Taco Tuesday

Here we are at the last Taco Tuesday of 2022. To get you through the day, check out the Shrimp and Mango Tacos, the Buffalo Turkey Tacos, or any of the other yummy tacos in today's post. Enjoy!

BAKED SMOTHERED CHICKEN BURRITOS

This comes from Old El Paso, and begins, "These Baked Smothered Chicken Burritos are the perfect combination of two Tex-Mex favorites; burritos and enchiladas. Create your burritos, with chicken seasoned with Old El Paso™ Chicken Seasoning Mix, layered with Old El Paso™ Refried Beans, and roll them up in flour tortillas. Smother each burrito in Old El Paso™ Enchilada Sauce for irresistible flavor in every bite. Bake and serve these hearty burritos that will soon be a new family favorite."

Prep Time: 25 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes; Makes 8 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.oldelpaso.com/recipes/baked-smothered-chicken-burritos.

Ingredients

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

1 can (10 oz) Old El Paso™ enchilada sauce

1 tablespoon Old El Paso™ chicken taco seasoning mix (from 0.85-oz package)

1 package (11 oz) Old El Paso™ flour tortillas for burritos (8 inch)

1 cup Old El Paso™ refried beans (from 16-oz can)

1 1/2 cups cooked rice

2 cups shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese blend (8 oz)

2 green onions, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Lime wedges, if desired

Preparation

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix chicken, 1 cup of the enchilada sauce and the taco seasoning mix.

Place tortillas on work surface. Divide refried beans, rice and chicken mixture among center of each tortilla in 4-inch long strip. Top with 1 cup of the cheese.

Roll up into burritos, and place seam side down in baking dish.

Bake 35 minutes. Drizzle with remaining 1/4 cup enchilada sauce; sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Bake 5 to 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted and burritos are heated through (165°F). Top with green onions and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

To freeze: Spray 13x9-inch disposable foil cake pan with cooking spray. Assemble burritos as directed in steps 1 through 3; do not bake. Drizzle with remaining 1/4 cup enchilada sauce and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Cover pan with sprayed foil, and wrap in double layer of plastic wrap. Label and freeze. To bake: Thaw overnight in refrigerator. Heat oven to 350°F. Remove plastic, and place foil-covered pan on baking sheet. Bake 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes or until thermometer inserted in center reads 165°F.

Expert Tips

To roll burritos, fold one edge of tortilla over length of filling, tucking filling in slightly. Then fold two short edges over. Roll filled tortilla over toward remaining unfolded edge.

Leftover rice is perfect for this recipe, but packaged frozen cooked rice works well in a pinch.

COPYCAT TACO BELL QUESARITO

This is from Old El Paso, and begins, "Forget about needing to leave the house to go to the drive-through, you can make this amazingly-good copycat recipe for Taco Bell™ Quesaritos easily at home! Roll up spicy beef, Old El Paso™ fiesta rice, cheese and guacamole inside two quesadillas packed with freshly-melted cheese. Add in your own ingredients to make these your own custom masterpiece or keep it classic by making them mimic the Taco Bell™ recipe. Either way, you get the satisfaction of making these amazing Quesaritos at home and the freedom to make (and of course eat) as many as you want!"

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes; Makes 8 servings

Want to view this online? Go to https://www.oldelpaso.com/recipes/copycat-taco-bell-quesarito.

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef

1 packet Old El Paso™ taco seasoning mix

1 packet Old El Paso™ heat & serve fiesta rice

16 Old El Paso™ Old El Paso™ flour tortillas for burritos

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

8 tablespoons sour cream

8 tablespoons prepared guacamole

Preparation

Add the ground beef to a large skillet over medium heat. Stir often to break up the meat until cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Drain the grease from the meat and stir in the packet of taco seasoning and water, as called for on the seasoning packet. Cook for 2 minutes and remove from the heat.

While the meat is cooking, cook the rice according to package instructions.

Lay one tortilla on a microwave-safe plate and top with a sprinkling of cheddar cheese. Top with a second tortilla. Microwave for 15 seconds or until the cheese has melted.

Spoon a bit of rice onto the tortilla, topped with the ground beef, more cheese, sour cream, and guacamole as desired. Don’t overfill your tortillas or they’ll be difficult to close.

Fold the ends of the tortillas up and bring the center over the filling. Roll the burritos closed.

Expert Tips:

Try a blend of Mexican cheese instead of cheddar for a little extra cheesy flavor in your Quesarito!

Before you roll up your Quesaritos, add a little fresh cilantro and squeeze a sprinkle of fresh lime juice over your ingredients for an added flavor boost.

Make your own homemade guacamole for this recipe! Try our famous recipe for Guacamole with Queso Fresco for a rich and creamy guacamole - perfect for your quesaritos or just great alone with a bag of corn chips.

We are firm believers that chips and dip should be eaten as often as possible. Try our easy and amazing microwave recipe for Taco Salad Dip that the whole family is sure to love.

ROASTED ROOT VEGGIE BREAKFAST TACOS

This is from Leyla Shamayeva, MS, RD at VeryWellFit. Leyla wrote, "Enjoy a heartburn-friendly taco…for breakfast! These don’t contain a single heartburn trigger—no spicy jalapeños, chili pepper, paprika, BBQ sauce, garlic, onions, or acidic lime juice. However, you’ll still get the traditional Mexican flare from spices like cumin and coriander, corn tortillas, and lime zest."

