Fried Ice Cream - No Fry!

For Cinco De Mayo tonight, Biz made this desert - so delicious!! 

Fried Ice Cream (No fry!)
vanilla ice cream
5 cups Cornflakes cereal
1/2 cup butter
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons sugar
*Chocolate ganache

Scoop ice cream into 2 1/2 inch scoops and freeze until hard. An easy way to do this is to line a cupcake pan with plastic wrap and place the scoops in the tin.
Crush the cornflakes with a food processor or in a Ziploc bag.
In a medium skillet, melt the butter. Add the cornflakes and cinnamon and cook for a couple of minutes. This blooms the cinnamon and makes the flavor come out.
Remove from heat and stir in the sugar. Let mixture cool completely.
When ice cream is hard, roll in the cornflake mixture. Top with chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and a cherry if desired.

Frito Lay Bean Dip Copycat

Cinco De Mayo celebration! P set the table - she did such a good job! She picked out all the table settings plates, etc. I love having her help

Frito Lay Bean Dip Copycat

1(15 ounce) can refried beans
5 slices bottled jalapenos (nacho slices)
1 tablespoon brine, from bottled jalapeno slices
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1⁄4 teaspoon onion powder
1⁄4 teaspoon paprika
1⁄8 teaspoon garlic powder
1⁄8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Combine refried beans with the other ingredients in a food processor.
Puree ingredients on high speed until smooth.
Cover and chill for at least an hour before serving OR puree all the ingredients except refried beans. Add puree to beans in a pan on the stove top and serve warm.

7 Layer Dip

7 Layer Dip
Frito Lay Bean Dip x 2
Wholly guacamole
sour cream
1 1/2 clamshells of Harmon's fresh salsa - drained
Shredded cheddar cheese (not from a bag)
Sliced olives
Diced green onions

Best served on a round platter or plate - the shallower the better. 

First, add refried beans in a thin layer all the way to the perimeter of the plate. Then add a thin layer of the guacamole, sour cream and salsa in that order. Add shredded cheese. Sprinkle with olives and green onions.

Serve with tortilla chips!

Six Cans Away!

This is a recipe I threw together as a "tester" for my too soon to be college Freshman. I wanted to make it in the crock pot I'm sending with him and I wanted to have his approval taste-wise before I committed. 

This recipe is perfect for when you are tired, hungry, poor - game night busy - all of the above! You can grab these 6 cans (plus taco seasoning) and have a delicious, filling meal in no time flat - or waiting for you when you come home... so I'm calling it Six Cans Away - bc you are literally 6 cans away from exactly what you need.

Six Cans Away!!!

1 15 oz can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 15 oz can pinto beans (drained and rinsed)

1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (drained)
1 15 oz can sweet corn (drained)
1 10.75 oz can cream of chicken soup
1 10 oz can green enchilada sauce
1 packet taco seasoning mix

Throw everything together and heat up on the stove top on Medium Low until warm (20 minutes).

OR

Spray slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
Pour all the ingredients into slow cooker and stir together.
Cook on low heat for 2 hours.

Serve as a SOUP by adding 14 oz can of chicken broth.
Serve as MACHO NACHOS with shredded cheddar cheese and tortilla chips.
Serve as a BURRITO in a flour tortilla.

AMP IT UP with an 8 oz block of Velveeta cheese melted in for the ultimate queso.

*Add left over chicken or ground beef to AMP it up

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

Alright. I am known for my Chicken Enchiladas. I taught my daughter, Biz, to make these a couple years ago and she makes these every couple months and always gets rave reviews. 

Another of my daughters, Maisie, just came back from a trip with her friends and told me she helped make Chicken Enchiladas that in her opinion are even BETTER than ours. Having lived in New Mexico for several years - I was shocked - and I immediately knew we just HAD to make this new recipe to get a verdict from all 6 of us.

To be honest - this recipe looks much more "Utah" and "kid" friendly than my New Mexican recipe - but I live in Utah - and I have kids - so - bring. it. on.

This recipe is from Six Sisters Stuff - a popular food blog.

