Taco Pasta Casserole

Stephanie Trowbridge, Stevens

Taco Mixture:

• 2 lbs. ground beef, browned and drained
• 16 oz. cooked pasta, medium shells work well
• 15 oz. jar of salsa
• 2 packages taco seasoning
• 15 oz. can black beans, drained
• 4 oz. can green chilis
• 1½ cups water
• 1 cup sour cream

Topping:

2 cups shredded cheese, taco blend, cheddar or Monterey Jack

2 cups crushed tortilla chips

In a large bowl, combine the taco mixture ingredients. Pour the mixture into a greased 9”x13” pan and top with the shredded cheese and crushed tortilla chips.

Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes.

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Mexican Casserole

Janice Martin, East Earl

“Very good, you have ‘haystacks’ without all the fuss!”

• 1½ cups uncooked rice
• 3 cups cheese sauce
• 2 lbs. hamburger, browned and drained
• 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
• 1 can refried beans
• 4 cups pizza sauce
• ½ lb. mozzarella cheese

Cook the rice according to package instructions. Rinse and drain well. Mix with the cheese sauce and layer in the bottom of (2) 9”x13” lasagna pans.

Mix hamburger, taco seasoning, beans and pizza sauce. Layer over the rice mixture in each pan.

Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until heated through.

Remove from the oven. Top with mozzarella cheese; return pans to oven until the cheese melts.

Before serving, top with sour cream, chopped lettuce, crushed Doritos and chopped tomatoes.

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Mexican Lasagna

Janice Martin, East Earl

• 1½ lbs. ground beef
• 1½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 16 oz. can tomatoes, chopped
• (12) 12” corn tortillas
• 2 cups small curd cottage cheese, drained
• 1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese with peppers
• 1 egg
• ½ cup grated cheddar cheese
• 2 cups shredded lettuce
• ½ cup chopped tomatoes
• 3 green onions, chopped
• ¼ cup sliced black olives

Brown the ground beef; drain. Add cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, red pepper, salt, pepper and tomatoes; heat through.

Cover the bottom and sides of a 9”x13” baking dish with tortillas. Pour beef mixture over tortillas. Place a layer of tortillas over the meat mixture; set aside.

Combine cottage cheese, Monterey Jack cheese and egg; pour over tortillas.

Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven; sprinkle rows of cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, green onions and olives diagonally across the center of the dish.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

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Mexican Street Corn

Gloria Dougherty, Akron

• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3 cups corn kernels
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon sour cream
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ cup green onion, thinly sliced
• ½ cup cilantro
• ¼ cup crumbled Cotija or feta cheese

Add the minced garlic to a small bowl and cover it with the lime juice. Set aside to allow the lime juice to soften the garlic’s flavor.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and butter over medium. Add the corn to the hot skillet and sprinkle with salt. Stir the corn well to coat with the oil and salt.

Spread the corn into an even layer in the skillet and allow it to sit without stirring for 2 minutes to develop a charred color. Toss the corn and repeat this process two more times, flattening evenly and letting it sit for 2 minutes each time to get the charred effect on all sides.

Remove the corn from the heat and transfer to a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, sour cream and smoked paprika. Add in the soaked garlic and lime juice; stir together.

Pour dressing over the warm corn and stir to combine. Stir in the green onions and cilantro. Fold in the crumbled cheese. Sprinkle with more smoked paprika to serve.

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Mexicali Casserole

Mary Ann Dell, East Earl

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 package taco seasoning
• 1 can whole tomatoes, chopped and drained
• 1 can whole kernel corn, undrained
• 1 egg
• ²/₃ cup milk
• 1 package Martha White Mexican style cornbread mix

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a shallow 2 quart baking dish. Brown beef in a large skillet; drain. Return beef to skillet and add the taco seasoning, tomatoes, and corn. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Pour mixture into prepared dish.

Beat the egg in a small mixing bowl. Add the milk and cornbread mix; stir until combined. Pour the cornbread batter over the ground beef mixture.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

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Mexican Beef Teriyaki

Mary Ann Dell, East Earl

• 1½ lbs. beef teriyaki
• 1 pepper, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 bunches of scallions, diced
• ½ cup red wine
• ¼ cup teriyaki sauce
• 6 shakes Tabasco sauce
• 3 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded

Coat a frying pan with butter and peanut oil, then brown the beef.

Add the pepper, onion, scallions, wine, teriyaki sauce and Tabasco sauce. Simmer for 1 hour. Top with cheese. Serve on a bed of rice.

Serves 2-3.

