Aaron's Nachos

 Our son makes the best oven baked nachos, and I'm always calling to ask him for the recipe. I decided it's time for me to just put this delicious recipe on my blog.

First, season the ground beef ~ use 93% ground beef; brown with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper (to taste) and crushed red pepper (to taste)

Layer on cookie sheet:

1. tortilla chips
2. seasoned ground beef
3. shredded Mexican cheese

Bake at 400° until cheese is melted.

Top with:

• salsa
• sour cream
• black olives
• diced tomatoes
• diced onions
• sliced jalapenos 
• shredded lettuce

Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars

 Source: Pillsbury ~ https://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/sopapilla-cheesecake-bars/65ec128f-2acc-417b-8745-06c182d3134a 

Ingredients:

• 2 - 8 oz. cans crescent rolls
• 2 - 8 oz. pkgs. cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 TBSP. ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Unroll one can of crescent rolls and place in bottom of glass 9" x 13" baking dish. Be sure to press any perforations to seal.
3. In medium bowl, beat cream cheese and one cup of sugar until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Spread over dough in baking dish.
4. Unroll second can of crescent rolls and firmly press perforations to seal. Carefully place on cream cheese layer. Pinch seams together.
5. Pour melted butter evenly over top. Mix remaining 1/2 cup sugar with the cinnamon & sprinkle evenly over butter.
6. Bake 30-35 minutes or until bars appear set when gently shaken.
7. Cool slightly, about 30 minutes.
8. Refrigerate for easy cutting.
9. Best served warm.

Easy Mexican Appetizer

My friend, Lori Little, is an awesome cook. And.....sometimes she's good at coming up with quick ideas for parties. She has brought this simple and delicious appetizer to my house many times. It's enjoyed by all, and she always returns home with an empty plate. It's a perfect appetizer for a Mexican dinner too! 

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. bar cream cheese, softened
• salsa
• shredded cheese
• scallions, cut up
• sliced black olives

Directions:

1. Spread softened cream cheese on serving plate.
2. Spread salsa on top of cream cheese.
3. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top of salsa.
4. Sprinkle scallions on top of shredded cheese.
5. Sprinkle black olives on top of scallions.
6. Serve with tortilla chips, Scooples, or Fritos.

Chicken Fajita Bake

 Ingredients:

• 8 oz. soft cream cheese

• 1/3 cup salsa

• 2 cups shredded cheddar, plus more for topping

• 1 packet fajita seasoning

• Boneless chicken breasts or tenders

• Red, orange &/or yellow bell peppers, sliced

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Mix together cream cheese, salsa, shredded cheddar & packet of fajita seasoning.

3. Spread mixture over chicken.

4. Lay sliced bell pepper on top.

5. Sprinkle with more shredded cheese.

6. Bake 35-40 minutes.

Low Carb Chili Dog Bake

 Ingredients:

• homemade chili (or chili sauce)
• hotdogs
• shredded cheddar or Mexican cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Cut up package of hotdogs and mix with chili.
3. Pour hotdogs/chili in baking dish.
4. Evenly sprinkle shredded cheese on top.
5. Bake uncovered for 35 minutes.

Mexican Dip

I have seen this recipe in many different places. It is a quick and tasty appetizer. The beauty of this recipe is that you can vary the layers. My favorite ingredients, though, are:

• 8 oz. bar cream cheese
• Hormel chili without beans (either size can will work)
• 1 can green chilis (I have been known to substitute by chopping jalapenos.)
• shredded cheddar cheese (or shredded Mexican cheese mix)
• sliced black olives (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place bar of cream cheese in glass or ceramic pie pan, and microwave on high for 1 minute (if coming right out of refrigerator).
3. Spread cream cheese to cover bottom of pie pan.
4. Spread Hormel chili for next layer.
5. Spread green chilis for next layer.
6. Top with shredded cheese (as much as you want)
7. Sprinkle with olives, if desired.
8. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until cheese has melted thoroughly.
9. Serve hot with tortilla chips, scoops, or Fritos.

Chili's Margarita Grilled Chicken

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless chicken breasts
• 1 cup liquid margarita mix
• fresh ground pepper
• black beans (I like
Allrecipes black bean recipe .)

Directions:

1. Marinate chicken breasts in margarita mix for two hours. (I've been known to put frozen chicken breasts and marinade in a ziplock bag and put it in the refrigerator while at work ~ works fine for me! :o)
2. When ready to grill, pepper each side of chicken breast, and grill or cook in skillet that has been sprayed with Pam.
3. Serve chicken atop black beans. (Mexican rice is good on the side, of course.)

Chile & Cheese Spirals

This Chile and Cheese Spirals recipe from Real Mom Kitchen makes a delicious and decorative appetizer for Christmas gatherings. I find it better after the filling has time to season.

Ingredients:

•4 ounces cream cheese, softened
•1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
•½ cup (4 ounce can) diced green chiles
•½ cup (about 3) sliced green onion
•½ cup chopped red bell pepper
•¼ cup chopped ripe olives
•4 (8-inch) soft taco-sized flour tortillas (the green ones I get are 12 inch so I only use 3)
•Salsa

Directions:

1.Combine cream cheese, cheddar cheese, chiles, green onion, red pepper, and olives in a medium bowl.
2.Spread ½ cup cheese mixture over each tortillas; roll up.
3.Wrap each roll in plastic wrap twisting ends to close; refrigerate for 1 hour.
4.Remove plastic wrap; slice each roll into ¾ inch pieces.
5.Serve with salsa for dipping.

Best Black Beans

AllRecipes has the Best Black Beans I have ever eaten. Did I mention they are beyond simple to make? Sometimes I use 1 teaspoon of dried cilantro instead of 1 Tablespoon of fresh cilantro.

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) can black beans
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• salt to taste

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine beans, onion, and garlic, and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat to medium-low.
3. Season with cilantro, cayenne, and salt.
4. Simmer for 5 minutes, and serve.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

I found this easy and absolutely delicious recipe for Creamy Chicken Enchiladas from Kevin and Amanda. Please check out their other recipes. Amanda is quite the cook!

Simple & Delicious Guacamole

I combined a few guacamole recipes to come up with the easiest and best tasting guacamole I could make.

Ingredients:
3 avocados ~ peeled, pitted, and mashed
2 Tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup diced onion (red or yellow)
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (or 3 teaspoons dried cilantro)
2 Roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
jalapenos, chopped (as many as you want...depends on how hot you want the guacamole)
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Mash together avocados, lime juice and salt in a medium bowl.
2. Mix in onion, cilantro, tomatoes, garlic and jalapenos.
3. Stir in cayenne pepper.
4. Refrigerate 1 hour for best flavor, but I usually serve it immediately because it's just too good to wait for! ☺

Taco Soup

Ingredients:
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 envelope Hidden Valley Ranch dressing
3 cans diced tomatoes with zesty jalapenos
1 lb. ground beef, browned
15.5 oz. can kidney beans, drained
15.5 oz. can pinto beans, drained
11 oz. can Mexicorn

Directions:
1. Mix a little water with taco seasoning.
2. Mix a little water with Hidden Valley Ranch dressing.
3. Add all other ingredients and cook on top of stove. Soup should be ready in 20 minutes, but the longer it simmers, the better it is.