserole well loved and famous!
This casserole has been made and shared for hundreds of occasions
from church potlucks to funeral food gifts and all sorts of family gatherings......

Her recipe has been published in newspapers across the country and

has proven itself to be a family favorite....it's comfort food at it's finest.....

I served this with a side of hot rice and garnishes of

cherry tomatoes, olives, scallions and fresh cilantro.....

THIS, my darlings. will soon be on your list of family's most requested dinners!

This recipe card is a copy from the LBJ Library.....

For the Longhorn cheese, I used both Monterey Jack and Sharp Cheddar.

OPALHOUSE SUMMER DECOR AND EASY SUMMER FOOD FARE

"Of this be sure, you do not FIND this HAPPY LIFE,
you MAKE IT!"~Thomas Monson

I have been part of a love affair...yes, I certainly have......
with Target's OPALHOUSE home goods line!
This set of melamine plates was my very first purchase

from Opalhouse when it first appeared in stores.

I purchased this gorgeous canvas print last year
for the upstairs Jack and Jill bathroom....
I just love the vibrant colors in this boho chic line!

Now, here are a few new additions I purchased recently....
this beautiful bath towel...so thick and luxurious!

And, this vibrant, delicious smelling candle...
this just speaks SUMMER to me.....
the scent is just over the moon good......

I'm bringing this to the beach with us.....

Lastly, this beautiful Pink Capiz Plug- In Wallflower

to go with this SEASIDE COCONUT WARMING OIL!

It's fun to create a certain seasonal vibe throughout the house!

I would love to know what your recent home purchases have been!

SUMMER FOOD FARE

Blueberry Biscuits...marvelous with morning coffee

Nothing better than a homemade Taco Salad

Drizzle with a touch of French Dressing

Martha Stewart has a new line of appetizers out and I picked these up
for a small cocktail party......

They were actually pretty good..light and fresh tasting...
Yes, I would purchase this again!

Don't forget the deviled eggs.....
they always are a perfect side when serving BBQ 
or grilled burgers!

Green Chili Chicken Spaghetti

This is a delicious recipe using HEB Green Chili Stew Mix

Here is the recipe if you can get your hands on the Stew Mix

Now, how about a sweet ending.....

German Chocolate Cake

Topped with Creamy Vanilla Frosting and colorful Sprinkles!

A look back at a wonderful Father's Day 2021

 

MY BEEF ENCHILADAS AND QUARANTINED LIFE

SELF PORTRAIT DURING QUARANTINE

My sweet friend Janey requested this recipe...

so I wanted to share my version of this recipe!

Now, during this time, I often alter a recipe since I use

what I have on hand, since we are doing limited grocery trips...

these were marvelous and provided us two dinners....

making six enchiladas....

I used 1 cup of salsa, not enchilada sauce.

I used only one pound of ground beef.

I added one diced poblano pepper to the ground beef mixture

and a little less onion.

I also topped the enchiladas before baking, with fresh tomato

and fresh green onions.  

BEEF ENCHILADAS

TAMALE PIE

This is one of those family favorite recipes
that is quick, easy and delicious
when you are needing a hot supper on Saturday or Sunday.
Weekends can be chocked full of errands, cleaning, shopping
and driving children to sports activities.
This Tamale Pie hits the spot when you need to gather around
the table for family time!



TAMALE PIE

Cooking spray

1 box corn muffin mix 

1 large egg

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 c. canned creamed corn

1 T. extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 t. ground cumin

1 t. chili powder

 salt to taste

Coarsely ground black pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb. ground beef

1/3 cup red enchilada sauce or salsa

1 cup shredded cheddar

1 cup shredded Monterey jack

Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a large oven-safe skillet with cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together corn muffin mix, egg, sour cream, and creamed corn. Transfer to prepared skillet and bake until golden, 20 minutes. Let cool.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion, cumin, and chili powder and season with salt and pepper. Cook until soft, 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute more. Add ground beef and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 6 minutes. Drain fat.

Poke entire surface of cornbread with a fork and pour over enchilada sauce. Add beef and top with cheeses. Bake until cheese is melty, about 20 minutes. Serve with a fresh salad!

EASY MEXICAN CHICKEN CASSEROLE

Do you need an idea for a Weekend dinner?

This easy to prepare chicken casserole

is loved by so many of us...

I have served this for impromptu dinner gatherings

and also taken it to progressive dinners.....

it's one of those recipes that everyone asks for,

so I hope you give this one a try...your family will thank you!