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas
Marinade
6 Tablespoons honey
5 Tablespoons lime juice
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cooked and shredded

Enchiladas
16 ounces green enchilada sauce divided
10 flour tortillas
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
1 cup heavy cream

Whisk together marinade ingredients and toss with shredded chicken in a resealable gallon-sized bag or airtight container.
Let chicken mixture marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, but preferably a few hours. I watched the video on this recipe - and she actually said she prefers an overnight marinade.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Pour 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9 X 13 inch baking pan.
Fill the tortillas with chicken, saving marinade (if any left), and shredded cheese, reserving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas.
Placed rolled (not tucked burrito) tortillas into prepared pan.
Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with heavy cream and leftover marinade, if any, and pour on top of enchiladas.
Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake for 30 minutes or until brown and crispy on top.

Instant Pot Refried Beans

Yummy!!!

Instant Pot Refried Beans
6 Cups Dry Pinto Beans12 Cups Chicken Broth (*see note)
2 1/2 Teaspoons Ground Cumin
1 1/2 Teaspoons Garlic Powder
1 1/2 Teaspoons Onion Powder
2 Teaspoons Chili Powder
2 Teaspoons Salt

Toppings:
Cotija Cheese
Jalapenos , sliced
Salsa or tomatoes
Cilantro , chopped
Sliced Limes

Dump the beans in a large bowl and cover completely with water. Allow to soak for 8 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse the beans.

Dump the beans into the instant pot.
Add the chicken broth and water (we use all chicken broth) and put the lid on with the valve on seal.
Turn the instant pot on to high pressure for 30 minutes.

Allow a natural release for 10 minutes and then quick release.

Drain all of the liquid off of the beans, reserving 2 cups of the liquid.

Add 1 cup of the liquid back in the pot along with all seasonings and using a potato masher, smash the beans. Add more liquid as needed from the second reserved cup.
Serve with toppings if desired.

Notes
*You can substitute some broth with water if you want to cut calories or sodium, just make sure the total amount of liquid is 12 cups. You will lose some flavor the more water you use. You can easily halve or even quarter this recipe. It's 1 cup of beans to 2 cups of water and reserve only 1/2 cup of the liquid for mashing.
Refried beans will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Mexican Chicken Lime Soup

I wanted to make soup for dinner - but I also knew that tonights dinner had to include chicken - bc that is what I had and what was quick.

A little searching and I found this! It was really good! The chiles and the adobo sauce really add a smoky depth of flavor without being spicy. The zip of the lime juice and the freshness of cilantro also added unusual and delicious notes. This is a GOODIE!!! The original recipe doesn't include beans - but I added them and I'm glad I did!

Mexican Chicken Lime Soup via Rachael Ray Magazine
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
6 skinless, boneless chicken (rotisserie)
2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, finely chopped, plus 2 tablespoons adobo sauce
4 cans great northern beans, drained

8 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Juice of 2 limes
Salt and pepper
1 haas avocado, thinly sliced lengthwise into 12 pieces
Crushed tortilla chips

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, lower the heat to medium and cook until the onion begins to brown, about 7 minutes. Increase the heat to high, push the vegetables to the side of the pan, add the chicken and cook, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chipotles and adobo sauce, then stir in the chicken broth. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and lime juice; season with salt and pepper.

*One of my BIGGEST beliefs about soup is that after you follow your recipe and you are ready to serve - if you have the time to put it on a low simmer - it just gets better and better. I made this really quickly about an hour before running out the door for carpool. We ate it 3 hours later - seriously. so. good.

Serve with any or all of the following: cilantro, lime wedge, sour cream, avocado slices, tortilla chips.

Enchilada Suiza

My husband and I went on a little vacation to San Diego recently without the kids!!! It was amazing for so many different reasons - one of which was eating at La Fiesta in the Gaslamp Quarter. Every time we go to a mexican restaurant I order chicken chimichangas. This restaurant didn't offer chimichangas on the menu - so I was forced out of my comfort zone. What happens when I am forced out of my comfort zone? Usually something AMAZING!! In this case INCREDIBLE. Here is the description from the menu: 

ENCHILADAS SUIZAS 16
Corn tortillas in green tomatillo sauce and stuffed with shredded chicken, topped with melted cheese and sour cream. Served with refried beans and rice. 

