Veggie Taco Cornbread Pizza

Veggie Taco Cornbread Pizza (from Kraft Foods, Servings: 8, Total Time: 30 minutes)

Ingredients

·         1 pkg. (8-1/2 oz.) corn muffin mix

·         1 red pepper, finely chopped

·         1 cup frozen corn

·         1 can (15-1/2 oz.) reduced sodium black beans or kidney beans, drained, rinsed

·         1 pkg.  (1-1/4 oz.) Taco Seasoning Mix

·         ¾ cup water

·         1 cup shredded taco Cheese, divided

Directions

1.      Heat oven to 400ºF.

2.      Prepare corn muffin batter as directed on package; spread into greased 12-inch pizza pan.

3.      Bake 8 to 10 min. or until lightly browned. Meanwhile, combine peppers, corn and beans in medium saucepan. Add seasoning mix and water; cook 10 min., stirring occasionally.

4.      Sprinkle ½ cup cheese onto crust; top with bean mixture and remaining cheese.

5.      Bake 4 to 5 min. or until cheese is melted.

I did not have any eggs in the refrigerator, so I used applesauce as a replacement in the corn muffin mix – you couldn’t taste the difference.  I also made this dish in a 9x13 dish because I didn’t want the toppings to spill out over the sides of a pizza pan.  I used the black beans instead of kidney and the Hot & Spicy taco mix from the grocery store.  That and the taco cheese gave it an extra spicy kick.  Overall, I find this dish tasty, but it can be a little dry with the cornbread – I recommend topping with a dollop of salsa.  The peppers give it a little crunch, which plays nicely with the softer textures of all the other ingredients.  Although it could be better on the health side, halving the cheese (as I did in the instructions above) and using replacements in the corn muffin mix can help on calories and fat.  It says that it serves 8, but I think it’s more like 5 or 6.  I guess it depends on how hungry you are!

It is a keeper in my book, though not one that I will make too often – I want to just keep eating it. 

Mexican Lasagna – Lite

Mexican Lasagna – Lite (adapted from AllRecipes, 6 servings, Total Time: 1 hour)

Ingredients

·         1 package Morningstar Farms MealStarters burger crumbles

·         1 envelope taco seasoning mix

·         ¾ cup water

·         1-2 cups crushed tortilla chips (can also use corn tortilla shells)

·         1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chiles, drained

·         2 (10 oz.) cans enchilada sauce, divided

·         1 (8 oz.) carton nonfat sour cream, divided

·         1 (16 oz.) can vegetarian refried beans, divided

·         1 (8 oz.) package shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided

Directions

1.      Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

2.      Put frozen crumbles into a skillet over medium heat, breaking up into as it cooks.  Continue until no longer frozen, about 5 minutes.

3.      Stir in taco seasoning mix and water, bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer mixture until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in chopped green chilies and refried beans, remove from heat.

4.      Spread a scant 2/3 cup enchilada sauce evenly over the bottom of an 8x10-inch baking dish; top sauce with ½ of the crushed chips. Spread chips with half the sour cream, half the crumble/bean mixture, and 1/3 the cheese blend. Top with another 2/3 cup enchilada sauce and the remaining tortilla chips. Firmly press down on tortillas to compact the layers beneath.

5.      Spread remaining sour cream, crumble/bean mixture, 1/3 the cheese blend and 2/3 cup enchilada sauce onto chips. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese blend.

6.      Bake casserole uncovered in the preheated oven until the cheese topping is melted and bubbling and casserole is hot, about 20 minutes.

I was following the intiial recips (except using tortilla chips instead of shells) until I tried to spread the sour cream on top of the tortilla chips, then everything went to heck.  It is quite a difficult task to do without them moving around (so, use the shells if you like things a little easier).  I made a combination of the shells, enchilada sauce, and chips as the first layer, followed by the crumble/bean mixture.  The next layer ended up pretty much the same.  However, it doesn’t really matter how you make it – it tastes wonderful.  I used PepperJack cheese instead of a Mexican blend and it added a nice kick to the meal – I also used medium-style enchilada sauce.  It was spicy (not too much for my husband) and very creamy (I don’t think that even the tortilla shells would have held their crunch against this meal!).  The taste is absolutely declicious (my mouth is watering right now as I remember it) and a great Mexican bite.  I definitely recommend this one!

