You know how when you walk into a Mexican restaurant you’re immediately struck by all of the color? Banners, wall hangings, the menu, the flatware – everything pops with bright color. That is how I feel about this dish. I take such pleasure in chopping all of the bright vegetables and even more in spilling them across my plate and spooning them into my mouth. It is like a party…a Cinco de Mayo party! I know for most of us it isn’t really a holiday we know much about, but it is the perfect excuse for spicy food and margaritas. Works for me! For more color in this dish, top with sour cream or guacamole…or both. Why not? It is a party right?

You might see fresh corn in the grocery store by the time May 5th rolls around. It probably won’t be local (unless you live in Florida), but you can substitute frozen from the freezer aisle or from your own personal stash if needed. Or pin this recipe for later in the summer when you can find all of these items locally. Are you starting to see the benefit of buying fresh local produce in bulk at the season’s peak? Then you have delicious veggies at your fingertips year round.

Sweet Summer Vegetable Enchiladas

Author/Source:

Kim @ Onceamonthmom.com

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 cups zucchini, diced
• .5 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup corn kernels
• 1 cup canned black beans (or cooked dried black beans)
• 1 cup chopped, cooked chicken
• 3 cups Enchilada Sauce
• 8 Tortillas
• 2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
• 3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

Directions:

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute zucchini, pepper, and corn until tender. Remove from heat and stir in black beans and chicken. Pour one cup of enchilada sauce in the bottom of 8×8 pans. Divide black bean mixture evenly among tortillas, top with two tablespoons cheese, and roll. Place seam side down in the pan. Pour remaining sauce over top of the enchiladas. Reserve remaining cheese for baking. Bake covered at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Remove foil, top with remaining cheese and bake for 10-15 more minutes until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Freezing Directions:

Cover baking pans tightly with foil and freeze before baking. Freeze remaining cheese in a small freezer bag. TO SERVE: Thaw and bake as directed above. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Servings: 4

**conversion chart image provided by Erik Spiekermann

This Post will be linked at:

• Full Plate Thursday at Miz Helen’s Country Cottage
• These Chicks Cooked Weekly Recipe Collection at This Chick Cooks
• Pennywise Platter at The Nourishing Gormet
• Simple Lives Thursday at GNOWFGLINS

I was recently looking over some comments on the OAMM Facebook page, and noticed some requests for more kid-friendly ideas. I hear ya, because sometimes mealtime can be a challenge at my house with my own three picky little eaters.

I created these simple meat-filled rolls one day when I was experimenting with the previous night’s dinner leftovers. My skeptical-to-new-foods-five-year-old wanted to know what I was making and I quickly called them “tacos in a sleeping bag.” Amazingly, giving the dish a really cool name was all I needed to win over the hesitation and I became the coolest mom ever. The “tacos” have become a favorite at our house and I especially love the convinence of freezing a batch to have on hand for quick lunches.

Author/Source:

Pam @Once a Month Mom

Ingredients:

• 2 packages refrigerated crescent roll or biscuit dough
• 1 lbs. ground beef or turkey
• 1 package taco seasoning
• .5 cup cheddar or mozzarella cheese, shredded
• shredded lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, etc. if desired

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Brown the ground beef or turkey in a skillet. Drain in a colander and rinse well in hot water to remove grease. Return to skillet. Add taco seasoning; mix well. Unroll crescent rolls or biscuits. Top each piece of dough with approx. 2 TBSP taco meat and a sprinkling of cheese. Roll crescent roll around filling (fold over and pinch edges to seal if using biscuit dough). Place on a baking sheet at bake at 375ºF for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, and a dollop of sour cream, if desired.

Freezing Directions:

Follow directions as above. When finished baking, allow to cool completely then flash freeze on a cool cookie sheet. When frozen, place in a gallon freezer bag. To serve: Heat frozen taco rolls in microwave for about a minute or reheat in the oven until heated through.

Servings: 16 rolls

Step One: Top each piece of dough with approx. 2 TBSP taco meat and a sprinkling of cheese.

Step Two: Roll dough around filling.

Step Three: Bake at 375ºF for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Serve with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream, if desired.

This Post will be linked at:

• Friday Favorites at Simply Sweet Home’s
• Family Food Fridays at Get Healthy Cheap
• Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum
• Friday Potluck at EKat’s Kitchen
• Grocery Cart Challenge at Grocery Cart Challenge
• I’m Lovin’ It at Tidy Mom

These chicken tacos are so easy you’ll wonder why I did a blog post on them! But then again, I am all about easy so it makes perfect sense.

I may have mentioned it before but it bares repeating. If my husband had to live on tacos and pizza alone, he would do just fine and be a very happy man. I’m not sure how the rest of us would fare! We do love Mexican inspired food though. And recently I found this recipe in the family archives of recipes passed down to him when he moved away to college. They were definitely good and incredibly easy to get on the table. And freezer friendly too!

Author/Source:

Tricia @ Onceamonthmom.com

Ingredients:

• 1.5  pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced or diced
• 1.25 ounces taco seasoning mix
• 3    Tablespoons lime juice
• 2    Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 12   small round, tortillas
• 1     gallon freezer bag

Directions:

Place chicken in a gallon zippered bag. Mix taco seasoning, lime juice, and oil, and pour over the chicken. Let marinate in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours. Warm a large skillet with vegetable oil and place chicken in the skillet. Cook thoroughly, 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and serve in tortillas with fresh toppings.