I asked for them to be prepared with flour tortillas instead of corn - which was pure genius.

I've been craving them ever since. I didn't have exactly what I needed to replicate their recipe - but I found an easy version that satisfied my craving AND fit the bill for Cinco de Mayo...

Enchilada Suiza
5 flour tortillas (or corn if you prefer)
1 c Herdes salsa verde
1 lb ground beef (or shredded chicken or shredded pork)
1 c Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1 c Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 c heavy cream

Garnish with
Sour cream
Diced tomatoes
Diced green onion

Cook ground beef, chicken or pork your favorite way. I used ground beef and added taco seasoning to it for some kick. Rotisserie chicken would be fab in this.

In a 9x13 pan, use 1/4 cup Salsa Verde to coat the bottom of the pan. Take each tortilla, fill with about 2 T of cheese blend and meat.. Roll up and set in casserole seam side down. Cover evenly with heavy cream, excess cheese and more salsa verde. Since I was serving my kids - I just used a little Salsa verde on top - then served some on the side for me.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Then - bc I love browned cheesy bits - I turned the broiler on and let it sit under it for a couple of minutes. Holy yum.

Just thinking about it makes me want to make them again tonight - but with chicken!!

Green Chili White Sauce Beef Enchiladas

I felt like Mexican food but only had ground beef on hand - I found this recipe on Pinterest (of course) and tweaked it a little. I can't find the site I found it on - I'll link that in later. 

All my kids (including 2 year old babe) loved it - yummy noises all around - one of my favorite sounds:)

Green Chili White Sauce Beef Enchiladas

1 lb ground beef

1/3 c finely chopped onion

1 t cumin

1/2 t chili powder

1/2 t garlic powder

juice of 1/2 lime

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

For the Enchilada Sauce 

2 T butter

2-3 T flour

1 c chicken broth

1/3 - 1/2 c salsa verde

1/2 t cumin

1 c sour cream

To Prepare

Monterey Jack cheese, shredded*

Cheddar cheese, shredded

6-8 flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Brown ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and saute another few minutes.  Add the cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, lime juice and black beans.  Stir to combine.  Mine looked a bit dry - so I added a few Tablespoons of chicken stock.

Meanwhile, for the sauce: melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Stir in the flour until a thick paste forms (roux).  Cook for a few minutes to cook out the flour taste.  Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and stir until smooth.  Continue cooking until sauce thickens, whisking occasionally.  Stir in the salsa verde, cumin and sour cream.

To prepare: Divide meat mixture between tortillas and top each with a small amount of cheese.  Roll up tightly and place, seam side down, in a casserole dish.  Pour sauce over the top, covering each enchilada completely.  Top with remaining cheese.  Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until heated through and bubbly.  Broil for the last few minutes to brown the cheese on top.  Serve.   

I got 5 FAT tortillas side by side in a 9x13" casserole. 

*I didn't have Monterey Jack on hand so I used mozzarella 

Amazing Taco Meat

I knew I was going to make taco meat for dinner but I didn't want the same old same old. So, I did a little looking around on the internet and tried a few new things - BIG PAY OFF!!

I usually just make taco meat with a "taco seasoning packet" and adhere to the directions on the packet. I could just kick myself for not remembering what sites got me on this trail - but I'm telling you - this taco meat will knock your socks off.

I'm not a big meat eater myself - but I have to admit that I was eating this meat by the spoonful right out of the pan. Seriously.

Amazing Taco Meat
1 lb ground beef
1/2 onion, diced
1 packet dry taco seasoning (I like McCormick's) *1/4 cup
1 packet dry Ranch seasoning and salad dressing mix *3 Tbsp
3/4 c water

Cook ground beef until browned. Add in the onions when the beef is about 1/2 way cooked - so they have time to get soft and sweet. Add taco and ranch seasoning as well as the water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.

