Tag: tex mex

Tex-Mex Bagel Breakfast Casserole

We are big fans of breakfast for dinner around here. Are you? It’s always my go-to on nights where I’m busy or unprepared. I always have bacon in my freezer and Kodiak pancake mix in my pantry which makes a quick meal. We also have scrambled eggs and toast often. We also LOVE a good breakfast casserole. There’s one that I make with crescent rolls that is probably one of my kids’ top 3 favorite meals of mine. I need to share that one someday too! When I was looking over the Lee’s Marketplace ad this week, I noticed lots of breakfast items on sale. I remembered that I had written “bagel breakfast casserole” on my recipe idea list a while back so my wheels started spinning. There were lots of directions I could go with it but, of course, I decided on a Tex-Mex version. I made it up as I went and I could not be happier with how my Tex-Mex Bagel Breakfast Casserole turned out!

This casserole is easy to make and bold on flavor which y’all know is my thing! Here’s almost the whole cast of characters except for the milk and cheddar that I used. I decided I need those as I started creating! Ha!

Everything you need minus the milk and cheddar.

I used turkey sausage because it’s delicious, low fat, and tastes just as good as pork in my opinion. I also like the fact that I don’t need to drain grease!

After browning the sausage, pepper, and onions you add in a can of Mild Rotel that has been drained. A classic Tex-Mex ingredient!

I used 4 bagels and it was the perfect amount.
Then add your sausage mixture.
Next pour the egg and cheese mixture on. Ready to bake!

I love the addition of the cumin and chili powder to the eggs. It definitely adds more Tex-Mex flavor to it! Also, you can use any combo of cheddar, Monterrey Jack or pepper jack cheese as long as it totals 2 cups.

If you’re a cilantro hater, leave it off but we are huge fans! I love the brightness that it adds.

This is definitely going on our regular dinner rotation! It would also be amazing for a weekend breakfast or brunch. You just can’t go wrong with bagels, sausage, eggs, cheese, and all the bold Tex-Mex flavors! You really need to get this on your menu ASAP and if you’re a Lee’s Marketplace shopper, most of the ingredients are on sale!

Sponsored post for Lee’s Marketplace. Items on sale the week of March 3-9: bagels, eggs (a few varieties), turkey sausage, Rotel, cheese (several varieties), cumin (Badia brand), cilantro

Tex-Mex Bagel Breakfast Casserole

  • Servings: Serves 6-8
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Ingredients

16 oz turkey sausage (or pork)
1 bell pepper, diced
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 can Mild Rotel tomatoes, drained
8 eggs
½ cup milk
¼ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup pepper jack cheese
1 cup cheddar cheese
4 bagels, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
Cooking Spray

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Add sausage, peppers, and onions to a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and crumble the sausage until browned and vegetables are tender.
Drain grease if needed. Add Rotel tomatoes to pan and stir to combine. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs with milk, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Add shredded cheese and stir to combine.

Spray a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray. Add bagel pieces. Add sausage mixture evenly over the top. Pour egg mixture on evenly.

Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until browned. Allow to sit for 5 minutes then garnish with cilantro before serving.

Charlotte Hancey3 Comments

Cheesy Poblano Drop Biscuits

I know, I know it’s about time these cheesy pillows of perfection made it onto the blog! If you’ve been following me on Instagram for a while, you’ve seen these already. I created them last summer on Good Things Utah and I am so proud of them! GTU asked me to make something “southern” and my mind immediately went to biscuits. I had to add a little Texas twist and my Cheesy Poblano Drop Biscuits were formed. Watch me make them here!

The “hardest” part of making these is roasting the pepper but I promise it’s so easy. Don’t let it intimidate you. Do it once and you’ll be a pro! Make sure to really char them because it will make it easier to get the skin off. Also, they are not spicy! That’s one of the reasons you see poblano peppers in many of my dishes. They are only slightly spicy with a natural smokiness. They add SO much flavor without the overwhelming spice that a jalapeno or serrano can add.

