When I made this dinner last week my husband said it was "money!" I took that to mean it was very good. I even liked it enough that I added it to my binder of family favorites.

I served this inside of homemade tortilla shells with grilled onions and peppers..mmmm! Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.

I also want to warn you that it is a little spicy. I don't like really spicy things and I loved this so you know it isn't bad. Someone like my Dad, however, who doesn't like any spice will think this is way to hot. If you want to tone down the spiciness cut back on the chilies.

Chipotle Shredded Beef
from All You April 2010 with my small changes

1 7oz Can of Chipotle Chiles in Adobo Sauce
1 15 oz Can Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies
1 Tablespoon Lime Juice
1 Onion Chopped
3 Cloves Garlic, Minced
1 2pound beef chuck pot Roast
1 Cayenne Pepper
Salt and Pepper

In a blender or food processor, puree chipolte chiles with adobo sauce until smooth. Spoon 2 1/2 Tablespoons into slow cooker; reserve remainder for another use (I didn't do this because I didn't want the whole can blended. I used two full peppers and some of the adobo sauce instead. I figured they would cook down so much in the slow cooker it wouldn't matter anyway).

Add tomatoes, lime juice, onion and garlic. Stir to combine. Season beef with salt and pepper and add to slow cooker. Place cayenne pepper on top of roast. I also spooned some of the bottom mixture up over the roast.

Cover and cook on high until beef is tender enough to shred easily with a fork, about 6 hours. Using two forks, shred meat; spoon into a serving bowl with sauce. Serve beef with warmed tortillas, and choice of toppings. We used grilled onions, peppers, and sour cream. Delicious and sure to be a family favorite!

Sometimes I make something so ridiculously easy that it shocks even me. This was one of those meals. I had leftover turkey chili in the freezer I wanted to do something with and Robin Miller came to the rescue again. I just can't tell you how much I love her cookbook!

I varied this a little bit from her original recipe to use up leftover cilantro lime rice in the freezer but I will give you the recipe as she gives it. You will devour these and be so impressed with their ease. You can also do like I did and throw other leftovers into the filing. I love it!

Mexican Flautas

1 Cup Leftover Chili
1/2 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
8 Flour Tortillas

Coat baking dish with cooking spray. In a small bowl, combine the chili and cheddar cheese. Arrange the tortillas on a flat surface. Top each one with an equal amount of the chili mixture, making and even line down the center. Roll up the tortillas and secure with toothpicks (I didn't need to do this I just put them seam side down in the pan and touching). Place the flautas side by side in the prepared pan.

Spray the top of the tortillas with cooking spray, then bake at 400 degrees until they are golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

I made these for dinner using up leftover pork that I had in the freezer so I really should have called them Baked Creamy Pork Taquitos. I saw this on Our Best Bite and knew I had to try them.

I always like Mexican food and since these are baked and not fried they immediately went on my list. I don't like making fried food because all the hot oil scares me. I guess it isn't good for you either but the scared thing is my main reason for not frying. But back to these.....

When they came out of the oven all hot and crispy on the outside I knew it was a winner. I will definitely be making these again. I am always looking for ways to use up leftover meat and this is just perfect!

Visit Our Best Bite for better pictures and great directions if you want to try these too!

Let me first start this post by saying that I have never made such as mess cooking as I did with this recipe! I kept spilling ingredients, my counters were covered in flour and dirty pans, I forgot to add the egg whites, and lastly I did my layers all wrong. In the end, it still tasted really good so I guess that makes it a good one. And, we will be having leftovers for dinner tonight so one less day of cooking is always good : )

Next time I would definitely make this ahead of time and just keep it in the fridge or freezer until you are ready to cook. It takes a little too long to make on a week day if you are working. If you make this one, let me know if it was as messy for you as it was for me!

Cooking spray
1 1/4 pounds skinned, boned chicken breast
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 (2 1/4-ounce) can sliced ripe olives, drained
2 (4.5-ounce) cans chopped green chiles, drained
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
2 cups 1% low-fat milk
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten or 6 tablespoons egg substitute
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
6 (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut in half
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1/2 cup salsa

Last week I posted about Mexican Lasagna. I started with a recipe from All Recipes.com but then turned it into my own creation with what I had on hand to use up. What we ended up with was super good. Best meal of the week. This recipe is nice because you can tweak it to use up whatever you have on hand.

Mexican Lasagna
These measurements are what I used but like I said this is really an anything goes type of dish.

1/2 Lb. Ground Beef, browned
1 Can Corn
1 Can Re-fried Beans
2 Green Onions, sliced
Cheese (I used a Mexican blend)
1 Can Enchilada Sauce
Tortillas (I used corn but I think you could use any kind)


Using a 2 quart casserole dish start with a base of meat then layer corn, beans, green onions, tortillas, and enchilada sauce. I did these layers twice and ended with a layer of cheese on top. I baked it at 375 degrees for 35 minutes until it was nice and hot. Served with sour cream and shredded lettuce...MMM!

One note about the ground beef. Mine was leftover from the week I made Enchilada Meatballs so they were seasoned. If you were starting from scratch I would add some taco seasoning to the ground beef and maybe some diced onions.