Cowboy Quesadillas

I found this recipe on Our Best Bites website.  They always have great recipes and they are usually recipes with ingredients that I have on hand!

This one was the same!  My family all liked this, but I will say it was just an easy revved up version of a quesadilla.  My kids ate them, but didn't really like the dipping sauce.  I liked it too, but thought next time I might try substituting the barbecue sauce with sour cream.

All the ingredients are good together and I liked the barbecue sauce, but I think I would prefer sour cream!

Very easy and a way to make a quesadilla more of a meal than just cheese!  Also a great way to use leftovers!

Cowboy Quesadillas

(http://www.ourbestbites.com/)

• 1/2 cup white rice
• 1/3 cup black beans
• 1 cup diced cooked chicken
• 1/3 cup fresh frozen corn (no need to thaw)
• 2/3 cup diced tomato (didn't add~I don't like tomatoes!)
• 3 tbsp sliced green onions
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese ~ any type you like!
• 1/4 cup barbecue sauce (or try sour cream!)
• small tortillas, fajita size

Combine rice, beans, chicken, corn, tomato, green onion and shredded cheese.  Add barbecue sauce (or sour cream) and stir to combine.  Place about 1/3 of the mixture on half of a tortilla and fold over to close.

Heat a skillet to medium heat.  When hot, spray with cooking spray and place your filled tortilla on top.  Cook until golden brown or slightly crisp and turn over to cook on other side!

Serve with a barbecue dipping sauce (equal parts barbecue sauce and ranch dressing) or try more sour cream, guacamole, or salsa and enjoy!

Sara's Favorite Pasta Salad

I don't know the real name of this salad or where we found it.  We have named it this after my sister, who shared this many years ago as her favorite summer pasta salad!  I share her like of this salad too!  It is one of those salads you can really add anything you want and just pour over the yummy dressing.  It is easy, and doesn't require a lot of prep and no oven!!

Enjoy!!

Pasta Salad

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup herbed white wine vinegar - tarragon or sweet basil (I didn't have this on hand and found you could substitute rice vinegar)
• 3-4 cloves minced garlic
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 tsp tarragon or sweet basil leaves (if you use the herbed white wine vinegar, match the spice to the vinegar.  If you use rice vinegar, just pick whichever you have - I used basil)
• 1 tsp sweet Hungarian Paprika (I didn't have this on hand and used regular paprika, 1/2 tsp)
• 1 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together until well blended.  Set aside until salad is ready.

Salad:

• 3 cups cooked chicken breast, diced
• 2 jars (6 oz) marinated artichoke hearts
• 12 oz pasta (your choice) cooked and well drained
• 1 can sliced black olives, drained
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1/2 large red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 large avocado, sliced
• cherry tomatoes, sliced in half - adding as much as you like!
• Optional add ins I have added - chopped red peppers, carrots, cucumbers, or whatever else you might like!  I added Feta cheese this time too!

Place all your salad ingredients in a bowl and pour your dressing on top.  Eat with french bread and enjoy!!

Barbecue Chicken Cobb Salad

Loved, loved, loved this salad!  It isn't anything different or new, but it was a great way to have a summer dinner without all the cooking!  You can even use leftover chicken for this and then it would be super fast!  All the ingredients can be prepared ahead of time too, which makes this a great busy day dinner or even a great lunch idea too!

 Barbecue Chicken Cobb Salad

(Our Best Bites)

• 12 cups romaine lettuce (or whatever your family will eat.  I used a combo with iceburg lettuce)
• 8-12 ounces grilled barbecue chicken (or leftover chicken is great too!)
• 8 ounces bacon, cooked and crumbled (easy hint-cut your bacon with your kitchen scissors before you cook it and it is already crumbled and cooks fast!)
• 2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
•  large avocado, pitted and diced
• 3 hard boiled eggs, peeled and diced
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• I also added in mine ~ sliced carrots, diced red pepper too!
• Zesty Blue Cheese Dressing and Dip (in Dips and Dressings section)

You can divide the lettuce among different bowls or mix it all together.  My family prefers to add what they like to the salad, so the tomato haters don't get tomatoes!  I had all the ingredients prepared and added them to the salads as family members preferred! Just be sure your kids end up with some vegies, mine tried to only eat the barbecue chicken!

Top with all the yummy ingredients above and put on your favorite dressing or try the Zesty Blue Cheese!

Chipotle Beef Taquitos

I found this recipe in my Our Best Bites cookbook.  I have been slowly working my way through the book, trying new things.  I have been slowed down with cooking lately due to baseball.  Yes baseball has meant my kids are eating a lot of cereal and quick grabs for dinner!  YIKES!!!!

