As I’ve mentioned before, I worked at an amazing Italian restaurant through much of my college career. I was obsessed with Italian food before, but working at La Scala definitely took that obsession to a new level…and added a deep love of wine to the mix.

What does this have to do with an authentic Mexican dish such as chorizo and potatoes, you ask? Well, see, the funny thing is that the chef/owner of La Scala is from Mexico City. Yep, a chef from Mexico opened an authentic Italian restaurant. And ROCKS at it.

Every year at Christmas time we’d have a big party, and there was always the most delicious, and traditional, Mexican food. One of those tasty treats was almost always sopes, which are kind of like little tart shells made out of masa, lightly fried, and filled with savory goodness like refried beans, meat, and all the toppings. Yum.

It wasn’t until much later that I had sopes filled with Mexican chorizo and potatoes. It took about half a bite to make me a believer! And then I found out that chorizo and potato hash is delicious in other forms, like topped with an egg for breakfast. Or in tacos. Really any way you can think of, it’s GOOD STUFF.

TIPS FOR MAKING CHORIZO AND POTATO HASH:

-Make sure you buy Mexican Chorizo, not Spanish hard-cured Chorizo for this dish. Mexican Chorizo is like sausage seasoned heavily with paprika and other spices. Spanish chorizo has more the texture of hard salami. It’s delicious, but it doesn’t crumble and wouldn’t work well in this recipe.

-You can find Mexican chorizo just about anywhere. I usually get ours at out local international market (local being about an hour away…) simply because they have the brand I know we love. I’ll usually stock up and put any extra in the freezer. You can find chorizo at Wal-Mart or most local grocery store chains, though.

-Go for mild or hot chorizo…whatever you love. We like mild and then we spice it up with toppings.

-Top your hash with goodies like avocado, cilantro, diced onion, a squeeze of lime, and some Queso Fresco (Mexican white crumbling cheese). We also like Valentina Hot Sauce (we get the mild stuff that isn’t very hot, but has awesome flavor). And an over easy egg. Or in a sope shell with refried beans. It’s all good, baby.

HOW TO MAKE CHORIZO AND POTATO HASH:

Peel and wash two large potatoes, and dice into small pieces (like 1/4 inch or so). Crumble the chorizo into a large skillet and start to cook at medium heat. You’ll want to put a slice in the casing and remove the sausage from the casing. Continue to crumble the sausage as it cooks. Add in the onion and potatoes. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes have softened and the chorizo is cooked through. Put it in a tortilla, on some sopes, or on a plate topped with an egg. Garnish with avocado, cilantro, diced onion, queso fresco, and a squeeze of lime.

**This post is sponsored by The Glass Barn, Indiana’s Corn and Soybean Growers, but all thoughts and opinions are my own, ya dig?**

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Chorizo and Potato Hash

Everybody loves a dish that works for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner…right? This super easy and versatile Chorizo and Potato Hash is great any time a day!

Course Breakfast, Brunch, lunch, Main

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword Chorizo, potatoes

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Author Meagan - The Crossroads Cook

Ingredients

• 2 Large Potatoes, Peeled and Diced
• 1 Lb Mexican Chorizo
• 1/2 White Onion, Diced

Instructions

• Wash, peel, and dice the potatoes into a 1/4 inch dice. Dice the onion.
• In a large skillet on medium heat, crumble the Mexican Chorizo.
• Add the onion and potato to the skillet. Stir to combine and cook until the potato softens and the chorizo is cooked through.
• Serve topped with avocado, cilantro, diced onion, a squeeze of lime, Queso Fresco, and hot sauce.

The post Chorizo and Potato Hash appeared first on The Crossroads Cook.

Chips and dip, ammiright? I love them. Any idea of not eating too much goes out the window pretty quickly when there are chips and dip involved. Salty, crunchy chips meet creamy, or cheesy, or spicy, or…whatever. I don’t care. Just pass it over.

