Stuffed Mushrooms – an easy appetizer with a cheesy flavorful filling baked into bite-sized baby bella mushrooms.
Here we have a classic stuffed mushroom recipe, bite sized and easy to serve. They are full of flavor but with just a hint of Southwestern flavor. I got a kick out of these when I pulled them out of the oven. I swear, the baby bella mushrooms come out looking like little loaves of pumpernickel bread. If you want to adjust the flavor, taste the filling before stuffing. You can add more green chiles and cumin if you want a more Southwestern flavor. With just 2 tbsp of chiles, there’s just a hint of heat. These have a full flavor that’s not exactly Mexican or Italian and they make an ideal dish for a buffet.
Personally, I added the mushroom stems into the filling. I think it really makes no difference. Except for the baby bella mushrooms, I usually have all these ingredients, so this is an appetizer I’ll be making for get togethers coming up. Hope you enjoy it!
Rinse mushrooms to clean off any dirt; remove stems, then toss mushroom caps with olive oil, salt, and pepper. If desired, finely chop stems to include in filling.
In a large bowl, blend cream cheese, parmesan cheese, bread crumbs egg, garlic, spices, green chile, and (if desired) cilantro and chopped mushroom stems.
Stuff filling evenly into the mushrooms. Sprinkle more smoked paprika on top.
Place into a baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes, until mushrooms are wrinkling and stuffing is starting to brown on top.
Serve hot and enjoy!
Notes
Commentary: Here we have a classic stuffed mushroom recipe, bite sized and easy to serve. They are full of flavor but with just a hint of Southwestern flavor. I got a kick out of these when I pulled them out of the oven. I swear, the baby bella mushrooms come out looking like little loaves of pumpernickel bread. If you want to adjust the flavor, taste the filling before stuffing. You can add more green chiles and cumin if you want a more Southwestern flavor. With just 2 tbsp of chiles, there’s just a hint of heat. These have a full flavor that’s not exactly Mexican or Italian and they make an ideal dish for a buffet.
Personally, I added the mushroom stems into the filling. I think it really makes no difference. Except for the baby bella mushrooms, I usually have all these ingredients, so this is an appetizer I’ll be making for get togethers coming up. Hope you enjoy it!
I’m taking this fabulous pulled pork to a party tonight. It’s all pulled (so that beautiful roast in the photo is gone…) and I’m setting it out in a slow cooker along with little slider buns and cole slaw. Build it yourself pulled pork sliders. Yeah, that’s the classic way to serve it.
This recipe is a spicier version (thanks to serrano chiles) of a classic Carolina bbq. That’s the kind of bbq I grew up on – really tangy and tasty. We used to keep small tubs of it in the freezer and as a kid I’d come home from school, brown it up in a skillet and make myself a sandwich. It’s a vinegar-based bbq, no tomato. The red color is from all the paprika and cayenne. When I moved to Boulder to go to college, I discovered all the bbq here in Colorado was red, tomato-based. Wow – major deprivation. Colorado has become far more cosmopolitan since, and there are restaurants here with seriously good Southern bbq. Millennials have it so cushy.
There are 3 ways to cook this: in a Dutch oven baked in the oven, in a slow cooker, or in an Instant Pot (pressure cooker). I made this one in the Instant Pot, but it comes out about the same no matter which method you use. It’s pretty much infallible.
After serving, hopefully there’s some left over. Plus it produces about a quart of bbq broth. I like to brown the pulled pork in a skillet to get it sort of crusty – I just like the texture when it’s browned. Then I pour on some of the liquid (about 1 part liquid to 4 parts pulled pork) and cook it just till liquid is absorbed. You don’t have to do this – it’s just a matter of preference. If I come back with leftovers, I’ll freeze them in small plastic tubs; I’ll also freeze any leftover broth in separate tubs. It will be a miracle if there’s any left.
You gotta try this over the holidays – it sure beats store bought pulled pork!
Mix the dry rub ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle dry rub all over the pork roast, pressing into the pork. Cover with a plastic bag or wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Combine the orange juice, vinegar, Worcestershire, liquid smoke, garlic powder and serrano chiles.
Whichever cooking method you use, it helps if the pot is just a little bigger around than the roast. A 5 to 6 quart Instant Pot or round slow cooker is perfect. This is just so the roast is absorbing the flavor of the liquid. Alternatively, you can baste the roast with the liquid every half hour or so.