EASY MEXICAN CHICKEN CASSEROLE

2 teaspoons olive oil

 1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper

 1/2 cup chopped onion

2 1/2 cups cooked chopped chicken

1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of chicken soup

1 (10 ounce) can Rotel tomatoes

1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans

1 tablespoon taco seasoning

1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

 1 cup crushed Doritos

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat olive oil and cook bell pepper and onion until translucent.

Combine vegetables, chicken, soup, tomatoes, beans, seasoning, 

and 1 cup of cheese into large bowl.

Coat 9x13, or smaller dish, with nonstick cooking spray and

 pour chicken mixture in baking dish. 

Cover with foil (I didn't) and bake for 30 minutes. 

Uncover, sprinkle with remaining cheese and crushed Doritos

…continue baking for 5 minutes.

Serve over hot rice.

Top with sour cream if desired.

EASY MEXICAN RICE AND BEAN CASSEROLE

You know we Texas gals love our Mexican food!

My sweet friend Shelly over in Fort Worth shared her

family's favorite Mexican casserole with me,

and it's one that you are going to love!

INGREDIENTS

1 large can of refried beans

1 box of Mexican or Spanish Rice

1 can of stewed tomatoes

2 cups of shredded Mexican blend cheese

Prepare the Mexican or Spanish rice according to package directions.

Spread the large can of refried beans in a 9 inch by 13 inch baking dish.

Spoon the prepared rice over the beans.

Top with shredded cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes

until cheese is melted and all is hot and bubbly.

I prepared some healthy and fresh veggies

for our soft tacos...

fresh cucumbers and radishes marinated in vinegar, fresh scallions

and red cabbage which was shredded.

Also, plenty of fresh cilantro.......

This is a different mix that I learned from Hello Fresh

and it tastes sooooo good!

Serve the casserole on the side!

Build your taco using warm flour tortillas.....

homemade taco meat, fresh veggies and sour cream

all wrapped up in the tortilla........

top with sour cream

And there you have a delicious Mexican dinner!

Enjoy dinner with your family!

CHEESE QUESADILLAS

Here in the great state of Texas,

we have a favorite Mexican delight known as

The Quesadilla!

This is so very easy to prepare and we love these

as a light lunch, an appetizer during cocktails

and

they make a marvelous after school snack for hungry children!

Melt about 1 tablespoon of butter in a saucepan.

Take one large flour tortilla and sprinkle generously

with sharp cheddar cheese.

Top with another tortilla and heat until lightly browned and slightly crispy

on each side. 

Slice into wedges and serve with sour cream, fresh guacamole 

and

fresh chopped tomatoes and a touch of cilantro!

Delightful!

THIS MAY MAKE YOU HUNGRY

Saturday night date night called for

getting dressed up and going out

on the town for some fabulous Tex-Mex!

I always love seeing couples enjoying

their evening out.....

Here's a toast to the good times life offers...

three July family birthdays to celebrate!

Best ever Queso.....

The darling and me.....

we seem to end up matching these days....

We love double dating with the kiddos....

A cool slushy swirl of margarita and sangria

Dinner has arrived....

Good atmosphere....great service, delicious food

and

lovely company!

BUFFALO CHICKEN TACOS..THE BEST EASY SUMMER LUNCH EVER!

I am going to share with you

how to make the easiest, yummiest lunch ever!

It is perfect for hot summer days!

It's my specialty beach day lunch!

When we take our family beach vacations,

everyone takes turns at cooking breakfast, lunch or dinner.

We found that this works so well for our large group and

we all look forward to what the other's are treating us to!

Believe me...we EAT VERY WELL ON VACATIONS!

Jay was preparing his soft shell blue crabs for an evening meal!

Catherine served up her famous Spicy Spaghetti!

Even ole' Rob takes his turn at dessert....

a delicious Nutty Buddy!!!!

And...yes, I am doing my best to teach him to cook!

My Buffalo Chicken Tacos are delicious and requested

on every trip....they take just a few ingredients too!

One to Two Rotisserie chickens

One package of flour tortillas

One bunch celery, diced

One bottle of Frank's RedHot sauce

Blue Cheese Crumbles

Just slice your chicken. place pieces on your tortilla, sprinkle with 

Frank's Hot Sauce....add diced celery and blue cheese crumbles and

roll into your tortilla. You can add other cheeses, sour cream

or blue cheese dressing if you wish.We keep ours simple and 

it tastes divine! Everyone makes their own and believe me,

after a morning down on the beach...when lunchtime rolls

around, we are all famished!

 If you are feeding more than 8 people, like we do,

just double or triple the ingredients!

Hope y'all enjoy!!!!