Guacamole is one of those magic dips that is versatile enough to double as a condiment, and even as a salad topping. Really, the possibilities are endless for this super healthy dip that is traditionally made with avocados, jalapenos, cilantro, and lime juice.

I’ve searched for what seems like forever for the perfect Guac recipe, and thanks to my big brother and and sis-in-law’s recipe, I think I’ve finally found it. It seems like every time I’ve tried to make guacamole in the past, it just didn’t have enough flavor. It seemed bland and had no depth. Turns out, I just needed to simplify my recipe and go back to (almost) basics. I guess older siblings sometimes know what they’re talking about, huh?

How to Make the Perfect Guacamole:

Grab 6 avocados and a large, sharp knife (such as a chef’s knife). Slice, pit, and cube the avocado, removing the cubes into a large bowl with a spoon. For step-by-step instructions on how to seed and slice an avocado, visit this post from my friend over at My Fearless Kitchen. Don’t be intimidated! It’s really easy once you get the hang of it! Instead of just slicing the avocado like she suggests, cut it into a diamond pattern by first slicing in one direction and then the other for this recipe. And there’s no need to be extra careful when you’re spooning it into the bowl; you’re just going to be mushing it all anyway.

Once you’ve got all of the avocado into the bowl, add the other ingredients: diced tomato and onion, finely minced garlic-I like to use a garlic press-, the juice of two limes, diced jalapeno, and some chopped cilantro. Using a fork, start mashing it all together. Once you’ve got it started, add some sea salt or kosher salt. Mash and mix a little more, and keep doing this until you’ve got the consistency and salt level you want. Dig in with some tortilla chips or spoon it on to your taco or salad! Enjoy!

Looking for other Mexican inspired recipes? Try one of these!:

Instant Pot Pork Carnitas

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Zucchini and Hamburger Taco Skillet

Chicken Fajita Salad with Homemade Cilantro Lime Ranch Dressing

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Easy Guacamole

Your search for the perfect easy Guacamole ends here! The perfect dip, condiment, and salad topper, this traditional recipe is sure to become a favorite!

Course Appetizer, Side

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword Avocado, Mexican, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 8 people

Author Meagan - The Crossroads Cook

Ingredients

• 6 Avocados
• 2 Roma Tomatoes
• 1/4 White Onion, Chopped
• 1 Jalapeno, Diced
• 2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
• 2 Limes, Juiced
• 3 Tbsp Fresh Cilantro, Chopped
• Sea Salt or Kosher Salt, To Taste

Instructions

• Pit and cube 6 avocados. Using a spoon, scoop pieces into a large bowl. Add the juice of 2 limes, diced tomatoes, onions, and jalapenos, along with the garlic and cilantro.
• Using a fork, mash all of the ingredients together. Stir in some salt and taste for seasoning. Continue mashing until the guacamole reaches the desired consistency.

The post Easy Guacamole appeared first on The Crossroads Cook.

With businesses opening back up, schools being back in session, and harvest season starting, busy is about to be the name of the game again. When life gets crazy, keep dinner easy and tasty with this Slow Cooker No Bean Taco Chili!

Well, friends, harvest season in Northeastern Indiana has officially begun. JW is spending long hours working in the fields and in the semi, while I’m holding down the fort at home as well as I can. Oh, and in case you missed it, VandeLittle the Second decided to enter the world a few weeks before we were expecting him. So in other words…life just got all kinds of cray cray.

Photo Credit to Mallarie Ranae Photography

Spring planting and fall harvest are generally the busiest time of year on the farm. There is a window of time that farmers have to get crops planted and harvested. Though modern technology allows us to cover much more ground in much less time, planters and combines can still only cover so many acres in a day. The push to get all of those acres taken care of means that meals with the family around the table just aren’t on the agenda, so a lot of meals end up being eaten in the field.