Dutch oven method: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place pork in the Dutch oven, pour the liquid over the top, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and then place the lid on top. Roast for 4 hours or until fork tender and shreds easily. Brush the roast with cooking liquid every half hour or so.
Instant Pot method: Place roast in at least a 5 quart Instant Pot. Pour the liquid mixure on top. Pressure cook per Instant Pot directions for 70 minutes, then allow to naturally depressurize completely.
Slow Cooker Method: Place in at least a 5 quart slow cooker. Pour the liquid mixture on top and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours until fork tender.
Remove the roast from the Dutch oven, Instant Pot, or slow cooker and let stand until cool enough to handle. Shred the pork with a fork or tongs into bite sized pieces and place on a serving dish. Pour the liquid into a separate pitcher or bowl so people can add some to their shredded pork.
Optional: If you like the shredded pork crispy, brown it in a skillet and pour on a small amount of the liquid; then cook a bit more until liquid is absorbed.
Spicy Eggplant Mozzarella Bites are super scrumptious – great as an appetizer at a party or as a side dish or main dish. Everybody loves these.
Here’s an appetizer/side dish that is incredibly scrumptious – totally satisfying. It’s easy to make – the most time consuming part is frying up the eggplant in a skillet. You have to do it in batches (or use 2 skillets at once).
Do you want to serve them at a party? Maybe on a buffet? Here’s the trick for that: You can fry them up a day ahead of time, drain them on paper towels and then cover them or put them in a plastic container and store them in the fridge. Then a half hour before serving, preheat the oven to 400° and cook them about 5 minutes so they get crunchy again. Remove them from oven, top with chiles and mozzarella, and pop them into the oven again for 5-8 minutes or until mozzarella melts. Then top with diced tomatoes and serve. Works great.
These still taste really good after they sit, even though they lose their crunchiness. But they are especially good when they’re still crunchy. Yum! Hope you like these!
Thinly slice the eggplant into about ¼ inch rounds and lightly salt. Pour some flour into a shallow dish. Beat the eggs in another dish. In a third dish, mix the breadcrumbs, parmesan, and chili powder. Dredge the eggplant in the flour, then dip in the eggs, and coat with the breadcrumb mixture. Set aside on a large plate.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet. Working in batches, cook the eggplant over medium heat until golden, 2-3 minutes per side, wiping off crumbs with a paper towel and adding more oil between batches as necessary. Drain on paper towels.
Note: At this point you can store the eggplant in a covered container for a few hours up to a day in the fridge, then proceed with the next steps about a half hour before serving.
Put the diced tomatoes in a medium bowl, add 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 tbsp olive oil, and 1 tbsp McCormich Bruschetta seasoning (optional ). Blend and set aside.
Preheat oven to 400°. Place the eggplant rounds on a cookie sheet. If you'd like them crunchier, bake 5 minutes to crisp them up, then remove from oven, top with diced green chiles and shredded mozzarella, and return to oven. (If already crunchy enough, just top with the chiles and mozzarella right away.)
Bake until mozzarella is melted & remove from oven.
This dish is a family favorite, complete breakfast in a casserole … and you can prepare it the night before. Take it out of the fridge in the morning, start the oven preheating, and an hour and a half later, serve a really special breakfast. Of course, it’s packed full of sausage, bacon, cheese, and eggs. Can’t miss!
optional: sliced green onions, chopped cilantro, sour cream for garnish
Instructions
In a large skillet, brown and break up sausage into small pieces until cooked. Drain and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, add eggs, milk, salt, dry mustard, pepper, and paprika. Whisk until blended.
Take 4 of the corn tortillas, tear them into pieces about the size of tortilla chips, and spread over bottom of a 9"x13" baking dish. Then layer the sausage, then bacon, green chiles, 1 cup of the cheese.
Top with another layer of torn up tortillas and then pour the egg custard over the top, using a spoon to make sure the custard evenly distributes. Top with the remaining half cup of cheese.
Cover dish with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Remove from refrigerator, uncover, and let sit at room temperature while oven preheats to 350 degrees. Bake, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes, or until a knife or toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
Serve hot, topped with sour cream, cilantro, etc if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
Commentary: One of my all-time favorite recipes, and a favorite of my readers is my Chile Relleno Casserole, which I published in 2006; The Denver Post published it a year later. That's a great one for Christmas morning as you can prepare it the night before and bake it in the morning.
