Tortilla Soup

Ingredients
1 cup minced onion
1 cup minced carrot
1 cup minced celery
2 cloves minced garlic
3 tbs vegetable oil
10 cups chicken stock (or broth)
1 rotisserie chicken - meat removed and shredded
3 cups prepared fresh salsa
1 bag tortilla chips

Directions
- In a heavy bottom dutch oven or stock pot heat oil.
- Sauté onion, carrot and celery in hot oil until onions are translucent.
- Add garlic.
- Add 10 cups chicken stock and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to a simmer
- Add chicken meat and all the juices from the rotisserie pan.

To serve
- Spoon 1/2 cup fresh salsa into bottom of soup bowl.
- Ladle chicken soup over fresh salsa.
- Top with crumbled tortilla chips.
- Serve immediately.

Hints:
- Fresh Salsa can be found in the Deli section of your grocery store.  It is sometimes called pico de gallo.  It is mostly chopped tomatoes, peppers, chilies, onion and spices and is chunky, not saucy.
- Make sure to combine the salsa and soup right before serving or the tomatoes will get mushy,
- It is not important to have exactly one cup each of onion, celery and carrot.  It is more important that you have equal parts of each.

Submitted by Amy

Queso

Ingredients:
1 large block Velveeta
1 can Rotel
1 small onion
1 shot beer

Directions:
- Cut the block of Velveeta into approx. 1" cubes.
- Mince the onion.
- Slowly melt the Velveeta, onion, beer and Rotel together in a saucepan over medium heat.


Hints:
-  I used to make this recipe with just the cheese and rotel but got the most compliments when I added minced onion and a shot of hard cider.  I like it better with beer but the cider adds a little sweetness that's pretty nice.
- Don't use low fat or generic Velveeta, it messes up the texture.

Submitted by Amy

Hamburger Taco Pie

Ingredients:
1 lb hamburger or ground turkey
onions --diced (however many you want)
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 can diced or stewed tomatoes
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 can sliced black olives
1 can corn, drained
1 small can of green chiles
Grated cheese (your choice)
Cornmeal mix (make cornmeal bread recipe according to directions on box)

Directions
- In a large skillet, cook hamburger and onions then add taco seasoning and tomatoes and mix well.
- Simmer a few minutes and then stir in the rest of ingredients, one at a time.
- Put in a large casserole dish.
- Top with cornmeal mix. Bake at 400 for 30-40 minutes.

Submitted by Terry

Crockpot Enchiladas

Ingredients
1 lb. ground beef, cooked
1 medium onion, sauteed
1/2 tsp. Mrs. Dash's Southwest Chipotle seasoning
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
4 whole wheat flour tortillas
1 can corn, drained
1 10-oz. can enchilada sauce
1 can Rotel tomatoes and green chiles, undrained
2 cups shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
sour cream

Directions
- In a bowl, combine ground beef, onion, Mrs. Dash's, salt, and pepper.
- In another bowl, mix the Rotel and enchilada sauce.
- Place 2 tortillas in the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Place half of the following in layers over the tortillas: meat, corn, sauce mixture, and cheese.
- Repeat layers.
- Cook on low 5-6 hours.
- Serve with a dollop of sour cream on top.

Hints
- Ground turkey works well as a low-fat substitute in this dish.

Submitted by Terry

Fresh Hot Salsa

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped 4 jalapeno chiles, seeded and chopped
6 hot roasted hatch chiles, seeded and chopped,
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro (more or less to taste)

1 garlic clove, minced
2 (14 oz) cans tomatoes
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 to 2 teaspoons salt
Juice of 1 lime (more or less to taste)


Directions

- Add all ingredients in a blender or food processor and mix until desired consistency.

Hints
- You should be able to find hatch chilies in the produce section by the jalapenos, they are red.
- If you can't find hatch chilis you can substitute 1 - 8 to 10 oz can hot green chilies

Submitted by Michelle

Spicy Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients
4 cups shredded, cooked chicken (can use chicken from 1 -2 rotisserie chickens)
1 32 ounce jar salsa (can use salsa verde if you can find it)
3 cups Monterey Jack Cheese shredded and divided
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
salt and black pepper
16 6-inch flour tortillas
1/2 medium white onion, halved and sliced thin
Optional: sour cream and guacamole to serve

Directions
- Adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 400 degrees.
- Mix chicken with 3/4 cup of the salsa 1 1/2 cups of the cheese, 1/4 cup of cilantro, and salt and pepper, to taste.
- Spread 1 cup of the salsa over the bottom of a 9 X 13 baking dish.
- Microwave tortillas on high power in a microwave safe plastic bag until warm, approximately 45 seconds.
- Then, working one at a time, spoon about 1/4 cup of the chicken filling into a tortilla.
- Roll into a cylinder and place, seam side down, in the baking dish. You may have to turn some sideways to fit.
- Drizzle enchiladas evenly with 1 1/2 cups of the salsa, and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
- Lightly spray a sheet of foil with cooking spray. cover dish and bake until heated through, about 30 minutes.
- Remove foil, sprinkle with onion and remaining cilantro, let stand for a few minutes, and serve with remaining salsa and sour cream and guacamole if desired.

Submitted by Erin

Mexican Lasagna

Ingredients
4 skinless boneless chicken breasts halves
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 Tbs butter
1 green bell pepper chopped
1 medium onion chopped
2 (10-oz) cans diced tomatoes and green chilies
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of chicken soup
12 (6-inch) flour tortillas, cut into quarters
2 cups (8 oz) cheddar cheese, divided

Directions
- Sprinkle chicken breasts evenly with salt and pepper; place in a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish.
- Bake at 325 for 20 min or until done; cool.
- Coarsely chop chicken.
- Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat; add bell pepper and onion and saute 4 min or until crisp-tender.
- Remove from heat and stir in chicken, tomatoes and green chilies, and soups.
- Place one-third of tortilla quarters in bottom of a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish; top with one-third of chicken mixture and sprinkle evenly with 2/3 cup cheese.
- Repeat layers twice reserving last 2/3 cup cheese.
- Bake at 325 for 35 min; sprinkle with reserved cheese and bake 5 more minutes.
- Let stand 5 min before serving.

Submitted by Kelly and Amy