Fiesta Time!

So I have a couple super tasty Mexican/Tex-Mex dishes for you tonight. Cinco de Mayo is still a couple months away, but either of these dishes would be a tasty way to celebrate! ;) I tried the first recipe a couple of weeks ago, but threw it together so quickly that I failed to take pics. I made it again tonight, so now it is time to share the goodness!

Both recipes were found, of course, on Pinterest. I have concluded that my weekly menus were boring and repetitive before the recent explosion of Pinterest! haha! The first recipe is for Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken. You can find the pin here. This recipe originated with Chef in Training. It is delicious, plain and simple. If you love easy and tasty Mexican food, this dish is for you! It is so quick and easy, that I picked it specifically for dinner tonight because I was going out for a Moms' Night Out and wanted something that could be ready to eat as soon as I walked back in the door. :)

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless chicken breasts (I use 2 large breasts - total weight 1 to 1 1/4 pounds)
• 1 cup salsa (I use an entire 16 oz jar - Fresh Market's medium is my favorite, but Newman's Own is good too)
• 1 package taco seasoning (I use Taco Bell because I like it)
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 cup sour cream (I use a bit more of this as well)

Directions:

Add chicken to the slow cooker. Sprinkle the taco seasoning on the chicken. 

Mix the salsa and cream of chicken soup in a separate bowl and pour over the chicken. 

Cook on low for 6 hours until chicken is done. I actually start it on high for 1 hour, then drop it back to low for an additional 4 to 5 hours. Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream. 

Shred the chicken and serve in a wrap or over rice. I serve the chicken in a whole wheat tortilla with a generous helping of shredded cheddar cheese sprinkled on top. :) Yum.

The next recipe is for Taco Pasta. You can find the pin here. This recipe originated with Plain Chicken. If you recall, this is where I also got the recipe for those tasty pizza pancakes. :) This recipe was also incredibly tasty and pretty quick to throw together as well. Because of my weakness for pasta, I think I may like it even more than the previous one!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef (I used extra lean chopped sirloin)
• 8 ounces small dry pasta shapes (I used whole grain shells)
• 1 small onion, chopped (I used a large one)
• 1 clove garlic, minced (I used 3 cloves)
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 3 ounces cream cheese
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• Salt and pepper, to taste (I actually didn't add any for once! I don't think it needed any.)
• Shredded cheese for topping (I used cheddar)

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Set aside. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the ground meat and onion over medium-high heat until no longer pink.

Once the meat is cooked through, drain off the excess fat and mix in the garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Mix in the salsa and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes.

Stir in the cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream and reserved pasta water, and continue stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well blended. 

Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Top with shredded cheese and more sour cream and salsa if desired.

This little cutie wanted to share his yummy plate for a pic. How could I say no? ;)

Enjoy!