If you really want to bump things up - check out my post called "Taco Sauce"

Avocado Salsa

I've never thought about posting this recipe until I made this for a party and a friend asked for the recipe - it's really so basic.

Avocado Salsa
3 Avocados - diced chunky (I use *Wholly Guacamole in a pinch)
3 Tomatoes, diced
1/4 - 1/2 c Red onion, diced
2 diced jalapeños (or as many as you like!)
Cilantro, finely minced (about 1/4 a bushel)
1 T Lime juice
1/4 - 1/2 t Garlic powder*

Combine all ingredients. If you substitute *Wholly Guacamole instead of avocado's - DO NOT USE GARLIC.

Let sit in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving - to let the flavors combine.

Best Green Chili Enchiladas Ever

UPDATE: 11/15/23

This no longer feeds 2 families!! This feeds my family of 6 (4 adults and 2 teenagers). I also just add everything together into a deep pan to warm up before filling the flour tortillas.

I made these enchiladas tonight for my brood - and for another family and it was a HIT!!! My 7 & 4 year olds hardly spoke - and had seconds. My husband asked me to make these again - even before finishing his plate - and I ate waaay too much of this - in the best way possible.

Hope the family we brought dinner to enjoyed this as much as we did!!



Best Green Chili Enchiladas Ever
2-3 chicken breasts, shredded (rotisserie or canned chicken works too!)
8 oz. cream cheese
2 10 oz. can green enchilada sauce (mild, medium or HOT!)
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 - 1 1/2 cups cooked rice
Flour Tortillas (5 or 6)
1-2 cups shredded colby & monterey cheese

Cook rice per package directions (or in your rice cooker as I do). Drain and rinse black beans.

Combine chicken, cream cheese (I warm mine up a bit for better mixing) and 1 10oz can of mild green enchilada sauce (Mild green El Paso is my choice as I am serving kids).

Use 1/2 of the 2nd can of green enchilada sauce to coat the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish. Grab a tortilla and spoon in the rice, topped with the black beans and then the chicken mixture. Wrap and lay face down in the casserole - on top of the enchilada sauce. You should get 5 or 6 'burritos' per pan.

Top with the other 1/2 of the green enchilada sauce and then smother with cheese. I used a good 2 cups - as we LOVE cheese - and my kids could use some fat in their diets:)

Cover with aluminum foil (I sprayed mine with PAM before covering it - so the cheese wouldn't stick to the aluminum). Bake at 375 for about 25 minutes.

Take the aluminum off and broil for 3 - 5 minutes so that the cheese gets all bubbly and browned a bit on top. DON'T STEP AWAY FROM THE BROILER - rule of thumb.

Cafe Rio Black Beans

Cafe Rio Black Beans
2 T EVOO
2 cloves garlic, minced or pasted
1 t cumin
15 oz black beans, rinsed and drained
¾ c tomato juice
Salt & Pepper to taste

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, salt and pepper. Stir until heated through. Use a slotted spoon to plate.

Cilantro Lime Rice

Couple this rice with the other ingredients listed in Cafe Rio Pork Salad - or serve it as a bright side dish to any mexican feast.

Cilantro Lime Rice
1 c. uncooked rice (I use Jasmine or Basamati)
1 t butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t freshly squeezed lime juice
2 c chicken broth
1 c water
1 T freshly squeezed lime juice
2 t sugar
3 t fresh chopped cilantro

In your rice machine (or saucepan) combine rice, butter, garlic, t lime juice, chicken broth and water. Cook until your ricer alerts you it’s ready – or according to package directions in your saucepan. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine remaining lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.

Cafe Rio Pork

This is the main component in the Cafe Rio Pork Salad - my kids also love to eat this meat on a hamburger bun topped with crispy coleslaw.


Cafe Rio Pork
5-6 lb pork roast
1 T cumin
1 c packed brown sugar
12 oz bottle La Victoria Red Taco sauce (mild)
20 oz Coca-Cola (I've also used Dr. Pepper)

Cook roast on low for 12 hours (I do overnight) in crock pot with water added half way up the roast. After 12 hours, drain water off roast and add remaining ingredients and continue cooking on low for 4 more hours. Then shred the meat and cook on Low or "Keep Warm" setting 2 more hours.