Taco Pizza

Taco Pizza (adapted from KraftFoods, Servings: 6-8, Time: 30 minutes)

Ingredients

·         1 package Morning Star Farms Burger Crumbles

·         1 package taco seasoning

·         1 ready-to-use baked pizza crust (12 inch) OR 1 packet pizza dough (the kind that you just add water)

·         1 cup Mexican style shredded cheese

·         1 cup  shredded lettuce

·         1 large  tomato, chopped

·         Salsa

Directions

1.      Heat oven to 450°F (or according to pizza crust instructions).

2.      Mix dough according to package directions, if using pizza dough packet.

3.      Cook crumbles with taco seasoning as directed on package.

4.      Place crust on pizza stone and spread out into 10-12 inch circle.  Spread crumbles onto pizza crust; top with cheese.

5.      Bake according to pizza crust instructions or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted.

6.      Top with lettuce and tomatoes. Drizzle with Salsa.

It’s amazing sometimes how the simplest dishes can be so delicious.  This meal is a pretty healthy way to enjoy Mexican night.  I actually only had the opportunity to enjoy two slices (1 the night I made it and 1 for leftovers), my husband ate 6 slices in 2 days!  We both loved it.  I wanted to use homemade pizza dough, but didn’t have the time to make it.  I used a Betty Crocker mix that worked well.  I sprayed a pizza stone with Pam, which made it quite easy to roll out the dough.  The pizza was not soggy at all (I have had that problem in the past) and it held up well with the extra toppings of lettuce, tomato, and salsa.  A nice meal.

Meatless Tacos

Meatless Tacos (from Better Homes & Gardens, Total Time: 45 minutes, Servings: 8)

Ingredients

·         ½ cup water

·         ¼ cup lentils, rinsed and drained

·         ¼ cup chopped onion

·         8 taco shells (I used soft tacos)

·         1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce

·         1 envelope taco seasoning mix

·         8 oz. firm or extra-firm tub-style tofu, drained and finely chopped

·         1 ½ cups shredded lettuce

·         1 medium tomato, chopped

·         ½ cup shredded Mexican taco cheese

·         ½ cup bottled salsa

Directions

1.      In a medium saucepan combine water, lentils, and onion. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 25 to 30 minutes or until lentils are tender and liquid is absorbed.

2.      Meanwhile, heat taco shells according to package directions.

3.      Stir tomato sauce and taco seasoning mix into lentils. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Stir in tofu; heat through.

4.      Spoon into taco shells. Top with lettuce, tomato, cheese, and salsa.

I liked these tacos a lot – the lentils, tomato sauce, and taco seasoning mix helped to hide the tofu (which is usually a plus when you are serving to non-vegetarians).  A healthy Mexican dish with some protein and a good taste – not too much more I could ask for. My husband was not as big of a fan, probably because he knew there was tofu in it before he ate it.  I say give it a try!  It’s also nice that you can easily increase the spiciness factor by adding some red pepper or hot sauce!

Taco Soup

Taco Soup (slightly adapted from Kraft Recipes, 12 servings, Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 package Morningstar Farms burger crumbles

½ onion, chopped

3 cans (15.5 oz. each) mild chili beans (check ingredients to make sure they are vegetarian)

1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained

1 can (14.25 oz.) corn, undrained

1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce

1 pkg. (1-1/4 oz.) Taco Seasoning Mix

1 ½ cups water

1 ½ cups shredded Mexican or Taco cheese

Directions

1.)    Cook burger crumbles and onions in a large saucepan over medium heat until crumbles are thawed.

2.)    Add all remaining ingredients except cheese.  Bring to boil, then simmer on medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3.)    Top with cheese.

This is a great dish for a cool day – it heats things up in two ways!  Adding the diced tomatoes with green chiles definitely kicks it up a notch – I don’t think I would have been satisfied with the original recipe.  The way it is, it met the tastes of both my husband and me - which is always a plus -  not too spicy and not too mild.  The onions and corn provide a little crispiness to an otherwise soft dish.  The texture is much thinner than the soups I am used to, but the cheese helps to add some thickness to it.  If you like a creamy soup, I suggest adding less water, or draining the tomatoes and corn. 

This is a good base recipe that allows you to easily adjust for the spiciness factor (adding jalapenos, hot sauce, etc.).  Have fun playing around with it!