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Mexican Dip

Mary Ann Dell, East Earl

• 8 oz. block cream cheese
• 15 oz. can Hormel Chili No Beans
• 1 small can chili peppers, diced
• 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese
• 1 bag Tostitos

Slightly melt and spread cream cheese on the bottom of an 8”x8” glass pan. Spread chili and chili peppers on top. Spread Mexican cheese on top.

Cover and cook in the microwave for 5 minutes. Serve with Tostitos.

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Spanish Rice

Pat Roth, Ephrata

• 1 lb. lean ground beef, 90% lean
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 medium green pepper, chopped
• 15 oz. can tomato sauce
• 14 oz. can diced tomatoes, no salt added, drained
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2²/₃ cups cooked brown rice

In a large skillet, cook the beef, onion and pepper over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes or until the beef is no longer pink and the onion is tender, breaking up the beef into crumbles.

Drain and stir in the tomato sauce, tomatoes, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder and salt. Bring to a boil. Add the rice and heat through, stirring occasionally.

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Taco Potato Pie

Pat Roth, Ephrata

• 2 cups cold mashed potatoes, prepared with milk and butter
• 1 envelope of taco seasoning, divided
• 1 lb. ground beef
• ½ cup onion, chopped
• 16 oz. can refried beans
• ½ cup barbecue sauce
• ¼ cup water
• 1 cup shredded lettuce
• 1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• sour cream

Combine the potatoes and 2 tablespoons of the taco seasoning. Press into a greased 9” deep-dish pie plate.

In a skillet, cook the beef and onion over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink. Drain and stir in the beans, barbecue sauce, water and the remaining taco seasoning.

Cook and stir until hot and bubbly. Spoon the mixture into the potato crust.

Bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes. Top with the lettuce, tomato, cheddar cheese and sour cream.

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Mexican Garden Salad

Pat Roth, Ephrata

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 16 oz. jar of thick and chunky salsa, divided
• ¼ cup water
• 1 envelope of taco seasoning mix
• 1½ heads of iceberg lettuce, torn
• 3 cups broccoli florets
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced into rings
• 1 medium carrot, shredded
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 4 oz. can chopped green chilies, drained
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup sour cream

In a skillet, brown the beef and drain. Add 1 cup of salsa, water and the taco seasoning, bringing it to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, then cool.

In a 3 or 4 quart glass bowl, layer the vegetables in the order given. Top with the chilies, beef mixture and cheese.

Combine the sour cream and remaining salsa. Serve this with the salad and tortilla chips.

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Pork Tenderloin With Poblano Chilies

Marilyn Bashore, Lititz

• 8 oz. package white mushrooms
• 1 serrano chili pepper
• 2 poblano chili peppers
• 1 onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 lb. pork tenderloin
• 2 tablespoons butter, divided
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• queso fresco cheese, crumbled
• flour tortillas

Dice the mushrooms, serrano chili pepper, poblano chili peppers, onion and garlic. Cut the pork tenderloin into ½” cubes. In a large skillet, add 1 tablespoon of butter. Add pork and fry until almost done, about 10 minutes. Remove pork.

Sauté the vegetables until soft, add extra butter if needed. Slowly add the heavy cream to the pan to avoid curdling. Then add to the remaining tablespoon of butter. Put the pork back in the pan and simmer until heated through, and the sauce starts to thicken.

Serve on tortillas with queso fresco.

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Mexicali Chicken and Rice Casserole

Marilyn Bashore, Lititz

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• ½ cup green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 15.5 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 14.5 oz. can chicken broth
• 4 oz. can diced green chilies, undrained
• 2 cups frozen corn
• ¾ cup uncooked white rice
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 3 teaspoons paprika
• 6 boneless/skinless chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium to high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and garlic; cook until soft. Add the beans, tomatoes, broth, chilies, corn, rice, chili powder, salt and pepper; stir to combine. Pour the mixture into a 9”x13” baking dish.

In a one-gallon bag, combine the flour, garlic salt and paprika. Add the chicken and shake to coat. Place the chicken pieces on top of the rice mixture and cover tightly with foil.

Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until chicken is fork tender and the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. Remove foil; bake an additional 15 minutes until chicken is browned.

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Layered Taco Dip

Marilyn Bashore, Lititz

• 16 oz. jar spicy black bean dip, Desert Pepper brand
• 1 cup sour cream
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 1 package taco seasoning mix
• 1 cup black olives, sliced
• 1 bunch scallions, chopped, tops reserved
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes
• 2 cups grated Mexican blend cheese

Line the bottom of a 7½”x12”. Pyrex or similar dish with the bean dip. Mix the sour cream, mayonnaise and taco seasoning together; spread on top of the bean dip.

Top with a layer of olives, then the scallions and then the tomatoes. Cover the top with the grated cheese.

Refrigerate for several hours and serve with any tortilla or corn chips.