*I made this recipe many, many times using the method above. But there have been times that I didn't stick it in the crock pot the night before. In that case - I just cook it with all the ingredients (no water) on HIGH for 6 hours and then check it - then turn it down when it's tender enough to shred. Shred it, put it back in the juice and keep it at low or keep warm until you're ready to eat.

Cafe Rio Pork Salad

Cafe Rio Pork Salad was the first recipe I posted on this blog over 2 years ago. I also posted recipes for the famous Cafe Rio Pork in the salad Cilantro Lime Rice, Black Beans, and Cilantro Lime Dressing. BUT - I posted them all mixed up - so that it wasn't obvious that all of those ingredients together make the Ultimate Sweet Pork Salad aka Cafe Rio Pork Salad. I have now remedied that:)

Cafe Rio restraunt is in only a few western states - but everyone in the world must try this salad - it really is that good.
This is the end game - so I'll go ahead and tell you how to assemble this bad boy.
1. Nice fresh tortilla warmed on a dry skillet on the bottom of the plate
2. Thin layer of the Cilantro Lime Rice
3. Thin layer of the Black Beans
4. Layer of the Sweet Pork
5. Layer of the romain lettuce
6. Spinkling of pico de gallo
7. Dollup of both guacamole and sour scream
8. Sprinkled with cojito cheese* and tortilla strips.

The perfect salad.

*Cojito cheese can easily be found at your supermarket - it will be in with the specialty cheeses. I have seen people mention that parmesan cheese can be substituted for cojito cheese (I assume b/c they look similar) but I disagree. Cojito has it's own distinct mild flavor and texture.

Tortilla & Black Bean Pie

This is a very easy, flavorful, vegetarian dish. My kids all loved it - asked for seconds and then asked me today if we could have it again for dinner tonight!

Tortilla & Black Bean Pie
4 flour tortillas 10"
1 T oil
1 large onion, diced
1 jalapeno, minced (deveined and deseeded)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 t ground cumin
2 15 oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 c water or stock
1 1/2 c frozen corn (I LOVE Bybee foods Organic sweet corn, Costco)
4 scallions, thinly sliced - plus more for garnish
2 1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Use a paring knife to trim the tortillas to fit a 9" springform pan - use the bottom of the pan as a guide. Set aside. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, jalapeno, garlic and cumin. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onion is softened - 5 to 7 minutes. Add the beans and the stock to the skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, simmer until the liquid has almost evaporated - 10 minutes. Stir in the corn and scallions and remove from the heat. Spray bottom of pan with PAM. Fit a trimmed tortilla in the bottom of the pan. Layer 1/4 of the bean mixture and 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat 3 times, using 1 cup cheese on the top layer.

Bake for about 20 minutes - or until the cheese is melted. Serve with sour cream and salsa.

*I only had a 8" pie pan on hand - so I only got 2 layers. I divided the pie into 4 (me + 3 kiddos). When I make this again, I will either buy a 9" spring form - or make two 8" pie tins - to make sure there is plenty to go around.

Coyote Quesadillas

I saw these on Guy Fieri's "Guys Big Bite" on the Food Network the other day. Guy Fieri happens to be my 8 year old sons "favorite chef" as I have just recently learned... I didn't even know he was aware of that tv genre!TWO pictures for you - we all loved these so much - it really deserves 2 shots...Coyote Quesadillas
1 (6oz) boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 T Blackening Spice, recipe follows
1 T vegetable oil
6 oz canned refried beans
3/4 c shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 c shredded pepper jack cheese
2 T chopped green onion
1 T finely chopped cilantro leaves
1 Roma tomato, diced
3 large flour tortillas
Black Bean Salsa, recipe follows
Chipotle Ranch Dressing

