Taco Tuesday

It's time for another Taco Tuesday. Today's offerings include Shrimp Tacos and Ground Chicken Tacos with Creamy Salsa. Enjoy!

EASY TACO CASSEROLE

This is from charmed71 at allrecipes. The recipe begins, "This quick and easy taco casserole is a great last-minute meal. Top with chopped tomato, onion, and lettuce if desired."

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 35 minutes; Total Time: 50 minutes; Servings: 6; Yield: 1 2-quart casserole

To view this online, go to https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/228134/easy-taco-casserole/.

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef

1 cup salsa

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 cups crushed tortilla chips

4 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese

4 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Cook and stir ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crumbly and browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and discard excess grease. Stir in salsa, onion, mayonnaise, chili powder, and cumin. Remove the skillet from heat.

Spread about 1/2 of the ground beef mixture into the bottom of a 2-quart casserole dish. Spread 1 cup tortilla chips over beef mixture. Top with 1/2 of the Cheddar cheese and 1/2 of the Monterey Jack cheese. Repeat layers with remaining ingredients. Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil.

Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted in the middle, about 30 minutes.

GROUND CHICKEN TACOS WITH CREAMY SALSA

This is from Sunny Anderson at the Food Network. Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 25 minutes; Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Level: Easy

To view this online, go to https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sunny-anderson/ground-chicken-tacos-with-creamy-salsa-recipe-1925088.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

1/2 cup diced green bell pepper

1/2 cup chopped onion

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cloves garlic, grated on a rasp or minced

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon coriander

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon (1 packet) sazon seasoning

1 pound ground chicken

2 teaspoons flour

1 cup chicken stock

12 taco shells, kept warm in a 200 degree oven

Shredded lettuce, for serving

Creamy Salsa, for serving, recipe follows

Creamy Salsa:

4 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped

1 scallion, finely chopped

1 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon hot sauce (recommended: Frank's Red Hot)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

In a large saute pan with straight sides over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the red and green bell pepper, onion and then season with salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Saute until the vegetables are tender then add the garlic, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, and sazon seasoning. Cook for a minute or so then add the ground chicken and cook, breaking up the chicken with a wooden spoon while stirring. Make sure to really break up the ground chicken on this step so there are no large clumps.

Once the chicken is cooked through, sprinkle the flour over the top and stir while cooking to allow the flour to blend into the chicken for a few minutes. Add the chicken stock then raise the heat to a simmer and cook until the stock thickens a bit, about 4 to 5 minutes. Serve in warm taco shells topped with shredded lettuce and a dollop of Creamy Salsa.

Creamy Salsa:

Yield: 1-1/2 cups.

Combine the tomatoes, cilantro, red onion, jalapeno, scallion, sour cream hot sauce, garlic powder, and lime juice in a medium bowl. Stir to combine, then season with salt and pepper to taste, and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

CHICKEN TACOS WITH AVOCADO SALSA

This recipe, by Kathy Adams at Taste of Home, is originally from Christine Schenher of Exeter, California. The recipe begins, "This chicken taco recipe features a light, refreshing salsa made from avocados and corn. The chicken takes on the perfect combination of seasonings as you cook this dish; you may even want to make extra because it's just that good.

"Our chicken tacos recipe makes a meal that’s light, refreshing and bound to please just about everyone. This recipe includes an incredibly simple avocado salsa, which is the perfect topping for deliciously seasoned chicken tacos."

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes; Yield: 4 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/chicken-tacos-with-avocado-salsa/.

Ingredients

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch strips

1/3 cup water

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and cubed

1 cup fresh or frozen corn, thawed

1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

2 teaspoons lime juice

8 taco shells, warmed

Directions

Place a large skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Brown chicken. Add water, sugar and seasonings. Cook 4-5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, gently mix avocado, corn, tomatoes and lime juice. Spoon chicken mixture into taco shells; top with avocado salsa.

CHEESY TACO MEATLOAF

This comes from Campbell’s Kitchen, begins, “It takes just 10 minutes and a few ingredients to put together this scrumptious meatloaf...and when it comes out of the oven you've got two family favorites, tacos and meatloaf, combined into one tasty dish!”

