Taquito Casserole #Recipe Peg Cochran/Margaret Loudon

 

 I found the original recipe for this casserole at Simple Recipes.  It called for only three ingredients:  taquitos, enchilada sauce and cheese.  I did a search and found numerous variations on that simple formula.  Since I had a can of black beans on hand as well as frozen corn, I decided to add those to the recipe.  Original recipes called for baking this in a 9x13 pan.  I wanted to halve the recipe for just the two of us.  I was surprised to discover the box of taquitos covered the 8x8 inch pan with only two leftover.  I'm not sure you could cover a 9x13 inch pan with one box.  I more or less kept the quantities of the ingredients the same as the original recipes. We topped ours with some sour cream but next time I might add avocado, diced red onion and chopped tomatoes.  You can add whatever you usually put on your tacos.  You can find beef and cheese taquitos, chicken and cheese and a version with only beans.  They also come with a choice of either corn or flour tortillas.  I used flour but next time I might try corn for the added flavor.  And bonus--the casserole was surprisingly good and quick and easy to make!

 

1 can black beans

1 can enchilada sauce (red or green)

1 cup frozen or canned corn

1 packet taco seasoning 

1 bag shredded cheese of choice (cheddar, Mexican style or Cheddar and Pepper Jack would all be good)

1 box frozen taquitos (do not thaw)

Mix black beans, corn, 1/3 cup enchilada sauce, 1 packet taco seasoning and 1 cup shredded cheese.

 

Spray an 8x8 inch pan with cooking spray.

Pour a thin layer of enchilada sauce in the bottom of the pan.  Top with bean and corn mixture.

 

Lay out taquitos to fill the pan.  You may have to cut some in half.  You may have 2 or 3 leftover.

Top taquitos with remaining enchilada sauce, a cup of cheese (or more, to taste).

Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 35 minutes. 

 

 

COMING SOON: WHERE THE BODIES ARE BERRIED, #10 IN THE CRANBERRY COVE SERIES 

 

Guest Gabby Allan #Recipe Super Easy Cheesy Burritos #Giveaway

 

 

Hi everyone! Gabby Allan here! I was going to share a recipe I thought Whitney Dagner from the Whit and Whiskers Mysteries might make but Whit's best friend, Maribel, decided to take over and so here we are. I hope you enjoy the dish. And if you don't, I'd like you to remember this was not my doing...

Super Easy Cheesy Burritos

Love, Maribel

 

So when Whit and I became BFFs I had to show her around the kitchen a little. I’m sure Goldy set a great table, but Whit wasn’t schooled on the basics of certain types of food, so I took it upon myself to help her out. And we ended up with a little thing I like to call the Super Easy Cheesy Burrito. The girl loved her takeout but I grew up with lots of time cooking with my mom and wanted to continue that tradition with my best friend. But this was Whit, which meant we started out with basics that were easy but also delish!

 

Ingredients:

 

Here’s the thing with this recipe––it can truly be whatever you want and however you want it. I’m going to set it up the way I like it, but if you want to add a dash of something here or there, only like vegetarian options, or need to go the gluten free route, there is no wrong way to make this dish. Do all the things in all the ways!

 

I use:

Large tortillas

Refried Beans

Shredded Cheese

Taco Meat

Vegetable Oil

 

 

How to make the magic happen:

 

Cook the meat you like––this can include chicken, carne asada, ground beef, pork, even tofu if that’s your jam

 

Get your hands on some refried beans. For the quick option a can from your local grocery store is not cheating as making them from scratch can be time consuming

 

After heating the beans I like to mix in the cheese by the handful––please see above for the name of these thing and act accordingly.

 

 

 

When you have your beans and cheese and meat ready, you’re going to lay out your tortilla and start building. I scoop some of the beans onto the tortilla first, then add some taco meat and more cheese. Some like to also put veggies or guacamole or sour cream in the burrito too. Your call, but remember we have to fold this baby up to get it to the pan, so don’t fill it up too far. You can always add more stuff on top once it’s done.