Well I am slowly getting back to cooking and trying new things again and I have missed it too!

This recipe is spicy, so I would definitely lean toward the lesser of the chipotle peppers for the more timid ones in your family!  I love the spiciness of these peppers and even my family liked it, with a good dollop of sour cream to cool it down!  If you like chipotle peppers you will love this.  This is also a quicker meal because it uses leftover roast that you shred for the meat.

Try something new and enjoy these!  You can also make these ahead of time too!

Chipotle Beef Taquitos

(Our Best Bites Cookbook)

• 3 cups cooked, shredded beef roast (I used the Perfect Pot Roast meat)
• 1/4-1/2 tsp minced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (1/4 tsp is mild)
• 1 (4 ounce) can green chilies, undrained
• 1 tbsp adobo sauce from the canned chipotle peppers
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• zest from 1 lime (which I left out due to no limes and using lime juice from a bottle)
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice (or from a bottle)
• 1 pkg queso fresco cheese, crumbled (I used a mixture of shredded cheddar and jack cheese)
• about 20 6-inch corn tortillas
• kosher salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Slice or shred the beef from your cooked roast.  Make pieces about 1/2 - 1 inch long.  Place in a bowl and set aside.

Remove 1 chipotle pepper from your can.  Try not to take much sauce out with the pepper.  Slit the pepper open and scrape out the seeds.  I didn't do this and it will make it spicier if you don't!  Mince the pepper (I put it in my food processor) and take out how much you want; 1/4 - 1/2 tsp.

Combine chilies, chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, garlic powder, coriander, cumin, chili powder, and lime zest and juice in a bowl.  Stir together and then add it to your shredded beef and stir to combine and coat all your meat.

Wrap a pile of about 10 tortillas in a damp paper towel.  Microwave for about 1 minute to soften.  I messed up on this the first time and didn't soften my tortillas enough and my taquitos broke apart.  So make sure they are soft and you may need to microwave for longer.  Check at 1 minute.

Grab one softened tortilla and place some cheese down the center and then top with 1-2 tbsp shredded meat.  Roll tightly and then place on a greased (sprayed with cooking spray) cookie sheet seam side down.  Repeat with remaining tortillas.  Soften more tortillas as needed and keep adding the meat and cheese until gone.

Spray tops of taquitos with the cooking spray and then sprinkle with the kosher salt.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until edges are golden brown.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.  Serve with sour cream, salsa, guacamole, black beans, Spanish rice.  Options are endless and a great lunch or dinner throughout the week too!

Easy Tostadas

I found this idea in my All You magazine. They made it a little different, I made it more like tacos. I think the possibilities are endless and what was great was that it was easy and quick. I was looking for a quick meal with Baseball and T-ball practice starting.

It was quick and easy and my family really liked it!

Easy Tostadas

(altered from recipe found in All You magazine)

• 
  
  Corn Tortillas



• 1 15 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed



• 
  
  Ground Beef (as much as you need for your family, I used 1 lb)



• 
  
  Taco seasoning.



• 
  
  Salsa



• 
  
  lettuce



• 
  
  Sour cream



• 
  
  Avocado, sliced



• 
  
  Grated cheddar cheese

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Arrange corn tortillas (as many as will fit on a cookie sheet in a single layer ~ I got about 6 on mine) on a cookie sheet and then spray them with non-stick spray. Then sprinkle with salt. Bake until beginning to crisp, about 5-7 minutes. (The 2nd time I made this with the leftovers, we just fried the tortillas in a little oil on the stove and then did the remaining steps. Quicker and just as good, but not as healthy!)

Meanwhile, cook your ground beef. When done, drain the grease and add taco seasoning to your liking. (This part can be done in advance. Have your meat already cooked and ready to add to your shells in the morning)

When your tortillas are done, set your oven to Broil. Next put your meat on your tortillas, then black beans, salsa and cheese. This is where you can add what your family likes. Broil your tostadas until the cheese is melted and everything is heated through ~ about 1-2 minutes.

Now top with lettuce, avocado, sour cream and enjoy! I ate mine like a tostada. The boys folded theirs in half and ate like a taco!

French Bread Pizza

With Summer here and Baseball, T-Ball and all other sorts of activities going on, quick and easy meals become a necessity! This is one my mom used to make when we were kids and it is simple and quick!

French Bread Pizza

• 1 loaf french bread (I used a loaf I had made for dinner a few nights ago)
• pizza sauce (great homemade recipe on this site!)
• mozzarella cheese
• pizza toppings

Preheat your oven to 475 degrees. Cut your french bread loaf in half lengthwise. Place on a cookie sheet.

Then place your sauce, cheese and toppings. Your kids can help with this too!

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until browned the way you like!