Even during a normal year (you know, a year when we aren’t throwing a new baby into the mix), freezer meals, slow cookers, and my Instant Pot are my best friends when harvest rolls around. Freezer meals and the Instant Pot are great because I don’t always get a lot of notice when JW needs me to bring food. He works for an amazing family that feeds the entire crew a few nights a week, but there are always some meals that he’s on his own for. On those days I need something that is basically already ready to go or has a short cook time. The slow cooker is my BFF on those days when I know ahead of time what’s happening, but also know that I’m going to want something to be ready without much fuss when dinner time rolls around.

This Slow Cooker No Bean Taco Chili is the perfect meal for when life decides to go off the rails. It can be made in the crock pot, on the stove, in the Instant Pot, and even freezes really well. In fact, I almost always freeze the leftovers any time I make a batch. Then all I have to do is pull it out of the freezer, put it in the crock pot for a few hours, and dinner is ready when we are ready for it!

If you’re making this Taco Chili in the slow cooker, you’ll want to brown your hamburger first. I also like to go ahead and put my onions and cumin in with the hamburger while it’s browning. Then all that’s left to do is dump all of the ingredients in your crock pot, and cook it all on low for 5 hours or high for 3. Serve with your favorite chili fixings. I love Fritos or tortilla chips, lots of shredded cheese, sour cream, and a little diced onion.

Another great idea would be to use your Instant Pot so you’re not getting an extra pan dirty. Just turn it on saute mode for your hamburger and onions, then add everything else and turn on slow cooker mode. If you prefer to make this recipe on the stove top, start off by browning your hamburger with the onions in a large skillet. Drain any fat, then add everything else. Simmer on medium to medium high for at least 20 minutes to give all of the flavors time to combine.

Cooking this one from frozen? No need to defrost any more than to be able to get in in your crock pot! Put it in frozen, and increase cook time by about 1-2 hours.

This recipe is sponsored by the Glass Barn, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Slow Cooker No Bean Taco Chili

When life gets crazy, keep dinner easy and tasty with this Slow Cooker No Bean Taco Chili!

Course Main, Soup

Cuisine American, Mexican

Keyword bean free, easy dinner, freezer food, Instant Pot, slow cooker

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 hours hours

Servings 6 people

Author Meagan - The Crossroads Cook

Ingredients

• 1 lb Ground Beef
• 1 Medium Onion, Diced
• 1 Can Corn, Drained
• 1 Can Diced Green Chilies or Jalapenos
• 2 14 oz Cans Diced Tomatoes
• 1 Can Tomato Sauce
• 3 tsp Ground Cumin
• 1 tsp Chili Powder
• 1 tsp Onion Powder
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/2 tsp Paprika
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt
• 1 tsp Black Pepper
• Shredded Cheese, Sour Cream, Fritos Corn Chips, Diced Onion for Serving

Instructions

• In a large skillet, brown the ground beef along with the diced onion.
• Combined the browned beef and onion with the rest of the ingredients in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 2 hours.

Notes

I

The post Slow Cooker No Bean Taco Chili appeared first on The Crossroads Cook.

Let’s talk about how much my husband loves Mexican food. The guy could eat Mexican, or Mexican-inspired food, every night of the week if I felt inclined to do the same. In the early days of our relationship, before I started cooking for him on a regular basis, it was not uncommon to open his freezer and find multiple varieties of frozen burritos, taquitos, and enchiladas hanging out in there. If our weekly out-to-dinner night always consisted of Mexican, there would be absolutely no complaints from him. Than man loves him some tacos and quesadillas. Who can blame him?

This is not to say that I don’t also love Mexican food; I do! Just….not with quite the same passion and loyalty that JW feels for it. I think that’s why I’m always looking for a way to put a spin on what we typically think of as Mexican cuisine (in the States, anyway). Sometimes you just need a little more than bell peppers and avocado in your life, you know what I mean?