This recipe takes that concept a few steps further. Instead of a fairly light egg, cheese and chile casserole, this one is loaded with sausage and bacon. But it's also just as easy to make and can be prepared the night before. This is a guaranteed hit - a really satisfying, stick to your ribs deluxe breakfast dish.
This is one of the best tortilla soups I’ve ever had – and it’s a wonderful way to use that leftover turkey. Tasty, tangy, spicy, but not too hot, and it’s nutritious and satisfying. I had a really large turkey and lots of leftover turkey, so I made a double batch and packed about half of it up in containers and froze it. I cooked fewer tortilla strips because I was freezing it – about half. I’ll fry up some more when I pull it out of the freezer to serve.
I’ve never seen a creamy tortilla soup before, but I knew this would be a good variation and would work. I actually experimented with adding milk and found it was better without. The cream of chicken soup adds a nice richness and flavor, but when I tried adding milk it toned down the tangy, spicy taste – just not as good. I also found you get more of a stew consistency if you leave out a can of chicken broth – same basic flavor. Personally, I wanted a soup consistency, a little thinner. I also tried pureeing the soup, but I just like it better all brothy and lumpy.
This is definitely a keeper, especially since it freezes well. Now we’re looking forward to enjoying this again in the next month or so. Hope you enjoy it!
8 6-inch corn tortillas, halved and cut crosswise into ¼ inch strips
1½ cup chopped onion, about 1 large onion
4 large garlic cloves, pressed
1 tbsp paprika
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp chili powder
¼ tsp cayenne
2 10 oz cans cream of chicken soup
1 28-oz can crushed or diced tomatoes
3 15 oz cans chicken broth or 6 cups homemade turkey stock
½ cup mild diced green chiles
4 bay leaves
½ cup chopped cilantro leaves
2 cups shredded turkey
1 avocado, sliced or diced
1 cup shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
optional: lime wedges and sour cream for garnish
salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add half the tortilla strips and cook, stirring, until starting to turn golden, about 2 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining tortilla strips.
Reduce heat to medium low and add onion, cooking for about 5 minutes or until soft. Add garlic and spices and cook, stirring, for another 2 minutes. Stir in the cans of cream of chicken soup, mixing well. Stir in the tomatoes, mixing well. Add the broth, bay leaves, and cilantro, and ⅓ of the tortilla strips. Simmer uncovered on low for 30 minutes, then remove bay leaves. If you want a smooth soup, transfer to blender, puree, then return to pot. (I like it lumpy.) Add salt & pepper to taste if desired.
Add the shredded turkey and simmer 5 more minutes.
Serve in bowls, top with cheese, remaining tortilla strips, avocado, lime wedges and sour cream if desired.
Enjoy!
Notes
Commentary: This is one of the best tortilla soups I've ever had - and it's a wonderful way to use that leftover turkey. Tasty, tangy, spicy, but not too hot, and it's nutritious and satisfying. I had a really large turkey and lots of leftover turkey, so I made a double batch and packed about half of it up in containers and froze it. I cooked fewer tortilla strips because I was freezing it - about half. I'll fry up some more when I pull it out of the freezer to serve.
I've never seen a creamy tortilla soup before, but I knew this would be a good variation and would work. I actually experimented with adding milk and found it was better without. The cream of chicken soup adds a nice richness and flavor, but when I tried adding milk it toned down the tangy, spicy taste - just not as good. I also found you get more of a stew consistency if you leave out a can of chicken broth - same basic flavor. Personally, I wanted a soup consistency, a little thinner. I also tried pureeing the soup, but I just like it better all brothy and lumpy.
This is definitely a keeper, especially since it freezes well. Now we're looking forward to enjoying this again in the next month or so. Hope you enjoy it!
Taco Soup has all the scrumptious ingredients and flavors that go into classic tacos resulting in a robust, satisfying and nutritious soup
I had a request in the past week or so for a taco soup recipe, so I looked over some taco soup variations and came up with this easy classic version. Plus it’s plenty nutritious and totally satisfying. For me, this recipe is one that I always have the ingredients for in my pantry and freezer. Ground beef, Rotel tomatoes with chiles, frozen or canned green chiles, canned black beans, canned corn. I have large containers of taco seasoning and Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing seasoning & salad dressing mix (available at Costco and other places). So I can make it in a moment’s notice.
