taco seasoning – Buen provecho…2022

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

I actually made this recipe several weeks ago, and although it tasted great, I was not all that happy with how it turned-out. Freezing the second half of the recipe turned out to really enhance it! It did not hurt to add more sauce to it the second time around! Go ahead and add the beans if you like them. My spouse does not, so I omitted them from the recipe. Rather than make a separate sauce, I opted for PACE Salsa MEDIUM. It simplified the recipe for me.

The photo below shows the second casserole, previously frozen, thawed and rebaked with generous dollops of sour cream when served! It certainly does not look great BUT the taste was awesome!

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into small bite sized pieces
1/2 red onion diced
4 ounce can of green chiles
1 pack taco seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 1/2 cups red enchilada sauce OR 1 jar of PACE Medium Salsa
8 large Mexican flour tortillas
15-ounce refried beans OPTIONAL
16 ounces shredded cheese sharp cheddar, Monterey jack, pepper jack.
diced onion, cilantro, sour cream for toppings.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees then add two tablespoons of oil to a large skillet and heat over medium high heat. Add the small chunks of chicken to the skillet and stirring often, cook until browned and no longer pink inside.

Add in the taco seasoning, spices, diced onion, 1/2 a cup of Pace salsa and green chiles. Stir to combine and simmer for 2-3 minutes then remove from heat.

Next, line up your Easy Chicken Enchiladas ingredients and grab a large 9×13 baking pan. Add a small amount of sauce at the bottom of the pan and spread out evenly.

To assemble the Easy Chicken Enchiladas, lay out a tortilla and spread a line of beans (OPTIONAL) down the middle of the tortilla along with a line of the chicken and some of the shredded cheese. Roll the tortilla and place in the baking pan. Repeat with the remaining ingredients and then top with more sauce and the remaining shredded cheese. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes. Remove and serve immediately.

Copycat Spice Mix Recipes

Depending on which country you live in, some of those crucial ingredients you need for a recipe can be difficult to find. Spice mixes are one of the most challenging if you are used to walking into your US or Canadian grocery store and always finding the mix you want in the spice section. Such is NOT the case in Mexico! This is where PINTEREST is so helpful! Below are four of the MOST common ones I never find here in Yucatan. Each is actually cheaper than buying the brand name!!

Cajun Spice 2. Dry Ranch Seasoning 3. Onion Soup Mix 4. Taco Seasoning

Cajun Spice Mix

Ingredients

3/4 cup sea salt
1/4 cup chili powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons black pepper
2 tablespoons paprika
4 teaspoons celery salt
4 teaspoons mustard powder
4 teaspoons dried basil
3 teaspoons ground sage
2 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons arrowroot powder
2 teaspoons dried onion flakes
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried thyme

1. Measure out all of your dry spices and seasonings.

2. Stir until well combined.

3. Transfer to a pint-sized mason jar and store with your spices.

Dry Ranch Dressing Seasoning Mix

1 tbsp dry Parsley
1 tbsp Dill
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp onion flakes or dry minced onion
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder

Onion Soup Mix

Ingredients

1/4 cup dehydrated minced onion flakes
2 tablespoons instant beef bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Directions

Combine the onion flakes, beef bouillon granules, and onion powder until blended. Store in an airtight container.

This makes the equivalent of 1 package soup mix. Use anywhere that onion soup mix is called for (recipes, mix with sour cream for a dip, etc).

Taco Seasoning

1/2 cup chili powder
1/4 cup onion powder
2 tbsp ground cumin
2 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp kosher salt or sea salt
1 tbsp black pepper

1. Measure all of the ingredients into a lidded jar.

2. Shake until all ingredients are combined.

Notes

This recipe makes about one cup of seasoning.

Before each use, give it a good shake. Makes 3 tbsp. seasoning = 1 packet

For one pound of meat, use 3 tbsp. of seasoning plus about 2/3 cup of water.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

What to do when you buy a Costco or grocery store rotisserie chicken and have leftovers? SOUP.

This will easily feed 4 to 6 people as a main course. The ingredients list seems long, but it can be simplified by making the changes noted in red.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

INGREDIENTS

1 Rotisserie chicken (half chicken is enough)
1 15-ounce can Black beans (drained)
2 Carrots
2 Celery stalks
3 tbsp Cilantro, fresh
2 cups Corn, frozen (1 small can or corn or more)
3 Garlic cloves
1 Lime, wedges
1 cups Peas, frozen (1 small can of peas)
1 Poblano peppers (Optional)
1 Red onion
1 Reserved red onion
28-ounce can Tomatoes
4 cups Chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp Taco seasoning (see elsewhere o the blog for homemade taco seasoning)
1 tbsp Olive oil, extra-virgin
Crispy tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips
1 Jalapeno, seeded and minced

DIRECTIONS

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery, and sauté until the vegetables start to become tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the Poblano peppers and cook until the vegetables are very tender, 6 to 7 minutes more. Add the jalapeño and garlic, and continue to cook until fragrant, 1 minute more.
Season the vegetables with the taco seasoning, then stir in the tomatoes and chicken broth. Bring the soup to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until a good flavor develops, 20 to 30 minutes.
Stir in the chicken, black beans, corn and peas. Return the soup to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with tortilla strips and just maybe, a touch of sour cream.