And yes, I know that actual authentic Mexican cuisine is very diverse, fresh, and healthy. And insanely delicious. What I’m referring to here is the Americanized version that we’ve been fed over the years. Tasty? Yes. But to me that version of things gets a little old after a while.

These Creamy Chicken Enchiladas are the perfect compromise in my mind. JW still gets his “Mexican” flavor, and I get a creamy, delicious, slightly different spin on things. If I happen to be making dinner for my little brother, this is the meal he requests. And thanks to a rotisserie chicken, they’re super easy, too!!

They also freeze well! Just put everything together, but don’t bake. Cover with foil and freeze! Pull out of the freezer and let defrost, then bake like normal!

Ingredients Needed for Creamy Chicken Enchiladas:

• Shredded Chicken. Unless I have extra cooked chicken from another recipe, I just pick up a rotisserie chicken from the store!
• Fresh Spinach
• Sliced Garlic
• Olive Oil
• Sour Cream
• Milk. I always use whole milk.
• Canned Diced Green Chiles.
• Green Onions
• Ground Cumin
• Mozzarella
• Flour Tortillas
• Salt
• Fresh Cilantro and Green Onions, optional

How to make Creamy Chicken Enchiladas:

Heat some olive oil in a pan and throw in some sliced (not minced! actual slices here) garlic.

Let those cook for a minute or two until they become fragrant–the point is just to flavor the oil a little-, then remove the garlic with a slotted spoon and throw in your spinach with a touch of salt. Cook the spinach until it’s just starting to wilt, then put it in a strainer in the sink and allow it to drain a little.

In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, milk, green onions and chiles, cumin, a large handful of cheese, and salt and pepper. In a separate, larger bowl, combine the shredded chicken (if you are using a whole rotisserie chicken, it amounts to a little over half of the meat that’s on the bird) with the drained spinach and about half of the sauce.

Now it’s time to build your enchiladas! I like to start by spraying my glass baking dish with a little non-stick cooking spray, then putting a little bit of the sauce on the bottom to prevent sticking. Fill your taco-sized flour tortilla with about 2 tablespoons-ish of the chicken/spinach/sauce mixture, roll (no need to fold the ends), and place seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat until you can’t fit anymore in the dish/you run out of filling.

Smother the filled tortillas in every last bit of the creamy deliciousness that is the sauce. Then top that with the rest of the shredded cheese. Hello, beautiful. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes, or until the cheese melts and becomes bubbly. If you want, you can top with some more green onion and cilantro. En. Joy.

Looking for more Mexican-ish yumminess in your life? Here are a couple of our other favorites:

–Chicken Fajita Salad with Homemade Cilantro Lime Ranch Dressing
–Instant Pot Pork Carnitas
–Zucchini and Beef Taco Skillet

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Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Head to the Southwest tonight with these incredible Creamy Chicken Enchiladas! Cheesy and delicious, they are so easy that they just might be making a weekly appearance on your dinner table!

Course Main

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword Chicken, Creamy, easy dinner, Enchiladas, Spinach, White Sauce

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6 People

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Shredded Chicken
• 4 Cups Fresh Spinach
• 1 Clove Garlic, Sliced
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 16 oz. Sour Cream
• 1/2 Cup Milk
• 1 4 oz. Can Diced Green Chiles Drained
• 2 Thinly Sliced Green Onions
• 1 1/2 tsp Ground Cumin
• 1 tsp Salt
• 2 Cups Shredded Mozzarella
• 8-9 Taco Sized Flour Tortillas
• Diced Cilantro and Green Onion For Garnish, Optional

Instructions

• In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and add the sliced garlic. Cook until fragrant, then remove the garlic with a slotted spoon and discard. Add the spinach to the oil with a pinch of salt and cook until just wilted. Remove the spinach to a strainer and allow to drain.
• In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the sour cream, milk, green onions, green chiles, a handful of shredded cheese, and the cumin and salt.
• In a separate, larger bowl, combine the chicken, drained spinach, and about half of the sauce.
• Spray the bottom of a 9x13 glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray, and spread about a tablespoon of the sauce mixure in the bottom.
• Fill each tortilla with about 2 tablespoons of the chicken mixture, and place in the glass baking dish seam side down.
• Spread the sauce over the top of the rolled tortillas, then top that with the rest of the shredded cheese.
• Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Top with sliced green onion and cilantro to serve if desired.