This is also always good whether you make it mild, medium or hot. You just control this with the green chiles and the type of Rotel tomatoes you use. The basic soup tastes really good, but for it to be “taco soup” you gotta have plenty of cheese and tortilla chips. Try it, you’ll like it!
2 10 oz cans Rotel diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 15 oz can black beans
1 15 oz can corn
½ cup diced green chiles
1½ tbsp taco seasoning
1½ tbsp Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
tortilla chips
sliced black olives for garnish
Instructions
Brown the ground beef and onions in a skillet. Drain, then transfer to a slow cooker or stockpot.
Add the tomatoes, black beans (do not drain), corn (do not drain), green chiles, taco seasoning, and ranch dressing mix.
Cook in slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours or simmer in stockpot on stove for 1 hour.
Serve topped with shredded cheese, broken tortilla chips, and olives.
Enjoy!
Notes
Commentary: I had a request in the past week or so for a taco soup recipe, so I looked over some taco soup variations and came up with this easy classic version. Plus it's plenty nutritious and totally satisfying. For me, this recipe is one that I always have the ingredients for in my pantry and freezer. Ground beef, Rotel tomatoes with chiles, frozen or canned green chiles, canned black beans, canned corn. I have large containers of taco seasoning and Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing seasoning & salad dressing mix (available at Costco and other places). So I can make it in a moment's notice.
This is also always good whether you make it mild, medium or hot. You just control this with the green chiles and the type of Rotel tomatoes you use. The basic soup tastes really good, but for it to be "taco soup" you gotta have plenty of cheese and tortilla chips. Try it, you'll like it!
Spicy Bean Salad is an especially flavorful version of the classic 3 bean salad with a Southwestern touch and extra richness of sour cream, a family favorite
I’ve always loved 3 Bean Salad (or 4 bean, 5 bean, whatever), and I usually just buy it from the store. It’s one of those foods that’s pretty good out of a jar (like many pickled foods). So spicing it up to give it a punch and Southwestern flair is a no-brainer. In this case, I added diced roasted red peppers, medium hot green chiles, cumin, and (this is important) sour cream. In the photo, the sour cream is a dollop on top (to make it pretty), but when you stir it in … wow!
I used Paisley Farms 5 Bean Salad. They also have a Southwestern 5 Bean Salad, which is the same thing but with the corn, black beans, cumin and red chile flakes. Naturally you can add your own corn, black beans, whatever. Note that this is so quick to make, it’s something you can always thrown together in a pinch.
Drain the roasted red peppers and dice. Add to the bowl.
Add the green chiles and cumin. Blend well.
If desired, add more cumin and green chiles to taste. If you want it really spicy, add red pepper flakes to taste.
Refrigerate for at least ½ hour to allow flavors to blend.
To serve, top with sour cream. Stir into the salad if you wish. Enjoy!
Notes
Commentary: I've always loved 3 Bean Salad (or 4 bean, 5 bean, whatever), and I usually just buy it from the store. It's one of those foods that's pretty good out of a jar (like many pickled foods). So spicing it up to give it a punch and Southwestern flair is a no-brainer. In this case, I added diced roasted red peppers, medium hot green chiles, cumin, and (this is important) sour cream. In the photo, the sour cream is a dollop on top (to make it pretty), but when you stir it in ... wow!
I used Paisley Farms 5 Bean Salad. They also have a Southwestern 5 Bean Salad, which is the same thing but with the corn, black beans, cumin and red chile flakes. Naturally you can add your own corn, black beans, whatever. Note that this is so quick to make, it's something you can always thrown together in a pinch.
This is my idea of a simple, yet very satisfying dish. It's fairly light and healthy, but just full of flavor. Plus it's really an entire meal in itself. It also keeps well. You can make a big skillet of this and heat up a serving.
For the kale, I used a bag of chopped kale from Trader Joe's. Didn't need to wash it or anything - just dump the kale in. The most labor intensive part of this dish is peeling and dicing the sweet potato. Note the bacon adds salt, so go light on adding salt. You might also want to adjust the amount of chile to get the heat level you want. I used a Big Jim - I wanted some heat without overpowering the flavor.
This is definitely a recipe worth making again and again. Hope you enjoy it!
In a skillet over medium heat, cook bacon for 5 minutes.
Add chicken to the skillet and cook for about 7 minutes or until no pink remains.
Stir well, then set the chicken and bacon aside.
