Hot And Zesty, Just Like You Love It!

I love the spicy flavors of Mexican food. And I love pasta! This is a perfect twist of two amazing dishes into one, and thank goodness they are easy to make!

I remember the first time I made jumbo stuffed shells. Talk about an epic failure! I think I must had read the recipe all wrong because I had to actually scoop out the filling and try to start again. I had not read that the shells needed to be cooked in advance! So I had tyo go back to the drawing board. Let’s just say by the time I filled the shells, scraped out the shells, and refilled the shells again the whole kitchen counter was a mess. The worst part was that was my very first meal I cooked for John after we got married. I guess I could only improve from there!  Now that we have been married over 32 years I am sure there have been a few meals that really were not the best, but that is just the way life goes sometimes. We can’t always be on our game, some days are just harder than others. I am not just talking pasta here friends, I am talking about the day in and day out of just living.

This is what Aimee of Like Mother Like Daughter have to say about this incredible recipe.

“These Mexican stuffed shells are a fun twist off of traditional Italian style stuffed shells.It is also fun and delicious to eat your taco styled meal inside pasta shells instead of the typical tortilla.”

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Quick Tip: Try this with ground chicken and use a green enchilada sauce.

Recipe and image courtesy of Aimee and Like Mother Like Daughter

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Having a hard time deciding what to fix? How about two favorites rolled into one?

“Guess what? I told all my friends we could have the movie night at our house!” Okay, I heard that quite a bit when our kids were growing up. I was always glad to have their friends over but sometimes I didn’t have a plan for snacks. Sometimes you just want a bit more than chips and salsa.

This great recipe is something that you can easily keep on hand to make up at a moments notice. Whew!

Because this is such a crowd pleaser try making this and see how fast they fly off the plate!

This is a recipe I came across when I was looking up quick and easy appitizers and meals. I think we may just have a winner.

I love that you can add in your favorite ingredients as well. I love olives, but two of our boys aren’t sauce big fans. No problem!

This is what the great folks at Old El Paso has to say about their recipe.

Switch up taco night by combining two family favorites into one tasty dish – Taco Pizza Rolls!

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Quick Tip: Make up some guacamole and place a bowl of salsa or pico de gallo on the table.

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Whether you are hosting a slumber party or a tailgate party, this spud is the best!

I remember having “potato Bar” dinners when we had all the kids at home and half the neighborhood kids as well. Being able to feed a bunch of people without getting stressed at all the meal prep and post party clean-up.

This is also an easy dinner for when you are having a bunch of people over. You can be in charge of cooking the potatoes and have everyone bring their favorite topping. You can have a taco theme or mix it up a bit with other flavors.

And the best part is that people can build their own spud, much like a taco salad, so they are getting exactly what they want. Perfect for those on the pickier side!

If your group is large, you can keep the hot aluminum wrapped potatoes in an empty ice=-chest or freezer bag to help them from losing their heat.
The other big benefit from this recipe is that you can literally have all the ingredients prepped several days in advance before you need to use them.

If you know you will be having back to back meetings, school activities, company, consider having a few meals that are ZERO effort to get to the table.

Any left over potatoes can be used for hash browns the next morning! How is that for making life delicious!

Here is what Holly from Life in the Lofthouse has to say about this family favorite.

Taco Potatoes are crazy good. I love everything about this fun and delicious meal. Taco potatoes take ordinary baked potatoes to new heights! Seasoned ground beef, cheese, lettuce, sour cream and salsa. Everything you love about a taco all over a potato.

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Quick Tip: I actually am partial to the Yukon Gold potatoes. If you have a favorite feel free to swap them out.

Photo and recipe courtesy of Holly at Life In the Lofthouse.  

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 This plate is full of flavor without being full of guilt!

Sometimes it is easy to be jealous of someones’ plate. Especially if you are counting calories or carbs!

Trust me I know! I have been dieting my whole life and there is nothing more frustrating than trying to cut back on your calorie intake, knowing that you will not be eating the food you love! Sure, this might mean that the super cheesy sour cream chicken enchiladas don’t take front and center on the menu, but when you add in great options like this salad you won’t even miss it.