The post Creamy Chicken Enchiladas appeared first on The Crossroads Cook.

Some days you just need something crisp and fresh to eat, you know what I mean? Summer has definitely moved in and made itself right at home here in Indiana, and the last few days have been HOT. To be honest, the heat usually doesn’t bother me. In fact, I absolutely love warm weather. I live for the sun and am one of those that covers up with a warm blanket anytime I sit on the couch, no matter if its 30 degrees or 80 degrees outside. You’ve heard of hangry? Well, I get cangry; if I’m cold, chances are I’m not in a good mood.

JW is the exact opposite of me. He lives for cool, crisp temperatures, loves sleeping in a freezing cold bedroom (I’ll never understand it), and complains about it being too hot out when the mercury hits 70 degrees. He’s a walking furnace. I’m always freezing. What can I say? It works. Or, at least it does until I go into the bedroom in the dead of winter and have to shut the windows because he’s opened them. Ask me then and I won’t be so sure it’s working. (I kid, of course!! …kind of…)

Since we both spend most of our time outdoors or in a barn, summertime means lots of meals that require little effort and heating up of the kitchen. It also means lots of big salads. These Chicken Fajita Salads are the perfect answer. Loaded with tasty veggies, full of protein to fill us up, and easily to customize to everyone’s taste, they make a perfect summer (or any time of year that you’re craving a little fresh in your life) dinner option! Plus, the Cilantro Lime Ranch is super easy and goes wonderfully on basically anything!

I always go ahead and get the ranch mixed up first because I find that it’s better if it has a little time to sit in the fridge and thicken/let the flavors meld a little. Simply mix together Greek yogurt, mayo, milk, lime juice, onion powder, garlic powder, dried parsley, dried chives, salt, pepper, a little dried dill, and some cilantro. You can buy fresh cilantro and chop it finely, but I just love those little cups of “lightly dried” herbs you can find next to the fresh herbs at your grocery store. They last a lot longer and the chopping is already done for you!

Next, saute some bell peppers and onions in a little olive oil on the stove. Season with salt and cumin, and let them cook until they’ve softened and the onions have gone pretty translucent. In the meantime, prep your chicken breasts. I love to buy the thin sliced breasts and pound them down a little more between a couple of sheets of plastic wrap…the thinner the better in my book. If I can’t fine the pre-packaged thin sliced ones, I just buy regular chicken breasts and butterfly them, them pound them out a little. Season both sides with salt and some Lawry’s Lemon Pepper. Yep, I said lemon pepper! Combine some butter and olive oil in a non-stick skillet, and brown the chicken on both sides. Since they’re thin, they’ll only take a few minutes one either side. I love cooking big batches of this chicken and using it for lunches–wraps and salads–through the week!

While everything is cooking, build your salad. I love to mix lettuces (usually hearts of romaine for some crunch and spring mix for the health factor). Then I use diced green onions, cherry tomatoes, shredded cheese (pick your poison here…I usually go for Colby Jack, but Pepper Jack would be awesome if you like some heat), and avocado. Use what ever veggies float your boat. Corn, cucumbers, black beans…go to town. For JW, I always put some crunched up tortilla chips on his. If you wanted to make this a vegetarian-friendly meal, you could easily substitute black beans for the chicken. Then. put a tasty helping of the peppers and onions on, as well as some of the chicken that’s been sliced. Drizzle on some of that creamy ranch dressing, and you’re done!