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 16 minutes; Serves: 8 people

To view this online, go to https://www.campbells.com/kitchen/recipes/cheesy-taco-meatloaf/.

Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef

1 jar (16 ounces) Pace® Chunky Salsa - Mild or Pace® Picante Sauce - Medium

1 1/2 ounces tortilla chips, crushed (about 1/2 cup)

1 egg

1 teaspoon chili powder

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

Set the oven to 350°F. Thoroughly mix the beef, 1 cup salsa, tortilla chips, egg, chili powder, salt and black pepper in a large bowl. Place the beef mixture into a 3-quart shallow baking pan and shape into an 9x4-inch loaf.

Bake for 1 hour or until the meatloaf is cooked through.

Spread the remaining salsa over the meatloaf and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

CHEESY TACO SKILLET

This is from Lindsay Funston on Delish. The recipe begins, “Everything you love in beef tacos, only without the tortillas.

Total Time: 20 minutes; Prep Time: 5 minutes; Level: Easy; Serves: 4.

Ingredients

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1/4 c. sliced green onions, plus more for garnish

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp. chili powder

1 tbsp. ground cumin

kosher salt

1 lb. ground beef

1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes

1 c. black beans

1 tbsp. Hot sauce

1 c. Shredded Monterey Jack

1 c. shredded Cheddar

Directions

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add bell pepper and green onions and cook until tender, 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add chili powder and cumin and stir until combined, then season with salt.

Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink, 5 minutes more.

Add diced tomatoes and black beans and stir until combined. Stir in hot sauce, Monterey jack, and cheddar. Cover with a lid and let melt, 2 minutes, then garnish with green onions and serve.

SHRIMP TACOS

This is from Yewande Komolafe at The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this yumminess, Yewande wrote, "Spiced shrimp and quick-pickled red cabbage fill corn tortillas for dressed-up tacos that are easy to put together and sure to be a favorite. The seasoned shrimp is cooked in a heated skillet for a slight char, but resist the temptation to move the pieces before the contact side is properly browned. You can keep the add-ons simple with slices of creamy avocado, bits of fresh cilantro and acidic bursts from lime slices. Or bulk up with dollops of guacamole, chunky pico de gallo, and sour cream. The choice is yours!"

Total Time: 35 minutes; Yield: 4 servings

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1023929-shrimp-tacos. While you're at it, if you haven't already signed up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter, I highly recommend doing so. Great recipes, guides, and more.

Ingredients

1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp, tails removed

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

3 tablespoons neutral oil, such as grapeseed or canola

Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

1-1/2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage (1/4 small cabbage)

2 limes

12 corn tortillas

Guacamole

Sour cream or crema

Pico de gallo

Cilantro leaves

Preparation

In a medium bowl, toss the shrimp with the cumin, cayenne, onion powder, garlic, black pepper and 1 tablespoon oil. Season the shrimp lightly with salt. If you have time, you can refrigerate the shrimp to marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 12 hours.

Squeeze 1 tablespoon juice from 1 lime. Slice the remaining lime into wedges for serving. In a small bowl, quick pickle the cabbage by combining the shredded cabbage with the lime juice and a pinch of salt. Toss together and set aside.

Heat a large (12-inch) skillet over medium. Warm a tortilla in the dry skillet, flipping once, until soft and pliable, about 30 seconds. Place in a dish towel to keep warm. Repeat until all the tortillas are warmed, stacking and wrapping them in the dish towel until ready to use.

Heat a tablespoon of oil in the skillet over medium-high. Add half of the shrimp and cook without stirring until the contact side is browned around the edges, about 3 minutes. Flip to cook the other side for 1 to 2 minutes, until the shrimp is fully cooked. Move to a plate and cook the remaining shrimp, heating up the remaining tablespoon of oil before adding the shrimp to get a nice sear.

To assemble, spread some guacamole down the middle of each tortilla. Divide the shrimp among the warm tortillas and top with crema, pico de gallo, quick pickled cabbage and cilantro leaves. Serve immediately with lime slices for squeezing.