 

Now this part is not always easy, but once you get the hang of it there’ll be no stopping you. Take the sides of the tortilla, fold them and press gentle while drawing your fingers out to spread your goodies a little flatter. Turn the plate and start rolling it kind of like a wrap. It’s ideal to have all the stuff inside without anything squeezed out since we’re about to fry these babies just a little.

 

 

 

 

In a flat pan, cover the bottom with oil and slide the burrito in. The first turn can take a bit as the oil is heating. Use a spatula to lift the burrito to check for the level of crisp you like. When it hits the threshold, flip that baby over and give the other side a little sizzle.

 

 

 

When I remove the burritos from the pan, I often put them on a plate covered in a paper towel just to soak up some of the leftover oil.

 

 

 

And then get busy with your toppings. The sky’s the limit on what you can use as long as it looks yummy and is making your mouth water.

 

 

 

And we’re done! Go enjoy that burrito and know that Whit is probably trying really hard to roll it without any beans peeking out of the folds…

 

Are there any super quick dishes that you love that look like a massive undertaking but are actually super easy?

 

GIVEAWAY!! 

 

GIVEAWAY!  Please leave a comment with your email to be entered to win Something Fishy This Way Comes!  US only, please.

 

 

Take in the wild beauty of Santa Catalina Island with tour guide and eclectic gift shop owner Whitney Dagner. On the itinerary: dramatic Pacific coastlines, diverse marine life, and murder!

Since returning home from mainland California and finding her groove with the family tourism business, Whitney Dagner’s daily routine has become a wonderfully chaotic adventure. She and her nimble kitty, Whiskers, often find themselves at the center of the action on Catalina, from staged treasure hunts to gossipy birdwatchers. But before Whit can get too comfortable in the place where she grew up, a gift shop order leads to a stunning discovery—someone’s dead body . . .
 
One of Whit’s best boat tour client’s, Leo Franklin was young and newly engaged when he unceremoniously took his own life. Only it doesn’t seem like that’s what really happened—not after the suspicious activity displayed by his family’s old rivals at the scene of his death. As a bitter, generations-long feud between Leo’s kin and the local Ahern clan comes to a head, Whit and her police diver not-so-ex-boyfriend must lead a dangerous investigation into years of scandal and bad blood to figure out who’s innocent . . .  and who’s covering a killer’s tracks.
 

 

 

Bio: After writing plays for her friends to act out as a kid, bad poetry in high school, and her high school Alma Mater song, Gabby Allan finally found her true passion—cozy mysteries. Being able to share her world with readers, one laugh at a time, and touch people’s hearts with her down-to-earth characters makes for the best job ever. This California girl now lives with her husband in Central Pennsylvania where she is hard at work on her next novel.

 

 

www.gabbyallan.com

Instagram @gabbyallanspeaks

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MistySimonAuthor

 

Gabby Allan – a little charm, a little mayhem, a lot of fun

 

Kensington link with all retailers - https://www.kensingtonbooks.com/9781496731074/something-fishy-this-way-comes/

 

Sheet Pan Nachos #Recipe @PegCochran

I think I've mentioned this before--I like to think of Friday nights as "fun food nights."  Meaning I don't worry about a green vegetable (we probably won't get scurvy if we skip our veggie once a week) and I don't make anything too "serious" for dinner.  Sometimes it's take-out--pizza or Chinese or Thai food--and sometimes it's tacos or BLTs.  I was feeling in the mood for something with a Mexican flair but I didn't want tacos.  Bingo! How about nachos?

I found a recipe for "sheet pan nachos" where everything is loaded onto a cookie sheet and put into the oven.  I decided to try it.

Note:  All toppings are optional--use what you like and skip the rest or add ideas of your own!!