In the same skillet, add garlic, sweet potato, and chicken broth.
Cook until the sweet potato is soft. It will depend on the size of the sweet potato dices.
Turn the heat to low and stir in kale. Place a lid on the skillet and simmer until kale is desired tenderness.
Stir in green chiles, then stir in the chicken and bacon.
Serve immediately.
Notes
Commentary: This is my idea of a simple, yet very satisfying dish. It's fairly light and healthy, but just full of flavor. Plus it's really an entire meal in itself. It also keeps well. You can make a big skillet of this and heat up a serving.
For the kale, I used a bag of chopped kale from Trader Joe's. Didn't need to wash it or anything - just dump the kale in. The most labor intensive part of this dish is peeling and dicing the sweet potato. Note the bacon adds salt, so go light on adding salt. You might also want to adjust the amount of chile to get the heat level you want. I used a Big Jim - I wanted some heat without overpowering the flavor.
This is definitely a recipe worth making again and again. Hope you enjoy it!
Southwest Harvest Pizza is a loaded pizza with lots of peppers – bell peppers and green chiles – and Italian sausage, a real favorite, plus pizza and Mexican cheeses. Yum!
Who doesn’t love a loaded pizza? Especially with green chiles? This is a classic easy-to-make Southwestern pizza – salsa instead of pizza sauce, lots of green chiles and some Mexican cheese and spices. I made with a mild Italian sausage – my favorite. You just can’t beat Italian sausage for flavor and texture. Sometimes I use chicken Italian sausage.
This one I made with a pre-made crust, super-easy. Not just any premade crust, but Trader Joe’s Cauliflower pizza crust (made with cauliflower & corn flour) – perfect for those who are gluten-free. For flavor and gluten-free, I prefer the corn meal Vicolo pizza crusts at Trader Joe’s. I thought the toppings dominated the flavor of the cauliflower crust. On the other hand, I served this pizza to my friend Connie, and she especially liked the cauliflower crust. Note the instructions said to brown the crust on both sides, but if you do it starts to crumble; I baked it just had a hint of browning around the edges.
I also used a combination of pizza cheese and Kraft cheese for tacos (shredded cheddar & asadero with taco seasoning). Very nice, but this will also be good with straight mozarella. All in all, this dish is one of my feel-good, always satisfying indulgences. Hope you enjoy it!
1 cup shredded mozarella or pizza blend shredded cheese
½ cup shredded cheese for tacos (see notes)
sliced black olives
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place crust on pizza pan or cookie sheet and bake according to package directions. If using cauliflower crust, bake just until starting to brown around edges. It should cook about 10 minutes per side.
While crust is cooking, in a skillet, start sausage browning over medium heat, breaking up into small chunks. Add the green chiles and mix in well. When meat is browned, remove from skillet onto a plate and set aside.
In the same skillet without draining sausage fat, add 1 tbsp olive oil and the onion and bell pepper. Over medium heat, saute until peppers and onion are soft.
Spread salsa evenly over the pizza crust. Top with the mozarella or pizza blend cheese and then with the taco cheese. Then spread the onions and bell pepper evenly on top and then the sausage. Top with black olives.
Bake 5-10 minutes or until cheese is thoroughly melted.
Cut into 6 slices, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
Notes: Crust is a matter of preference. Corn meal crust, cauliflower crust, or regular pizza crust. This recipe is ideal for a 12-inch crust, but the Trader Joe's cauliflower crust is 10-inch, so it is piled high as you can see in the photo. Be careful to undercook rather than overcook cauliflower crusts so they don't crumble.
Cheese is also your preference. Mozarella is fine, but the taco-seasoned Kraft Cheddar & Asadero adds more of a Mexican flair. You can simulate this by taking ½ cup shredded cheddar and sprinkling ¼ tsp mixture of cumin and chili powder over it and tossing the cheese to blend.
Commentary: Who doesn't love a loaded pizza? Especially with green chiles? This is a classic easy-to-make Southwestern pizza - salsa instead of pizza sauce, lots of green chiles and some Mexican cheese and spices. I made with a mild Italian sausage - my favorite. You just can't beat Italian sausage for flavor and texture. Sometimes I use chicken Italian sausage.