These biscuits go with just about anything! Serve them with chili, with breakfast, or a side dish at a BBQ. I made them recently and served cream sausage gravy over the top. It was next level! I don’t think I’ll ever be able to make plain biscuits and gravy after having that.

Cheesy Poblano Drop Biscuits

  • Servings: Makes 15 biscuits
  • Difficulty: moderate
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Ingredients

2 C all-purpose flour
1 TB baking powder
2 TB sugar
½ tsp kosher salt
½ C melted butter plus 2 TB melted butter, divided
1 C milk (whole milk preferred)
1 poblano pepper, roasted and finely diced
1 TB olive oil
1 small yellow or sweet onion, finely diced
1 C shredded Colby jack cheese

Directions

Roast poblano pepper by placing on a baking sheet under the broiler. Rotate the pepper every few minutes until all sides are blistered and blackened. Immediately place the pepper in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Leave for 15-20 minutes to steam. Turn off broiler and preheat oven to 450. (Can also be roasted on a hot grill or open flame)

While the pepper is steaming, add oil to a small skillet and heat to medium high. Place diced onion in skillet and cook until onions are browned then set aside.

Peel skin off of pepper by scraping with the sharp edge of a knife then remove stem and seeds. Finely dice the pepper and set aside.

Mix together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Add ½ C melted butter and milk. Stir until just moistened.

Fold in peppers, onions, and shredded cheese, being careful not to over mix.

Immediately drop by heaping tablespoons onto baking sheet (silicone baking mat preferred). Brush tops with remaining melted butter.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges turn to golden brown. Makes 15 biscuits.

*Note: These do not spread much so you should be able to fit all 15 on one large baking sheet.

With creamy sausage gravy. Game changer!

Charlotte HanceyLeave a comment

Tex-Mex Pasta Salad

Y’all know that I like to add a little Tex-Mex to any dish that I can.  I have been dreaming up this salad for a while now and love how it turned out!  I tried to think of as many ingredients that reminded me of home to put in this salad. Cheddar cheese, bacon, cilantro, pickled jalapenos, lime…yum! You’ll find a jar of pickled jalapenos on every table, at almost every supper, where I grew up in East Texas. Add more jalapenos if you want it spicier! Black beans would be a great addition to this pasta salad as well. My son hates beans so I was nice and left them out! This pasta salad is the perfect dish to take to all of your summer BBQs!

Tex-Mex Pasta Salad

  • Servings: 10-12
  • Difficulty: moderate
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Ingredients

16 oz bowtie pasta
1 (11 oz) can Mexicorn, drained
8 oz cheddar cheese, small cubes
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
4 oz can sliced black olives, drained
1/3 cup pickled jalapenos, finely diced
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 cup fresh tomatoes, diced
½ cup cilantro, chopped

Dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ cup lime juice
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, make dressing by whisking together mayo, sour cream, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, sugar, lime juice, salt, and pepper.
Add all remaining ingredients to the bowl and toss to combine. Taste and add more salt if desired. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Charlotte Hancey3 Comments

Baked Beef Chimichangas

Ok, ok you don’t have to beg me anymore, my chimichangas are finally on my blog! Ha! I created these for Lee’s Marketplace a couple of weeks ago and they were a huge hit. I have had so many friends make them already and they have loved them! I actually made these on my birthday but was happy to do it! I wanted Mexican food AND needed to make a recipe for Lee’s so it was perfect. Don’t worry, I made my family clean up the mess because it was my birthday after all!
What is a chimichanga? It’s basically a deep-fried burrito. They are traditionally fried in oil but baking them makes them just as crisp and delicious. The filling is very easy and rolling them up is a cinch! Your family will LOVE these!