I also love that you can have all the ingredients prepped and ready to toss together during the week for lunches. I think one of the things that sabotages alot of our eating is the fact we don’t plan ahead and have food that is healthy ready to eat WHEN we are hungry. As a result we end up just grabbing something from the snack bar, the food truck, drive-thru, or the fridge.

Feel free to customize this recipe to suit your taste and needs. On a Weight Watchers point program? Cut down on the corn and beans and add in bell peppers and spicy pickled carrots.

This is what Erin of Well Plated has to say about her yummy salad.

This Skinny Taco Salad is also ideal for meal prep. Chop the veggies and cook the turkey in advance and store them individually in the refrigerator. Then throughout the week, you can quickly assemble individual portions and add any other toppings you desire.

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Quick Tip: If you are taking this salad to work or on your next picnic, consider layering the ingredients with the dressing on the bottom, followed by meat, beans, corn, tomatoes, and then lettuce last. When ready to serve turn it upside down on a plate or bowl.

Recipe and Photo courtesy of Erin at Well Plated. 

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The foundation of this dish is unbelievable, as in unbelievably easy….unbelievably delicious!

I probably sound like a broken record. If you are too young to know what that is, they are like CDs only really big and if you leave them in direct sun that can get a little melted.

Sorry, I guess that it a bit off topic – SQUIRREL!

But the point I am making is cooking more than you need in order to use it later. For example, this is a great recipe to double, then cut up the chicken and make chicken enchiladas for later in the week or for a few weeks down the road. If you are limited on freezer space, go ahead and cube up chicken and put into quart sized zip lock bag to use later.

Everything you can do ahead will save you time, energy and even financially later so try to think ahead. Cook Once, east twice isn’t just a nice sentiment, it is a lifestyle.

This is what Kimber from The Pinning Mama has to say about her creative dish.

I will admit that I eat nachos far more than I probably should.  I do try to pack them full of healthy extras to justify it, like corn, black beans, avocado, fresh cilantro, and tomatoes.  Doesn’t that sounds delicious?  So why stop there?  I mean the nachos are good because of all the stuff topping them, so why not take all that good stuff and bake it with some tender, juicy chicken breast? BINGO!  The Queso Chicken Bake was born!

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Quick Tip: Go ahead and cut into strips for smaller portion size, dice it up an you have the fixing for an awesome south of the border quesadilla.

Photo and recipe courtesy of  Kimber at The Pinning Mama

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]]> http://urbanretrorecipes.com/5-ingredients-away-fantastic-chicken-dish-perfect-busy-schedules/feed/ 0 http://urbanretrorecipes.com/sweet-spicy-salsa-a-fiesta/ Wed, 26 Apr 2017 04:27:28 +0000 http://urbanretrorecipes.com/?p=512 Bring on the Chips Because This Salsa Is The Bomb! I used to think that mango and salsa didn’t belong in the same sentence let alone as a recipe. The mangos I had eaten were a bit on the slimy side and the thought of dredging a perfectly good tortilla chip through the sweet mash seemed […]

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Bring on the Chips Because This Salsa Is The Bomb!

I used to think that mango and salsa didn’t belong in the same sentence let alone as a recipe. The mangos I had eaten were a bit on the slimy side and the thought of dredging a perfectly good tortilla chip through the sweet mash seemed almost criminal.

But, that was before I learned how to pick out a good mango and cut one up. One of the perks of living in Southern California is the abundance of fresh fruit for such a long season.Mangos are a staple at our house.

Two of our kids joined Ballet Folklorico when we moved from Northern California to San Diego. The culture, dance, and food is bright and colorful. Just like this fresh fruit salsa.

This easy recipe is a perfect blend that makes my taste buds feel like are having a fiesta! It is perfect to serve with chips, on fish, and whatever else your heart desires.

Shout out to Kate at Cookie+Kate for this recipe.

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Quick Tip:  If you do bring home a mango that’s slightly firmer to the touch, and not quite ready to go — ripening is easy! Just leave the mango out at room temperature, OR, to speed up the process, let the mango ripen (also at room temperature) inside a paper bag.

Photo and Recipe Courtesy of Cookie + Kate

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