This one I made with a pre-made crust, super-easy. Not just any premade crust, but Trader Joe's Cauliflower pizza crust (made with cauliflower & corn flour) - perfect for those who are gluten-free. For flavor and gluten-free, I prefer the corn meal Vicolo pizza crusts at Trader Joe's. I thought the toppings dominated the flavor of the cauliflower crust. On the other hand, I served this pizza to my friend Connie, and she especially liked the cauliflower crust. Note the instructions said to brown the crust on both sides, but if you do it starts to crumble; I baked it just had a hint of browning around the edges.
I also used a combination of pizza cheese and Kraft cheese for tacos (shredded cheddar & asadero with taco seasoning). Very nice, but this will also be good with straight mozarella. All in all, this dish is one of my feel-good, always satisfying indulgences. Hope you enjoy it!
Loaded Sweet Potato Rounds – a healthy version of nachos, great for parties. Also versatile – change the toppings to fit the tastes of your hungry crowd
I call these a healthy version of nachos … but that’s stretching it. The sweet potatoes are actually soft (though you can cook them till outside is crispy), but I like them that way. These are yummy, and actually can make a full meal. Chiles & sharp cheddar are always great together. Top them with whatever you want.
Note that I used dark chili powder from Walmart – this is a mixture of chili pepper, paprika, cumin, garlic, oregano, and salt. Good flavor and makes this recipe simple. Some chili powders have a different spice mix or no added spices.This was the first time I’ve tried Cacique Cilantro Lime Sour Cream. Nice flavor – you can use it to perk up dishes without adding other seasonings. I’ll be using it for all kinds of dishes.
This would make a good appetizer for a party, but what I would do is put out the toppings (chopped tomatoes, green onions, olives, sour cream, shredded lettuce, etc) and serve these with the chiles and melted cheese hot from the oven. Let guests choose their own topping.
This is something I’ll definitely make again, but most often as a meal. They are satisfying & filling! Hope you like them!
Slice the sweet potatoes into ½ inch rounds, leaving skins on. Dump them into a plastic bag, Sprinkle the dark chili powder on, then shake and massage the bag to coat the sweet potatoes with the chili powder.
Open the bag, and pour the olive oil over the sweet potatoes. Shake and massage the bag again to coat the sweet potatoes with oil.
Spread the rounds evenly in a large glass baking dish. Bake for 15-20 minutes, testing with a fork to ensure they are cooked soft. If you want them crispy on the outside, also lightly spray with cooking spray and cook till you get a crispy skin, turning to get both sides crispy.
When done, remove from oven, top each with a layer of green chiles, then a generous layer of cheese. Bake for another 3-4 minutes or until cheese is fully melted.
Remove from oven, transfer to serving dish, and top each with tomatoes, green onions, lettuce, any other toppings desired, and squirt some Cacique Cilantro Lime Sour Cream on top.
Serve & enjoy!
Notes
Note: If using plain chili powder, add 1 tsp garlic powder and ½ tsp salt. Commentary: I call these a healthy version of nachos ... but that's stretching it. The sweet potatoes are actually soft (though you can cook them till outside is crispy), but I like them that way. These are yummy, and actually can make a full meal. Chiles & sharp cheddar are always great together. Top them with whatever you want.
Note that I used dark chili powder from Walmart - this is a mixture of chili pepper, paprika, cumin, garlic, oregano, and salt. Good flavor and makes this recipe simple. Some chili powders have a different spice mix or no added spices.This was the first time I've tried Cacique Cilantro Lime Sour Cream. Nice flavor - you can use it to perk up dishes without adding other seasonings. I'll be using it for all kinds of dishes.
This would make a good appetizer for a party, but what I would do is put out the toppings (chopped tomatoes, green onions, olives, sour cream, shredded lettuce, etc) and serve these with the chiles and melted cheese hot from the oven. Let guests choose their own topping.
This is something I'll definitely make again, but most often as a meal. They are satisfying & filling! Hope you like them!
This is my idea of a simple, yet very satisfying dish. It's fairly light and healthy, but just full of flavor. Plus it's really an entire meal in itself. It also keeps well. You can make a big skillet of this and heat up a serving.
For the kale, I used a bag of chopped kale from Trader Joe's. Didn't need to wash it or anything - just dump the kale in. The most labor intensive part of this dish is peeling and dicing the sweet potato. Note the bacon adds salt, so go light on adding salt. You might also want to adjust the amount of chile to get the heat level you want. I used a Big Jim - I wanted some heat without overpowering the flavor.
This is definitely a recipe worth making again and again. Hope you enjoy it!
