Wet Tacos

Who doesn't like some spicy food on a cold winter night? These tacos were a pleasant change from our regular Mexican dishes. I froze the tacos directly in the pan and kept the enchilada sauce separate until it was time to bake. Shredded lettuce and sour cream were a cool compliment to complete this meal.

I found it best to make a large batch and split it into two meals- one for now and one for later.


Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 18 (2 meals)
Cost: Approx. $11.00 or $5.50/meal


2 pounds ground beef ($4.00)
1 cup diced onion ($.25)
1 tsp. ground chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
3 cup shredded cheddar cheese ($3.00)
18 flour tortillas ($2.00)
2 cans enchilada sauce ($2.00)

White Sauce
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp chicken bouillon granules
2 cups warmed milk


Brown meat and onions. Meanwhile, make white sauce by melting butter in a small sauce pan. Whisk in flour and bouillon granules to form a paste. Slowly add warmed milk and continuing whisking until smooth sauce has formed.

Combine white sauce, enchilada sauce, cumin, chili powder, and 2 cups of cheese. Warm until cheese has melted.

Add about 3/4 cup of sauce to meat and mix well.

Place about 1/4 cup of meat in the center of tortilla along with refried beans, black beans, corn.... or anything else you desire. Fold and place in aluminum pan. Top with remaining cheese and sauce.

Bake covered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

**To freeze: Place tacos in pan and cover will with foil and freeze. Place sauce and cheese in zip lock bags and freeze. To serve, thaw completely and bake as directed above.**


Please note, this recipe was adapted from 30 Day Gourmet's Big Book of Freezer Cooking.

Fish Tacos

After hearing the raves of other bloggers about fish tacos I tried it recently when we went out to eat. Wow! What a great combination of flavors and a great summertime dish. Not too heavy and easy to make. Here's my first homemade attempt combining several recipes I found online. I missed getting a good pictures. They were gone before I could find the camera.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Cost: Approx. $7.00
Serves: 8

2 pounds of white fish ($4.00)
Alaina's Taco Seasoning
16 small white corn or flour tortillas warmed($2.00)
1/2 cup sour cream ($.25)
1/2 cup mayonnaise ($.25)
Cilantro chopped
cabbage shredded ($.25)
1/2 onion diced ($.25)

Cook fish in microwave or skillet until it is white and flakes easily with a fork. Sprinkle with 1 Tbsp of taco seasoning and cook for another 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, saute onion and cabbage in butter until warmed through, but still crunchy.

Prepare sauce by mixing sour cream, mayo, cilantro (desired amount), and remaining seasoning together well.

Serve on warmed tortillas and enjoy!

Make ahead Burritos

Making burritos for the freezer are not only easy but fun to assemble. The kids and I have a great time playing our own version of Taco Bell. Each person has their own station and we race through the assembly process. They love it and I save a lot of time not having to assemble twenty or so burritos by myself!

All you need is large tortilla shells and whatever ingredients you have on hand in whatever combination pleases you: Taco meat, chicken or steak, rice, black beans, refried beans, black beans, salsa, rice, cheese, salsa.... After rolling the burritos place them directly into a freezer bag.

To cook place the frozen burritos directly in a greased baking dish and cover. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes until burritos are soft and heated through.

These can be uncovered and topped with warm enchilata sauce and cheese and put back under the broiler until the cheese is melted. I've also served these on a bed of shredded lettuce topped with salsa and sour cream. Enjoy!!

My friend, Alaina weekly hosts a series, Keeping Creative Kitchens. It's all about sharing the things that keep you insired in your kitchen. Go and see all the great ideas!

Chicken Burritos

Cook Time: 15 minutes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 8-10
cost: Approx. $7.00

4 boneless chicken breasts ($3.25)

1/2 jar salsa ($.75)

1 small can fat-free refried beans ($.75)

8-10 tortillas

low-fat shredded cheese ($2.00)

Place 4 boneless chicken breasts in a medium saucepan. Add 1/2 a jar of salsa and enough water to cover chicken. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until chicken is white all the way through (about 20 minutes or so). Remove chicken from pot and let cool until easy to handle. Shred the chicken and return to the pot. If chicken mixture looks too thin, bring to a boil to reduce liquid.

Spread about two tablespoons of fat-free refried beans on a flour tortilla. (Buy the thicker 'homemade' variety if available; they are much better and won't tear so easily. Tortillas are easier to work with if you warm them first. I microwave mine a bit until soft, then wrap them in a kitchen towel and remove one at a time.)

Add 3-4 tablespoons chicken mixture down the center, sprinkle on a tablespoon or so of low-fat shredded cheddar. Fold the sides of tortilla in a bit, then roll from the bottom.

Repeat the procedure with remaining tortillas. Wrap each burrito in plastic wrap or wax paper, then place all the burritos in a large freezer bag and freeze.

To reheat, remove the plastic wrap and microwave on high until hot all the way through (time will vary depending on size of burrito and power of microwave.)

If the burritos are too soggy for your taste, microwave until the burrito is just thawed. In our microwave, this takes 3 1/2 to 4 minutes. Then, bake on lightly greased pan another 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees. They get lightly browned and slightly crispy on the outside.

Tamali Pie

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 10-12
Cost: Approx. $4.50

1 1/2 pounds ground beef or turkey ($2.25)
1 onion chopped ($.30)
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1 cup tomato sauce ($.30)
1 can corn drained ($.40)
1 small can diced black olives drained (optional)
salt to taste

2 boxes Jiffy Corn bread mix ($.50)
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk

Brown ground beef and onion. Drain well. Add other ingredients and mix well and place in a 9x13 pan.

Prepare Jiffy mix per package directions. Spread batter over top of beef mixture. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes being sure that the corn bread is thoroughly cooked.

**The beef mixture can be prepared ahead of time and frozen in a Ziplock. Just defrost and heat through before placing in 9x13**

Taco Soup

This is about the easiest meal ever to make and everyone eats it up!!

Prep time: 1 minute
Cook time: 30 minutes
Serves: 8-10
Cost: approx $5.00


1 pound ground beef or turkey ($2.00)
Alaina's taco seasoning
1 can of corn drained or 1 cup frozen corn ($.50)
1 small can diced tomatoes ($.50)
1 large can tomato juice ($1.00)
1 bag of corn chips ($1.00)
shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
sour cream (optional)

Brown ground beef/turkey. Add seasoning. Mix in corn, tomatoes and tomato juice. Cook on medium until warmed through. Serve topped with corn chips, cheese and sour cream as desired.

*This is easily frozen and stored in a large freezer bag. Just place frozen soup in crock pot in the morning for dinner that night.*

Winter Salsa

This salsa is Sean's favorite. In the winter it's made with canned tomatoes and other things that are easily found in the pantry. I buy a bulk size can of diced tomatoes and make a large batch to store in the fridge. The longer it sits, the better it tastes.

It's also great as a topping for salads, tacos, or in quesadillas with cheese.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 0 minutes
Serves: 20+
Cost: $4.25

Mix together the following:

1 enormous can of diced tomatoes drained($2.25)
1 large onion diced ($.50)
1 bunch of cilantro chopped ($.50)
1 can black beans rinsed and drained ($.50)
1 can sweet corn drained ($.50) or 1 cup frozen corn
salt to taste
Add hot sauce to taste to spice it up.