*As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.*

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Chicken Fajita Salad with Homemade Cilantro Lime Ranch Dressing

Get fresh with this deliciously easy and healthy Chicken Fajita Salad with Homemade Cilantro Lime Ranch Dressing!

Course Main

Cuisine American, Mexican

Keyword Fresh, Healthy, quick meals, Salad

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

• 4 Thin Sliced Chicken Breasts
• 2 tsp Lemon Pepper Approx.
• 1/2 Large Onion, Sliced
• 1 Yellow Bell Pepper, Sliced
• 1 Red Bell Pepper, Sliced
• 2 tsp Ground Cumin
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 Bags Prepared Lettuce (Such as Romaine and Spring Mix)
• 1 Avocado, Diced More to Taste
• Cherry Tomatoes, Halved
• Shredded Cheese
• Salt and Pepper

Cilantro Lime Ranch Dressing

• 3/4 Cup Plain Greek Yogurt
• 3/4 Cup Mayonnaise
• 1/3 Cup Milk
• 2 Tbsp Lime Juice
• 2 Tbsp Cilantro, Diced
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
• 1 1/2 tsp Dried Parsley
• 1/2 tsp Dried Chives
• 1/2 tsp Dried Dill
• 1 tsp Salt (Kosher)

Instructions

• Combine all ingredients for the dressing and mix well. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• In a medium non-stick skillet, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and diced bell peppers, seasoning with some salt, pepper, and the ground cumin. Allow to saute until the onions turn translucent and the peppers soften.
• While the peppers and onions are cooking, season both sides of the chicken with the lemon pepper and some salt. If desired, you can place each chicken breast between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound thinner before you season it. Once the chicken is seasoned, brown it on both sides in a non-stick skillet in a little olive oil and butter (optional) until the chicken is cooked through. Depending on the thickness of the chicken, this will take about 4 minutes per side.
• Build your salads. Place your preffered lettuce on a plate or in a bowl, and top with diced avocado, tomatoes, shredded cheese, and any other topping you desire. Place the sauteed peppers and onions on top, then the cooked, sliced chicken, and top with the dressing.

Notes

If you would prefer a vegetarian version, substitute black beans for the chicken.

Grilled corn and crispy tortilla strips are also delicious additions! 

The post Chicken Fajita Salad appeared first on The Crossroads Cook.

Ya’ll. I’m so excited. After a couple of years of trying, I finally talked JW into building me some raised garden beds this year! We are only starting out with two because my thumb has never exactly been green, and by the time harvest rolls around I’ll be VERY pregnant (like over 8  months pregnant), but I’ve got enough room to plant tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, and…zucchini. I’ve grown everything else to varying degrees of success before, but this is my first go-round with zucchini. And, well, I’ve already made a rookie mistake.

You see, I knew in the back of my head that zucchini plants tend to get huge and produce a lot, but for whatever reason when we were at our local greenhouse buying our starter plants, I convinced myself I needed four. Yeah. Not sure what I was thinking there. Thankfully, soon thereafter my dear friend-who is an awesome gardener and plants a massive plot every year-gave me a heads up about my mistake. I was able to give two of my little baby zucchini plants to my mother-in-law, and shift the other two around so they’ll (hopefully) have plenty of room to do their thing.

All of this to say that, if all goes well, we are going to have tons of zucchini this year. I’m not complaining, trust me! I’ve come to love the stuff in my adult years, and I can sneak it in to bread and muffins to get my toddler to eat it. Speaking of, this means I’ll be testing lots of zucchini bread recipes (YAY!). I’ll be sure and post the winner!

Zucchini is great because you can really do so much with it! One way I love to use it is in this easy Zucchini and Beef Taco Skillet. It’s mild flavor goes fantastically with Mexican-inspired flavors, and by adding the ground beef and rice, you’ve got a super tasty meal in one! If you wanted to go low-carb, you could easily leave the rice out. As for serving suggestions, we usually just pile a bunch in a plate or on a bowl, and JW will eat it with some tortilla chips. I usually add a little bit of shredded cheese. You could also serve it taco style in either flour or corn tortillas. It’s up to you!

