Even The Picky Eaters Will Be Fighting Over The Last One!

When I was growing up, we never used to have hot and spicy food at home. I guess my parents were used to milder, traditional dishes and they weren’t big fans of spicy flavors. I never really thought I would like spicy food, either – my cousin made me try plain hot sauce when I was about 8 years old and I thought, that was it. I didn’t want to have anything to do with spicy flavors after that!

It wasn’t until I was about 20 when my boyfriend, now husband, lured me into having some spicy food. He was smart enough not to scare me with a bunch of extra hot chili – he just made me a dish he thought had a little bit of heat in it but not too much to make me cough.

Things have changed a lot since then! These days whenever we get takeout, I choose the spiciest option there is – and probably still drizzle some Sriracha on top of my serving at home. I’m always trying to find new dishes I could try; like these super delicious stuffed jalapenos from Hilah Cooking. These are amazing!

Recipe and image courtesy of Hilah Cooking.

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Quick Tip: Serve with sour cream or your favorite dip.

What? No Beans??

Are you a chili fan? I know that my family and I certainly are. We can eat chili any time of the year and by that, I mean during the Dog Days of summer. Chili is just one of those go-to foods that you make when you don’t know what else to make. I typically have all of the ingredients for chili in my freezer and pantry, at all times. I love making meals that do not require me to go to the grocery store. This chili is a different kind of chili in that it is Texas-themed.

For those of you who do not quite understand what a Texas bowl of chili looks like well, it does not contain any beans. I know, I know, I was shocked and amazed myself. I thought, “Now, how on earth can a beanless chili taste good?!”

Well, folks, it does taste good. With all of the other yummy ingredients mixed into this chili, you don’t even notice the absence of the beans. So, make this chili and enjoy!

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Quick Tip: If you find that you made the chili a tad too spicy simply add a few tablespoons of honey to the mix to balance the bite a bit.

These will make you feel like you’re dining in a fancy restaurant!

I don’t know about you, but I have been crazy about all kinds of potato dishes since I was a little kid. My parents had a small farm where we grew our own potatoes, so my mother would always experiment with new potato recipes – or come up with her own. Some of them turned out better than others, and some were so good that my siblings and I still make them the same way for our own families now. I always preferred the simple dishes, the ones with a handful of tasty ingredients.

Like these cheesy potatoes, for example. Mom would serve these as a side dish on our Sunday dinners, and sometimes one of us would sneak into the kitchen and eat the leftovers for lunch on their own (it may or may not have been me, and my brother may or may not have gotten really mad at me).

These potatoes always bring back memories from all those years ago and I am trying to pass the tradition on to my children. So far so good – they both absolutely love these! And who wouldn’t; these are super scrumptious!

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Quick Tip: While most people consider these a side dish, they make a hearty vegetarian dinner on their own!

Is This The Easiest Enchilada Recipe Ever?

I’ve probably mentioned this before but I really love traveling. Whenever I get back home from a vacation, I get into this mood that I call “post vacation blues”.

I feel sad, sorry and frustrated, and I know there is no other cure than to start planning for another trip again. Well, in an ideal world we would all have plenty of money and free time to travel anywhere, anytime. Unfortunately I still live in a reality where I need to work for a living, and I’m only able to take a trip about once in two years. So what can I do in the meantime, to make the post vacation blues go away?

Food is the answer to so many problems, this one as well! I have started to cook a special dinner once a week – I pick some of the countries I’d love to visit, and choose a recipe that is common to their cuisine. This way I can pretend for at least one night that I am on vacation, in an exotic place, and it makes it much easier to wait for my next trip again!

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Quick Tip: You can use your leftover chicken for this dish!

I love lasagna. It reminds me of the birthday parties when my mom had no idea what to serve the hungry crowd so she would either cater or make her own lasagna. She always said it was cheap to make or buy and easy to serve and totally filling. She did not need to buy sides (unless she really wanted garlic bread) and did not need to buy special plates for this. Regular ol’ paper plates would do and really made her life easier.

After some time of making regular lasagna, she tried her luck at other varieties. For a while she was making a plantain lasagna which I must admit, was absolutely delicious. That lasagna was layers of fried plantains, white cheese and ground beef. Man, was it good! After a stint making that, she tried a new kind: Mexican lasagna. This was a delicious, hearty and filling meal of layers of Mexican goodness which turned into what seemed like a lasagna. I will admit, it was probably even better than the classic one she used to make. Loaded with cheese, nachos, ground beef, veggies, queso dip and more, you really cannot go wrong with it. This was the dish I have always wanted but never knew about!

Photo and recipe courtesy of I Heart Nap Time.

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Quick Tip: Add any veggies you’d like for this.

This is a restaurant-quality recipe that’s quick and easy. This is a great way to use up leftover chicken. The seasoning mix is awesome, and it is also a great cooking technique.This is an excellent chicken recipe, very healthy and tasty! One of my family’s favorites! I liked that it was easy to prepare, a quick weeknight meal that is quite satisfying.

“This was a hit! my family loved it and we rarely all agree on anything. I added slightly more lime. Perfect! Wow! This is definitely a keeper in our house. A very nice, easy taco recipe that utilizes things I always have in my pantry. It is mildly spicy, and those who like more kick can easily add as much as they need.”

Recipe and photo courtesy of allrecipes.com

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Quick Tip:  Don’t overcook the chicken. It can dry out very easily

This freezer meal is a secret every busy mother should know.

We all have had those days where we feel too lazy to cook a meal or just don’t have time at all. This creamy and heavenly palatable enchilada goodness can save the day. The aroma of this mouth-watering dish can already make you feel full.

“The enchiladas are loaded with cheese! I add in spinach too make them somewhat healthy:) I mix the spinach mixture with sour cream or Greek yogurt to make the enchiladas extra creamy. The enchiladas also have Old El Paso Green Chiles and Green Chile Enchilada Sauce! I top the enchiladas with avocado and cilantro so these enchiladas are green all around and that makes me happy because we all know I LOVE green!”  –according to Maria and Josh of Two Peas and their Pod

Recipe and photo courtesy of Two Peas and their Pod

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Quick Tip: Before baking this meal, liberally spray your casserole dish with Pam cooking spray to prevent sticking.