You'll need:
12 ounces ground chuck
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
9 ounces corn tortilla chips
1 15-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed or 1 can black beans
12 ounces shredded Mexican cheese blend or freshly grated sharp cheddar
1/2 cup minced red onion
1/4 cup pickled jalapeno slices (optional)
1 avocado, diced
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup sliced black olives
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 cup salsa, jarred or fresh (I prefer fresh)

First preheat your oven to 400 degrees. 

Place ground chuck and onion in pan, sprinkle with spices and cook, stirring, until meat is no longer pink.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer mixture to a plate lined with paper towels to soak up extra grease.

Line a rimmed cookie sheet with foil.  Spread chips on the bottom in a single layer.  Top with meat mixture, beans and cheese.

Bake until cheese melts and chips are beginning to brown slightly on the edges--about 8 minutes or so.

Top with red onion, jalapeno if desired, avocado, sour cream and cilantro.  Serve salsa on the side.

OUT NOW--BOOK #4 IN THE CRANBERRY COVE SERIES

Amazon
Amazon Print
Barnes & Noble

It’s a marriage made in murder in the new Cranberry Cove Mystery from USA Today bestselling author Peg Cochran!

The long-awaited wedding of Monica and Greg is the highlight of the harvest season in Cranberry Cove, drawing friends from far and wide to help them celebrate. Among the guests are an old college friend of Monica’s and the woman’s boisterous new husband, a man with many enemies and more than a few bitter women in his past. When he turns up dead on a boat, the victim of a fatal stabbing, Monica steps in once again to unravel the mystery.

As she dredges up clues and wades through a long list of suspects, Monica’s sleuthing becomes all the more pressing when the local police are convinced that her friend did the deed. Monica will have to clear her name fast and track down the real culprit as the killer threatens to bring her sweet wedded bliss to a bitter end.

Includes tasty recipes!  

***

Pre-Order Now! Coming June 2018

Barnes and Noble
 Amazon

RT MAGAZINE TOP PICK!!

“The clever ‘Dear Reader’ asides serve up just the right amount of dry wit, and the occasional blog post snippet provides readers with some helpful tips alongside their mystery. The case is always well plotted, and the fictitious Michigan small-town setting provides an intriguing supporting cast with a bevy of interesting personalities. Readers will root for Shelby to solve the case and stay on the edge of their seats until she does.”

– RT Reviews

 

***

PRE-ORDER NOW! COMING JULY 31

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

A Park Avenue princess discovers the dark side of 1930s New York when a debutante ball turns deadly in this gripping historical mystery for readers of Victoria Thompson, Anne Perry, and Rhys Bowen.

Manhattan, 1938. Tired of being trapped in the gilded cage of her family’s expectations, Elizabeth Adams has done what no self-respecting socialite would think to do: She’s gotten herself a job. Although Elizabeth’s dream is to one day see her photographs on the front page of the Daily Trumpet, for now she’s working her way up as the newsroom’s gal Friday.

But fetching coffee isn’t exactly her idea of fun, so when veteran reporter Ralph Kaminsky needs a photographer to fill in for a last-minute assignment, Elizabeth jumps at the chance. At the Waldorf Hotel, Elizabeth is tasked with tracking down the season’s “It girl,” Gloria DeWitt, who will be making her society debut. Working her own connections to New York’s upper crust, Elizabeth manages to land an exclusive interview with Gloria.

Then Gloria’s stepmother is shot dead in a Waldorf bathroom, placing Elizabeth at the scene of a headline-worthy scandal: “Murder of a Society Dame.” Now Elizabeth will have to get the scoop on the killer before her good name gets dragged through the gossip columns—or worse. . . .

Praise for Peg Cocrhan

“Cochran has a truly entertaining writing style that is filled with humor, mystery, fun, and intrigue.”—Open Book Society

Catch up with me on Facebook!

Guest Rebecca Adler with Pecan-Crusted Tilapia #bookgiveaway

LESLIE BUDEWITZ:  Today we welcome back to the blog Rebecca Adler, with a recipe for a pecan-crusted tilapia with golden rum butter sauce that's got me smacking my lips for dinner -- and I just finished breakfast!