Brown a pound of ground beef along with some diced onion and minced garlic. As per usual when I make anything with ground beef, I sprinkled a little Lowry’s Seasoned Salt and garlic salt on top. Meanwhile, cook your rice according to the package directions. I prefer brown rice in this as it’s a little more hearty, but use whatever rice you’ve got on hand (for instance–when I took the pictures for this post, I was out of brown rice and just used jasmine rice instead). Once the meat has browned and the onions turned translucent, add a can of Ro-Tel diced tomatoes and green chilis, along with the juices from the can. I use the mild version, but if you like heat go for the hot. Stir in your spices at the same time. Cook this for just a couple of minutes, then add in the chopped zucchini and the chicken broth. Important: do this at right before you add the rice, or you’ll have mushy zucchini! Next, stir in the cooked rice. Taste to check for seasoning, and add a little salt if needed. Dish it up and enjoy!

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Zucchini and Beef Taco Skillet

This this easy, zesty Zucchini and Beef Taco Skillet is a perfect meal-in-one!

Course Main

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword easy dinner, ground beef, Hamburger, Rice, Zucchini

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Author Meagan - The Crossroads Cook

Ingredients

• 1 lb Ground Beef
• 1 Large Zucchini, chopped
• 2 Cloves Minced Garlic
• 1 Medium Onion, Diced
• 1 10 oz Can Ro-Tel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilis
• 1/2 tsp Chili Powder
• 2 tsp Ground Cumin
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp Onion Powder
• 1 tsp Salt
• Garlic Salt and Seasoned Salt
• 4 Servings Brown Rice, Cooked
• 1/4 cup Chicken Broth

Instructions

• Brown the ground beef along with the garlic and onion in a large skillet. Season with garlic salt and seasoned salt.
• Cook the rice according to the package directions.
• Once the meat has browned and the onions are slightly translucent, add the diced tomatoes and green chilis (with the juices from the can), as well as the spices. Let cook for about 3 minutes.
• When the rice is very close to being cooked, add the zucchini and chicken broth to the skillet. Stir and let simmer for just a short time, being sure not to over cook the zucchini.
• As soon as the rice is finished cooking, add it to the skillet. Stir to combine and taste to check seasonings.

Notes

If you are on a low-carb diet, simply leave out the rice.

The post Zucchini and Beef Taco Skillet appeared first on The Crossroads Cook.

I live in a town that isn’t exactly known for its options when it comes to dining out. The choices we do have are pretty much limited to a (admittedly fantastic) Chinese buffet, a few pizza places, a drive-in that’s only open during the spring and summer months and has the best chili dogs (they call them Spanish Dogs) ever, and not one but TWO Mexican restaurants. Discussions about where we want to go out to dinner pretty much entail what nationality we want, and when Mexican is picked, North Mexican or South Mexican. It’s not that they each feature dishes from different regions of the country…nope. One is on the North side of town and the other is on the South side.

I get into grooves and moods with my Mexican restaurant dining habits. For multiple visits, I’ll order one type of dish and stick with it. Sometimes it’s steak tacos…Mexican style (with lots of cilantro, onions, and a squeeze of lime). Sometimes it’s as simple as an a la carte chicken burrito. Other weeks it’s arroz con camarones. And it’s always, always (well, unless I’m pregnant like right now. Sigh.) with a margarita on the rocks, no salt.

One of my constant go-to dishes at any Mexican restaurant, though, are pork carnitas. Tender, slow roasted pork that is shredded and served with all of the fixings for delicious build-your-own tacos are a can’t miss. Mouth watering. I never considered trying to make them at home, though, because I knew the pork took hours upon hours to cook properly, and I’m hardly ever on top of things enough in the morning to get dinner going. That is, until, I got my Instant Pot a couple of years ago for Christmas. Talk about a game changer! Now all of those dishes that would usually take forever, like carnitas, can be ready in basically the time it takes to make any other dinner! Now all I have to do is make sure I pull the meat out of the freezer in time to defrost for dinner. I started playing around with ingredients and let me tell you, this recipe is so easy, and so good, you’ll be putting it on your normal rotation, too!

