I’ve made chilaquiles at home once, and it’s a tasty snack. But the tortilla chips-and-cheese dish isn’t really substantial – or healthy enough – to be a full meal. But with a few improvements, thanks to a Rachael Ray cookbook, the flavors of chilaquiles can be turned into a real meal.
Ray’s recipe combines the flavors of fajitas and chilaquiles into one casserole dish. The recipe includes the typical fajita ingredients – beef strips, bell peppers and onions – with a dry rub that flavors the meat. A bottle of Mexican beer, such as Negra Modelo, allows the meat to simmer until it is soft. The vegetable and beef mix is placed into a casserole dish, where it is topped with tortilla strips that are baked instead of fried. With some low-fat cheese on top, it comes out of the oven bubbling. We garnished it with fat-free sour cream and served it along with a salad.
The taco soup recipe also served as a nice alternative to the original dish. I love tacos – served up with lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream and a little cheese sprinkled on top – but it is not a good recipe to take for leftovers the next day as tacos are messy to assemble. The taco soup gives some of those same flavors in a form that is easy to pack for a lunch the next day. The soup uses ground beef, taco seasoning, tomatoes and green chilies to get the taco flavor, but it has extra substance with beans, corn and olives mixed in.
Fajita chilaquile casserole
Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray
8 flour tortillas, cut into thick strips
Cooking spray
1 tbsp. (a palmful) onion powder
1 tbsp. (a palmful) garlic powder
1 tbsp (a palmful) ground cumin
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tbsp. (a palmful) chili powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
Salt and ground black pepper
1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sirloin steak or large shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 tbsp. oil, divided
1 bottle Mexican beer
2 red bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
2 red onions, thinly sliced
3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
2 limes
1/4 c. chopped cilantro or flat-leaf parsley
1 c. shredded pepper jack cheese
Sour cream, to garnish
Salsa, to garnish
Yields: 4 servings
Preheat oven to 400ºF.
On a baking sheet, toss tortilla strips with some cooking spray and bake in the oven until golden brown, about 7-8 minutes. Toss halfway through the cooking time so they get brown on all sides. When you remove the tortilla strips, switch on broiler and place rack in middle of the oven.
In a small bowl, combine the onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, cinnamon, chili powder, oregano. Season meat with salt and pepper then toss with spice rub to coat evenly.
Place a large skillet over high heat with 2 turns of the pan of oil, about 2 tablespoons. Add the meat to the pan and sear until golden brown and cooked through, for a few minutes. Add the bottle of beer to the pan and cook to reduce, 2 minutes.
While the meat is cooking, place a second large skillet over high heat with 2 turns of the pan of oil, about 2 tablespoons. Add the peppers, onions and garlic to the pan, and cook until brown around the edges and tender, 3-4 minutes. Add the zest and juice of 1 lime, chopped herbs, salt and pepper to the pan, toss to combine and reserve.
When everything is ready, toss the meat, pepper and onions, and toasted tortilla strips together into a casserole dish. Top with the cheese and melt under the broiler. Garnish with juice of remaining lime, sour cream and salsa.
Taco soup
Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen
2 lbs. ground beef
2 c. diced onions
2 (15 1/2-oz.) cans pinto beans
1 (15 1/2-oz.) can pink kidney beans
1 (15 1/4-oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (14 1/2-oz.) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
1 (14 1/2-oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (14 1/2-oz.) can tomatoes with chiles
2 (4 1/2-oz.) cans diced green chiles
1 (4.6-oz.) can black olives, drained and sliced, optional
1/2 c. green olives, sliced, optional
1 (1 1/4-oz.) package taco seasoning mix
1 (1-oz.) package ranch salad dressing mix
Corn chips, for serving
Sour cream, for garnish
Grated cheese, for garnish
Chopped green onions, for garnish
Pickled jalapenos, for garnish
Brown the ground beef and onions in a large skillet; drain the excess fat, then transfer the browned beef and onions to a large slow cooker or a stockpot. Add the beans, corn, tomatoes, green chiles, black olives, green olives, taco seasoning, and ranch dressing mix, and cook in a slow cooker on low for 6 to 8 hours or simmer over low heat for about 1 hour in a pot on the stove. To serve, place a few corn chips in each bowl and ladle soup over them. Top with sour cream, cheese, green onions and jalapenos.
Makes 12 to 16 servings.
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