Freezing Directions:

Mix as directed above, however, instead of putting it in the refrigerator to marinate seal the bag and freeze. To serve: Thaw. Warm a large skillet with vegetable oil and place chicken in the skillet. Cook thoroughly, 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and serve in tortillas with fresh toppings.

Servings: 4-6

This Post will be linked at:

• Friday Favorites at Simply Sweet Home’s
• Family Food Fridays at Get Healthy Cheap

Author/Source:

Nikki Eddy care of Tricia @ Onceamonthmom.com

Ingredients:

• 2    pounds    ground beef
• 1.25    cups    onion, diced
• 15.5    ounces    kidney beans (undrained)
• 15.5    ounces    black beans (undrained)
• 15.5    ounces    pinto beans (undrained)
• 15.5    ounces    canned corn, drained
• 10    ounces    canned green tomatoes with chilies (Ro-Tel)
• 1    packages    Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning
• 1    packages    taco seasoning
• 16    ounces    tomato sauce

Directions:

Brown hamburger and onion; drain. Place ingredients in a slow cooker. Cook for 3-5 hours on high or until heated through. Top with sour cream, cheese, and/or jalapenos, if desired.

Freezing Directions:

Let cool; divide among 2 gallon freezer bags. Freeze. To serve: Reheat on stove top or in microwave for 2-3 minutes or until heated through. Top with sour cream, cheese, and/or jalapenos, if desired.

Servings: 8

This Post will be linked at:

• Tasty Traditions at Coupon Cookin’
• Cooking Thursday at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

If you would have told me I would be writing about my own personal guacamole recipe 5 years ago I would have called you a fool. I hated guacamole. Well, I refused to try guacamole is more like it. I use to manage at a restaurant chain that served guacamole and as a function of my job I had to try it. I still didn’t like it.

Then one day, my then boyfriend (now loving husband) was complimenting someone else’s guacamole. GAME ON! No one was going to out-rank me in cooking, not even in an item that I didn’t like. So I recalled the way we made it at the restaurant and went to work.

Now this guacamole recipe wins avocado haters around the world. Seriously! I know people that refuse to eat avocados or guacamole that will eat this. It is notorious for it’s ability to win over the must stubborn of taste buds. Give it a try for yourself and see.

Author/Source:

Tricia @ Onceamonthmom.com

Ingredients:

• 2 Avocados
• 1/2 lime, squeezed for juice
• 1 Roma Tomato, diced
• 2 Tablespoon Red Onion, finely diced
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  

Directions:

Peel, pit and mash the avocados in a small bowl. Squeeze in lime juice, pepper, salt, garlic powder and stir Gently stir in tomato and onion. Chill if desired. Stir.

Guacamole turns brown if kept for too long. To prevent some browning, shake bowl to get out air pockets. Then add a sheet of saran wrap, pushing it down so that it sits on top of the guacamole. Seel container with lid or another firm piece of saran wrap.

Freezing Directions:

Not recommended for freezing because of discoloration.

Servings: 4-6

This Post is linked to:

• Mouthwatering Monday at A Southern Fairytale
• Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed With Grace
• Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam

Mexican Grilled Cheese with Taco Soup

A few weeks ago when we were scheduled to have Taco Soup for lunch I decided that I needed a “Mexican” accompaniment. So, I came up with a grilled cheese that I have originally named “Mexican Grilled Cheese”. It was really yummy though. Here is the recipe.

Author/Source:

Tricia Callahan @ Onceamonthmom

Ingredients:

8 slices Cheese (Monterray Jack, Pepper Jack, Cheddar)

8 slices Bread

2 Roma Tomatoes, diced

1 Avocado, diced

Butter

Directions:

Butter one side of each of the slices of bread. Heat the skillet to medium low and place the slice of bread in the pan, butter side down. Place 2 slices of cheese, 1/4 of the tomatoes, and 1/4 of the avocado on the bread. top with the other slice of bread butter side up. Once the bottom bread slice is browned, slowly turn the sandwich and brown the other side. Once cheese is melted and both sides browned, remove from pan and serve. Perfect accompaniment to the Taco Soup.

Servings: 4

Freezing Directions:

Honestly, I’m not sure how well these would freeze considering that the tomato would likely make the bread soggy and the avocado might turn brown. You are welcome to try if you would like.

Susan Gallivan Care of @onceamonthmom.com

Ingredients:

• 1    pounds    ground beef
• 15.5    ounces    pinto beans
• 4.5    ounces    green chilis, chopped
• 15.5    ounces    enchilada sauce, red
• 1    packages    taco seasoning mix
• 8    ounces    Monterrey Jack
• 8    ounces    cheddar cheese, shredded
• 8    each    flour tortillas, med-large

Directions:

1. Brown ground beef. Before draining fat, stir in dry taco seasoning. Simmer 5 min and drain.
2. Combine beans, chilis, beef; 1/2 can enchilada sauce, 3/4 Monterrey Jack & cheddar in large pan. Cook over low heat until cheeses are melted and mixture is thick. Let simmer a couple minutes.
3. Microwave tortillas until slightly softened.
4. Fill middle of tortilla with mixture and place in an 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish (fold side up). Spread remaining enchilada sauce over top & sprinkle with rest of cheese. Cover with Foil.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until cheese are melted.

Freezing Directions

Freeze after covering in foil. When ready to eat, thaw in refrigerator over night and bake as directed. If burritos are frozen bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Servings: 8

printable recipe