I like to use pork shoulder when I make carnitas, but you can really use any pork roast-type cut you prefer. Start off by making a quick rub: combine olive oil, oregano, cumin, minced garlic, and salt. Rub that tastiness over the top of the pork, using it all. Put a little olive oil in the bottom of your electric pressure cooker to keep anything from sticking, and put a layer of sliced onions down. Lay the pork on top of the onions. Pour the orange juice, chicken broth, any remaining onions, and the can of drained diced jalapenos (you can also use diced green chiles if you prefer things to be a little more mild) around the pork. Pop the lid on, set to pressure cook for 1 hour, and allow to naturally release for 20 minutes. Manual release the rest of the way. Open her up and use two forks to break the pork up into chunks. You can then refrigerate the pork (and the liquid! Don’t forget that liquid!) for later, or move on to the next step right away.

If you want some crispy brown edges to the pork (highly recommended!), do the following right before you’re ready to eat: either in a skillet or the oven (I prefer a skillet because I can keep a better eye on it), place some chunks of pork and use two forks to shred down more. Allow to brown until there are crispy edges, stirring occasionally. Once there are some crispy bits, I always add in a bit of the cooking liquid so they are nice and juicy. Makes for messy eating but it’s worth it!!

To serve, we prefer flour tortillas around here. If you like corn better, go for it. Put some meat on your warmed tortilla, then a layer of lightly dressed broccoli slaw (I just pick up a bag of the pre-shredded broccoli slaw mix at the store and dress it with some jarred slaw dressing) for some tang and crunch, then top that with some chopped cilantro, diced white onion, and a little squeeze of lime. Oh my, my, my.

Oh, and if you want to freeze the carnitas to eat later, just put them in a large gallon freezer bag and defrost/reheat when you’re ready to eat!

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Instant Pot Carnitas

Break out the Instant Pot and make these oh-so-delicious Instant Pot Carnitas! They are tender, juicy, and flavorful...plus they're ready in a fraction of the time thanks to the electric pressure cooker!

Course Main

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword easy dinner, Instant Pot, pork

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Servings 6 people

Equipment

• Pressure Cooker

Ingredients

• 1 Pork Shoulder or Pork Roast
• 1 tbsp olive oil + 1 tbsp
• 1 tbsp oregano
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp salt
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1 onion, sliced
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 can diced jalapenos or green chiles drained

To Serve

• flour or corn tortillas taco size
• 1 package shredded broccoli slaw
• 3 tbsp jarred slaw dressing approximate
• diced white onion
• chopped cilantro
• lime wedges

Instructions

• Mix 1 tbsp olive oil together with the oregano, cumin, minced garlic, and salt to for a paste. Spread on top of the pork shoulder.
• In the bottom of the electric pressure cooker, spread 1 tbsp of olive oil followed by the sliced onions. Place the pork shoulder, rub side up, on the bed of onions. Pour the diced jalapenos in the pot, along with the orange juice and chicken broth.
• Put the lid on the pot and set to pressure cook for 1 hour. Allow to release naturally for 20 minutes, then manually release the rest of the way.
• Remove the pork from the pot and shred with two forks. Brown the meat on a large skillet until the ends get a little crispy.
• Mix the broccoli slaw with the cole slaw dressing. I prefer mine lightly dressed, but add more dressing as you see fit.
• Once the pork is slightly browned, add some of the cooking liquid into the skillet and let simmer for about a minute.
• Serve the pork on warmed tortillas topped with the slaw, cilantro, onion, and a squeeze of lime.

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