Taco Skillet

Taco Skillet

Most of my recipes are simple, nothing complicated. I believe that most people just want to make something quick and tasty for dinner. That is what I try to provide. This Taco Skillet only requires one pan and is easy and kid friendly. Maybe next time I’ll do something fancy. Or maybe the time after that.

Here are the tweaks: We were out of elbow macaroni, so I used ditalini. It worked out fine. You can use any small tubular pasta. You can control the heat by the type of Ro-Tel that you choose. If you want no heat at all, try Ro-Tel Mild. Ro-Tel Original is a little spicy. Chipotle, Serrano, and the aptly named Hot are much spicier. I use 2 packets of taco seasoning because I like bold flavors. That is up to you. In order to save time, you can buy diced onions and peppers in the produce section. You can also buy them frozen. If you don’t eat red meat, you could substitute ground chicken or turkey.

Servings: 6-8
Time:  Prep: 10 minutes, Cook: 20 minutes; Dinner in 30ish minutes
Hardware:  Measuring spoons and cups, a cutting board and a knife, a deep skillet with a lid, a colander, a can opener, a wooden spoon

Ingredients: 

• 1 pound of ground beef
• 2 ounces (¼ cup) bell pepper
• 2 ounces (¼ cup) onion
• 8 ounces ( 1 cup) uncooked elbow macaroni
• 1 can (10 ounces) Ro-Tel Tomatoes & Green Chilies
• 1¼ cup water (maybe more)
• 1¼ cup milk
• 1 packet of taco seasoning or 2 tablespoons of your own
• 8 ounces (1 cup) shredded cheddar cheese
• Optional: taco sauce, hot sauce, sour cream, pickled jalapeños, chopped tomatoes, roasted bell peppers

1. Dice the onions and green peppers. Cook them in the skillet with the ground beef over medium high. Crumble the beef while it is cooking. When it is cooked through, drain the beef mixture.
2. Return the beef to the deep skillet. Add the pasta, the Ro-Tel (do not drain), water, milk and seasonings to the skillet. Stir. Make sure the pasta is submerged. You may need to add a little more water or milk. However, you are not making soup. You just want the liquid to completely cover the pasta.
3. Cover the skillet with the lid and bring to a low boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions, stirring once or twice, just enough to keep everything from sticking.
4. When the pasta is tender, usually after 10-11 minutes, stir in the cheese and remove the skillet from the heat.
5. Serve warm with any toppings that you would regularly put on a taco. This is really good as leftovers!

Crispy Chicken Tacos

Crispy Chicken Tacos

As you may know, I teach high school. Grades were due this week, which is always a scramble. My birthday was this week, too. So, I've been busy. Crispy Chicken tacos were born of desperation. I needed to cook a quick dinner and all I had on hand was a very large chicken breast, taco shells and a bag of shredded cabbage. I purchased a jicama earlier in the week hoping to research the vegetable when I had time. 

So, I sliced the jicama, tossed it with the cabbage and poured on a citrus dressing to make Jicama Slaw. Then I made chicken strips flavored with chili powder. From this, Crispy Chicken Tacos were born. My husband loved them so much that he had the leftovers for breakfast the next day.

I use large plastic bags to coat the chicken to make clean up easier. You can use normal taco toppings-lettuce, tomatoes-if you wish.

Servings: 6

Time:  Active: 15 minutes   Cooking: 8 minutes   Tacos in less than half an hour

Hardware:  A cutting board and knife, measuring spoons and cups, 2-1-gallon plastic zip bags, a deep skillet, tongs, a paper towel covered plate and a thermometer

Ingredients:

• 1.5 1b boneless skinless chicken breast
• ¼ cup corn starch
• ½ cup of all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• Oil to fill the pan half way
• 6 flour tortillas
• Optional: Jicama Slaw, Lime Chipotle Mayo or Salsa Verde

1.  Cut the chicken into serving size pieces.
2. Place the corn starch, flour and seasonings into one of the plastic bags. Seal and shake. Place the egg and milk into the other plastic bag.  Massage the bag until completely mixed. 
3. Preheat the oil on medium high. You know the oil is hot enough when some flour dropped into the skillet begins to sizzle.
4. Place the chicken into the flour mixture and shake to coat. Remove the chicken from the bag, shaking as much flour from it as possible. Place the chicken into the egg mixture and toss to coat. Then put it back not the flour mixture and shake.
5. Place each piece of chicken into the hot oil and fry until golden brown. This will take about five minutes. Flip each piece and fry until cooked through. The thermometer should read 165˚ when inserted into the thickest piece. Place onto the paper towel covered plate. You can keep it warm in the oven on the lowest setting.
6. Follow the package directions to heat the tortillas. Fill each shell with a few pieces of chicken. You can top the tacos with anything you like. I suggest Jicama Slaw and Lime Chipotle Mayo or Salsa Verde.