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 25 minutes; Servings: 2 (1 taco each)

To view this online, go to https://www.verywellfit.com/heartburn-friendly-breakfast-tacos-4129420.

Ingredients

1 small sweet potatoes, cubed (1/4” - 1/2” pieces)

1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced (1/4” rounds)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon salt

Zest of 1/2 lime

1 cup canned black beans (mashed)

2 (6-inch) corn tortillas

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 F and line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, mix the sweet potatoes and carrots with olive oil, cumin, coriander, salt, and lime zest. Transfer to the baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes.

Once the vegetables are ready, spread the mashed black beans on the tortilla and top with the veggies.

See the serving tips below for additional topping suggestions.

Ingredient Substitutions and Variations

Swap in your favorite root vegetables if you’re not a fan of carrots and sweet potatoes—turnips, parsnips, rutabaga, radishes, and kohlrabi are good choices that won’t trigger heartburn.

You can also use a different kind of bean if you don’t have the black variety handy.

Cooking and Serving Tips

The roasted vegetables explode with flavor, so you can easily enjoy these breakfast tacos without anything added. They’ll feel more like breakfast topped with an egg or lime-zested yogurt though. You can add a fried egg, cooked in half a teaspoon of olive oil, and sprinkle with a little bit of lime zest for an additional 90 calories. Alternatively, top with 2 tablespoons plain low-fat yogurt mixed with zest from half a lime for an additional 35 calories.

You can serve these tacos traditionally, with a double tortilla, but it’s important to keep portions in check when you have heartburn. Larger meals tend to increase abdominal pressure and force acid past the barrier between your stomach and esophagus. If you think you’ll feel full with a single tortilla layer, stick to that.

To save time in the morning, prepare the veggies and black bean mash the night before and simply assemble your taco in the morning.

BUFFALO TURKEY TACOS

Recipe Yield: Makes 8 servings

Source: Jennie-O

View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/buffalo-turkey-tacos.

Ingredients

1 (16-ounce) package JENNIE-O Lean Ground Turkey

1/3 cup hot pepper wing sauce

8 hard corn taco shells, heated as specified on package

1 cup shredded lettuce

2 tomatoes, diced

1 avocado, sliced

1/2 cup blue cheese dressing

Directions

Cook turkey as specified on package. Always cook to well-done, 165F as measured by a meat thermometer.

Add hot pepper sauce. Stir to combine.

Fill tacos shells with lettuce, turkey mixture, tomatoes and avocado.

Drizzle with blue cheese dressing.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 220; Fat: 13 g; Saturated Fat: 4 g; Fiber: 3 g; Sodium: 260 mg; Cholesterol: 45 mg; Protein: 14 g; Carbohydrates: 13 g; Sugars: 1 g

EASY GROUND BEEF TACOS

This comes from Weight Watchers (WW), and begins, "These quick, kid-friendly tacos are perfect for weeknight family dinners. Change them up by serving them in flour tortillas or tostada shells."

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 16 minutes; Total Time: 26 minutes; Serves 4; Difficulty: Easy

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

3⁄4pound uncooked 93% lean ground beef (7% fat or less)

1 medium uncooked onion, diced

1 medium Jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced

2 medium garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 1/2 tsp rround coriander

3/4 tsp table salt

1 14 1/2 oz can canned diced tomatoes

8 medium corn tortillas

2 cups lettuce, chopped, lightly packed thinly sliced romaine or iceberg lettuce

2 oz. reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Instructions

Set large nonstick skillet over medium heat; add beef and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add onion and jalapeño and cook, stirring often, until vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, and coriander and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add tomatoes and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is almost evaporated, 4–5 minutes.

Divide beef mixture evenly among tortillas; top evenly with lettuce, Cheddar, and salsa (if using).

Serving size: 2 tacos

SHRIMP AND MANGO TACOS

This is from Martha Rose Shulman on The New York Times cooking site. Martha wrote, "This sweet and pungent combination of mango, shrimp, chilies and cumin is as quick to put together as a stir-fry. Indeed, if you don’t have corn tortillas on hand, serve the shrimp with rice."

Uield: 4 servings; Time: 30 minutes, less if using microwave to heat tortillas

This was featured in "The ‘King of Fruits’ Commands Respect", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013581-shrimp-and-mango-tacos.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 pound medium or small shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 garlic cloves, sliced

2 teaspoons cumin seeds, lightly toasted and ground

2 Serrano or bird chilies, or 1 large jalapeño, minced

1 large mango, peeled, seeded and finely chopped

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

4 to 5 tablespoons lime juice

8 corn or flour tortillas

Preparation

Heat a large, heavy skillet or wok over medium-high heat, and add the canola oil. When the oil is hot, add the shrimp, salt to taste and the garlic. Sauté, stirring or shaking the pan, until the shrimp begins to color, about two minutes. Add the cumin, and continue to cook until the shrimp is pink and opaque, about three minutes. Add the chilies, mango and cilantro, and stir together for one minute. Stir in the lime juice, and remove from the heat. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Wrap the tortillas in a heavy kitchen towel, and place in a steamer basket over 1 inch of boiling water. Cover the pot, and steam for one minute. Turn off the heat, and allow to sit for 15 minutes without uncovering. Alternatively, wrap the tortillas in a towel, and heat in the microwave for one minute. Warm the shrimp briefly in the pan. Place 2 tortillas on each plate, top with the shrimp, fold over the tortillas and serve with rice.

Tip

Advance preparation: This is best served right after you cook the shrimp and mango.