Baked Beef Enchiladas

  • Servings: 6-8
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

2 lbs ground beef
2 tablespoons minced dried onion or 1/2 cup fresh diced onion
2 tablespoons dried taco seasoning
1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies
1/2 cup taco sauce
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
12 flour tortillas, soft taco size
4 tablespoons butter, melted
Cooking spray

Toppings (optional):
sour cream, salsa, avocados, queso, olives, shredded cheese, lettuce

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat a large skillet to medium-high and cook ground beef and onions until beef is browned. Drain excess grease.
Add taco seasoning, green chilies, and taco sauce. Mix until combined and remove from heat.
Prepare large baking sheet by spraying with cooking spray. Warm tortillas in microwave for better pliability then fill each one with 1/4 cup cheese (first) then 1/4 cup meat mixture. Fold in sides then roll up tightly. Place seam side down on baking sheet.
Brush chimichangas with melted butter then bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Serve with toppings of choice.

Charlotte Hancey2 Comments

Enchiladas Verdes

Here are my favorite enchiladas that were featured in my local city magazine, North Ogden Connection (along with a few other nearby town magazines of the same publication). It’s my first time in print! So exciting!
My Enchiladas Verdes are full of flavor and are an easy weeknight dinner. They taste like you spent hours though! Split into two pans and pop one in the freezer to have on hand for busy nights or unexpected guests.

Enchiladas Verdes

  • Servings: 8
  • Difficulty: moderate
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Ingredients

2 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon chili powder
4 oz can diced green chilies
½ large yellow onion, diced (3/4 cup)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
28 oz can green enchilada sauce, divided
¾ cup sour cream
12 flour tortillas, soft taco sized
3 cups Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place chicken in a bowl and add garlic powder, cumin, onion powder, chili powder, and green chilies. Stir to combine and set aside.

Add olive oil to a small skillet and heat to medium. Add onions and cook 5-7 minutes or until they start to brown a little. Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add onions and garlic to chicken. Add ¼ cup of enchilada sauce to the chicken mixture as well then stir to combine.

In a separate bowl, add remaining enchilada sauce and sour cream. Whisk to combine. Spray the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. Ladle about ¾ cup of the sauce mixture into the dish and spread with the back of a spoon.

Add 1/3 cup chicken mixture to center of tortilla then sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of cheese. Roll up tightly and place seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas. They will be packed in tight.

Pour sauce mixture over the top being careful to leave the open ends of the tortillas exposed (so they can get crispy). Add remaining 2 cups of cheese to the top.

Bake in 375 degree oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Garnish with cilantro. Serve with Avocado Green Salsa.

*Warm tortillas in the microwave before assembling for more pliability.

Charlotte Hancey2 Comments

The BEST Queso

If you follow me on Instagram or if you’re in my private recipe group on Facebook, you’ve seen this recipe before. Sorry! I had to get it on my blog ASAP because it is my #1 most requested recipe.  This is not your average queso. The extra step of roasting the peppers is EVERYTHING and takes it over the top! I grew up on queso in all forms but this is a mix of all the right things.  You will never try another recipe for queso again after you taste this!

The BEST Queso

  • Servings: 8-10
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

32 oz Velveeta Queso Blanco
10 oz can Mild Rotel Tomatoes, undrained
1 large poblano (or pasillo) pepper
1 jalapeno pepper
½ large yellow onion (or about 3/4 C), diced
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ teaspoons cumin
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil, divided

Directions

Place poblano and jalapeno on a foil lined baking sheet. Drizzle with about ½ tablespoon of oil and place under broiler in the oven. Broil, turning occasionally, until all sides are black and blistered. Once removed from oven, immediately place peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap for 10 minutes. Remove from bowl and with the side of a sharp knife, gently scrape the skin off the peppers. Cut the stems off, slice in half, and remove the seeds. Dice and set aside.
Cut Velveeta into large chunks and place in a slow cooker. Add tomatoes.
Heat a small skillet to medium-high and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add peppers and onions. Cook until onions are slightly browned. Add garlic and cumin then cook for 1-2 minutes. Add mixture to slow cooker. Cook on low until cheese is melted, about 2 hours. Stir everything together and serve with tortilla chips.

Charlotte Hancey2 Comments