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Rinse and pat dry the chicken breast, trim off any excess fat, and rub with 1 tablespoon of the Blackening Spice. Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet over high heat, add the chicken and cook until brown and cooked through, about 6 minutes on each side. Remove to a cutting board, cool slightly and slice. Cover to keep warm.
Heat the beans in a small pot over low heat until heated through and keep warm. Prepare the remaining ingredients and have them ready for assembly.
Heat a griddle or cast iron pan to high and toast the tortillas on both sides until crisp (if you try to fold them, they will crack).
Lay out 1 tortilla on a cookie sheet and evenly spread it with half of the beans, 1/3 of the cheeses, 1/2 of the blackened chicken, 1 tablespoon of the green onions, and cover with a second tortilla. Repeat this layering order with the remaining ingredients. Finish with the third tortilla and garnish with the remaining cheese, cilantro and diced tomatoes. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and portion with a slicing knife into 4 wedges. Serve with the Black Bean Salsa and Chipotle Ranch Dressing.

Blackening Spice Rub:
1 T granulated garlic
1 T freshly crack black pepper
2 t granulated onion
2 t ground cumin
1 t cayenne pepper
1 t paprika
1/2 T salt
Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container.

Mexican Chicken Lasagna

I made both chicken and bean burritos for dinner the other night. One of my sons fav things for dinner is a bean burrito (black beans and refried beans mixed up together, microwaved, topped with cheese and then folded burrito style). We had a bunch of left overs (including the chicken) so I came up with this simple recipe that satisfied us all...
Mexican Chicken Lasagna
3 c cooked rice (cooked in chicken stock is ALWAYS the way to go OR mexican rice would be awesome)
2 boneless skinless grilled chicken breasts, diced
1 c corn (I love Bybee Foods Organic frozen corn)
16 oz black beans, drained and rinsed
16 oz refried beans
1 large onion, diced
1 large tomato, diced (or 16 oz canned diced tomatoes)
2 cloves garlic (or 1 t of the minced in a jar)
3 T chili powder*
1 1/2 T paprika*
1 1/2 T cumin *
Tomatillo sauce
Flour tortillas
3 cups cheddar cheese, shredded (or if you don't have little ones a mix of cheddar and pepper jack would be delish)

Sautee onion, tomato and garlic until the onions start to soften. Add chili powder, paprika, cumin, chicken, black beans and refried beans. Mix well.

PAM a casserole dish. Pour in your Tomatillo sauce - just to coat. Put a layer of tortillas on top of the sauce. Layer the tortillas with rice. Then layer the rice with 1/2 the cheese. Then cover the cheese with the layer of chicken and bean mixture. Layer with more tortillas. Layer the tortillas with corn and then layer the corn with the rest of the cheese.

Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until the casserole is bubbly and the cheese is all melty and crusty on top.

My son tore the top layers of tortilla, corn and cheese off the top in one piece and started mackin' on that - he told me that part was his favorite Mexican food ever (I swear it's that sweet corn!) next to bean burritos of course...

*These 3 ingredients make up your average Taco Seasoning mix - but without all the silicone dioxide, monosodium gluteamate, etc. You can substitute them for your fav Taco Seasoning mix.

**I just want to say that I absolutely don't intend to sound judgy. It is easy to take short cuts - I've taken short cuts all my life. With that said, through my "food knowledge" journey I have realized that there are several easy substitutes for pre-packaged seasoning mixes. Not judging - just sharing knowledge here...

Pumped Up Bean Dip

My 7 year old (crazy picky eater) requests only a few things when I ask him what he would choose for dinner. Top Ramen, Shell macaroni or bean burritos - then he specifies "just beans and a tortilla - remember that Mom"
Since I am not the kind of Mom that likes to cook out of a box, so I am constantly challenging his pallet. This one is a winner - even for him:)

Pumped Up Bean Dip
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can refried beans
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 c sour cream
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 c cheddar cheese, shredded
1 c Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1 medium onion, chopped

In a large microwave the cream cheese and sour cream for about 30 seconds to soften them up and make them easier to blend together. Then add all other ingredients and combine them together. Put it into an 8x8” casserole dish. Bake for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

I usually serve this as a dip with chips – but my kids often request this in a warmed up tortilla served burrito style.