Chimichangas

Chimichangas
**This is a recipe that you can make ahead**

Ingredients:

4 frozen boneless/skinless chicken breasts
½ cup of light zesty Italian dressing
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 cans diced green chilies
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can black beans, drained (optional)
1 large tomato, diced (or more if you love tomato)
2 tsp cumin (or more to taste)
salt
8-10 whole wheat tortillas (Taco-sized Mission brand)
Salsa - for topping

Prep:

In the morning, place whole chicken breasts in crockpot. Pour ½ cup of the Italian dressing over it and cook on low for 4-6 hours. When it is done, it should easily shred. Take chicken out and shred/cube it. See instructions below when time to prepare the dinner.

At Dinner Time:

Preheat oven to 400°.

1. In large pot, sauté onion in a tbsp. of olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add garlic and green chilies.
3. Reduce heat to med-lo and add the cooked shredded/cubed chicken, can of drained black beans and diced tomato.
4. Add cumin and salt to your desired taste.
5. Measure the correct amount of meat/bean mixture (size of your palm).
6. Place meat/bean mixture on a tortilla.
7. Roll into a chimichanga. Fold in the sides first and then roll it.
8. Place on greased (Pam sprayed) cookie sheet and bake at 400° for 12-15 minutes or until crisp.
9. Remove from oven, top with salsa and enjoy!

Other toppings could include: cheese, sour cream, guacamole, lettuce, olives, etc.

Could substitute Rotel tomatoes for the fresh tomato and chilies.

Mexican Beef Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 ½ pounds lean ground beef (93%) or ground chicken/turkey
1 cup each diced red onion and diced green bell pepper
2 teaspoons minced garlic (fresh)
1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup diced tomatoes (Roma)
½ cup fresh or frozen corn, thawed
1 ½ teaspoon chili powder (mild…use less if using hot chili powder)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cups pasta sauce
1 cup medium salsa
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
2 tablespoons minced cilantro
4 large or 8 small whole wheat flour tortillas
1 ½ cups shredded light sharp cheddar cheese
¼ cup sliced green onions
Sour cream, optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°. Spray a 13 x 9-inch casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside. In a large nonstick skillet, cook the ground beef, onions, green pepper and garlic over medium-high heat until the meat is no longer pink. Break up any large pieces of meat as it is cooking.

Add black beans, tomatoes, corn, chili powder and cumin. Cook and stir for 2 more minutes. Add pasta sauce, salsa and black pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cilantro and remove from heat.

To assemble casserole, spread a third of the sauce mixture over bottom of casserole dish. Top with half of the tortillas, overlapping and cutting them as necessary to fit. Top with a third of the sauce mixture, followed by half of the cheese. Cover cheese with remaining tortillas, followed by remaining sauce. Sprinkle remaining cheese over sauce and top with green onions. Cover with foil (non-stick type or sprayed with Pam) and bake for 35 minutes.

Uncover and bake for 10 more minutes. Let lasagna stand for at least 10 minutes before slicing for easier serving. Top each piece with a dollop of sour cream if desired.

Yield: 8 Servings