REBECCA ADLER: Growing up in small town Florida, my exposure to Tex-Mex was limited to the locally-owned Pancho’s on Okaloosa Island. This local favorite offered everything my young heart could desire: tacos, queso, and enchiladas. Occasionally, I would try something exotic from my mother’s plate. Guacamole, refried beans, or tamales.

Have you heard the old saying, I wasn’t born in Texas, but I got there as fast as I could? That’s me. After living in NYC and Maine with limited access to quality, lip-smacking Tex-Mex, I was thrilled to be in the midst of an overabundance of restaurants and taco stands offering, not one, but countless varieties of my very favorite foods.

With the release of The Good, the Bad, and the Guacamole--the second book in my Taste of Texas series-- I am excited to share the recipes for some of my very favorite Tex-Mex, and Texas, culinary delights. My favorite recipe in the book is definitely Senora Mari’s Pecan-Encrusted Tilapia. I recently made this dish with a dear friend. The recipe was simple, fresh, and oh so delicious. The end result? A delightful afternoon filled with scrumptious fare and heartwarming conversation.

Leave a comment below for a chance to win a signed paperback of THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE GUACAMOLE (US addresses only). 

Senora Mari’s Pecan-Crusted Tilapia

Makes 4 servings

Prep time: 15 minutes. Cook time: 8 minutes

½ cup pecan halves

4 fresh tilapia fillets, about 6 ounces each

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon black pepper

3 tablespoons butter

Golden Rum-Butter Sauce (recipe follows)

lemon wedges, for garnish

fresh parsley sprigs, for garnish

Chop the pecans until fine and pour into a shallow bowl. Sprinkle the fish fillets with salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Dredge the fish in the finely chopped pecans.

In a large nonstick pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the fillets, and cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until well-browned and the fish flakes when pierced with a fork.

Serve each fillet with Golden Rum-Butter Sauce (recipe below), a lemon wedge, and a parsley sprig, if desired. (Leslie: And why on earth would you not desire?)

Golden Rum-Butter Sauce

3 tablespoons butter

1 shallot, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons rum

1 teaspoon honey

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

Melt butter in a small pan over medium-high heat. Stir in the minced shallot and garlic. Continue stirring occasionally until the shallot is tender.

Reduce heat to low. Whisk in the rum slowly, and then add the honey, salt, lemon juice, and orange juice. Cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally.

Serve warm.

Variation

You may substitute fresh lemon juice for rum.

Leave a comment below, with your email address, for a chance to win a signed paperback of THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE GUACAMOLE (US addresses only). The winner will be chosen on Tues, Oct. 18.

Rebecca grew up on the sugar beaches of the Florida Gulf Coast. Drawn to the Big Apple by the sweet smell of wishful thinking, she studied acting on Broadway until a dark-eyed cowboy flung her over his saddle and hightailed it to the Southwest.

Prior to writing, she always found a way to add a touch of the dramatic to her life from dinner theatre in Mississippi to playing a giant Furskin in the New York Toy Fair, plus plays and musicals.

She's currently content to pour her melodramatic tendencies into writing the Taste of Texas cozy culinary mystery series set in far West Texas filled with sweet, Southern-fried flavor, delicious suspense, and scrumptious Tex-Mex recipes. Rebecca's alter ego, Gina Lee Nelson writes sweet contemporary romance.

Where to Find Rebecca: 

Website:  http://www.authorrebeccaadler.com/ 

Facebook: @AuthorRebeccaAdler

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3162024.Rebecca_Adler

Twitter: @CozyTxMysteries

www.berkleysignetmysteries.com

Where to Find the Book:

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/TheGoodTheBadTheGuacamole

Barnes and Noble: http://tinyurl.com/GoodBadGuacamoleMystery

KOBO: http://tinyurl.com/TheGoodTheBadTheGuacamole-KOBO

Apple: http://tinyurl.com/GoodBadGuacamole-APPLE