South of the Border Wraps

This is a great recipe to use when I have to feed my guys at several different times.  I can have all the elements ready to go and just have to build each wrap as needed.  There is no cooking involved, so this is a perfect thing to prepare on a hot day.

I found this recipe in a Quick Cooking magazine (renamed Simple & Delicious), but it didn't contain any kind of meat, so I altered it by adding chicken tossed in a Southwest seasoning mix.  This recipe gets all 8's on the Melnarik rating scale.  The recipe below makes enough for 3 wraps when using the soft taco size tortillas.  As a can of beans contains more than the 1/2 cup this recipe calls for, it's easy to double it to feed more people.  I usually prepare all of the beans in the can and make extra chicken so it's available for a quick sandwich. 

I put the beans, which have been rinsed and drained, in a shallow bowl.

Using a fork, I mash the beans into a thick paste.

To the beans, I add the salsa, cilantro, and green onions.

The salsa makes the mixture more spreadable.

To make this meal easier to prepare, I use the grilled chicken strips that are sold in most markets as well as the discount warehouse stores.  Any leftover chicken breast meat could also be used.  I cut the chicken into 1/2-inch cubes.  In a shallow bowl, I place the cooked and cubed chicken and add the Pampered Chef Southwest Seasoning mix.  I don't know if there are other brands available out there, because I like this brand so much, I've never looked before.

I toss the chicken and the seasoning until all the pieces are coated.

After heating the tortillas in the microwave to make them pliable, I place about a third of the bean mixture down the center of one tortilla.

I top that with 1/3 of the chicken.

The chicken gets topped with a generous amount of the shredded cheese.

The whole thing gets wrapped up burrito style and it's ready to consume!

 This is a tasty and healthy sandwich that can be assembled quickly and easily.  Enjoy!

South of the Border Wraps

1/2 cup black beans, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons prepared salsa

1 tablespoon chopped green onions

1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro

1 cup cooked, cubed chicken breast

2 tablespoons Pampered Chef Southwest Seasoning Mix

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

3 flour tortillas, soft taco size (about 9 inches)

In a bowl, mash beans.  Add salsa, onions and cilantro; mix to combine.  In a separate bowl, toss chicken with seasoning to coat.  Spread 1/3 bean mixture on tortilla, top with 1/3 chicken and 1/3 cheese.  Roll up burrito style.  Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Liza's Mint Brownies

Who doesn't love brownies?  I know I do, but I also love mint, specifically chocolate mint.  So, I decided to try making mint brownies and the result was/is spectacular!

These brownies have the same look and texture of "normal" brownies with the added benefit of mint flavor.  I get raves on these brownies any time I serve them.  My boys get excited if they come home and smell that I've made a batch of these treats.  The only person who doesn't care for them is my husband because he doesn't like mint.  He thinks I've ruined a good batch of brownies when I've added the mint.  We really don't mind, as we figure there are more mint brownies for us!  The rest of us give this recipe 9's and 10's on the Melnarik rating scale.

The first thing I do is prepare my 9- x 13-inch baking pan.  I line it with non-stick foil, leaving a couple of inches of foil to hang over each end.  If you do not have the non-stick foil, then the foil you use will need to be greased.  I do this not only to ensure easy clean up, but also to aid in quicker cooling of the brownies and it allows a much easier way to cut them once cooled.  I will explain fully later.

One of the reasons this recipe is so simply is that I use the Ghiradelli brownie mix.  I try to always have this product on hand in case I need to whip up a dessert for something.  I like to buy the large box from Costco, as it contains 6 pouches, of which I use 2 for this recipe.  Individual boxes are available in most grocery stores also. The amounts of the additional ingredients needed to make the brownies are listed on the package.

To begin, following the directions on the box, in a medium bowl I combine the oil and the egg for one batch of brownies, mixing thoroughly.

To that, I add one package of the brownie mix.

I mix these together using about 40 strokes, so as to not overwork the batter.  There will still be some lumps (some are the chocolate chunks), but don't worry about them.

This first batch of brownie mix gets spread on the foil in the baking pan.

I top this with a layer of mint patties. I had this bag for a while, and during the heat waves at the beginning of October, they must have gotten warm enough that when they cooled, they got this whitish film on them.  They are still perfectly good to use if this happens.  The main thing here is to use the right type of mint patties.  DO NOT USE York Peppermint Patties as they are too thick!  From experience, I know that they don't melt completely into the brownies (this is what you want to have happen) and they can bubble up over the sides of the pan and make a horrible mess in your oven!  I use the Palmer brand.  Using the 14 oz. bag means there are only 2 patties left over.  Each patty is approximately 1-1/2 inches in diameter and not even 1/4 inch thick.  They are perfect for this recipe.  As you can see from the picture, I completely cover the brownie batter with mints, cutting some patties in half to fit. 

I mix up a second batch of the brownies in the exact same way as the first and spread it on top of the mints.  Into the oven it goes for 10 minutes longer than the box calls for when baking a 9- x 10-inch dish (or double recipe) of the brownies.

When they come out of the oven, they smell heavenly.  I leave them in the pan on a cooling rack for about 10 minutes.

Because brownies are so dense, they take a very long time to cool.  Lining the pan with foil helps speed the process a little bit.  By using the extended foil at the ends of the pan as handles, I lift the whole thing out of the pan and place it on the cooling rack.  This way, the brownies are no longer surrounded by the hot pan which would need to cool before the brownies begin to cool, and the air can get completely around them to help them cool faster.  Sometimes I elevate my cooling rack on inverted snack cups (see my Stromboli recipe) to help with the air flow.  I'm not saying they will cool fast, just more quickly than they would if they were left to cool in the pan.

The other benefit to using the foil is the ease in cutting the completed brownies.  I move the foil with the brownies to a cutting board (to protect my table).  Then, using a sharp large knife and and a rocking motion, I can cut them in no time!  This is much faster than using the sawing method while cutting brownies in the pan.

From the first picture at the top, you can see that the mints have melted completely into the brownies, which are moist and delicious.  Whenever I take these mint brownies to a function, I always prepare a small sign indicating they are mint brownies.  That way, if there are other people like my husband, they won't be disappointed.  Also, you won't find any thrown away in the trash, as true mint chocolate lovers will savor every morsel!  Enjoy!

Taco Cornbread Squares

I know when my boys were younger, if I tried a new recipe that would in any way taste like tacos, it was sure to please.  This is one of those recipes.  I hadn't made this dish in quite some time, but as my guys gobbled it up they were raving about it.

This casserole really makes a pretty presentation with all of the vivid colors.  I got this recipe from a co-worker years ago and my guys liked it from the first time I made it.  Back then, I wasn't asking them to rate new recipes, but now this dish gets 8's and 9's on the Melnarik rating scale.

I begin by putting the ground beef and chopped onion in pan and cooking then until the meat is browned and the onions soft and translucent.

While that is cooking, I begin to prepare the cornbread for the first layer of the casserole.  In a medium bowl, I combine the milk and the egg, stirring to break up the egg yolk.

I add the cornbread mix to that and stir to combine.

This cornbread mixture gets poured into a greased 9-inch square pan and is put in the oven to bake at 350° for 15 minutes.

While the cornbread is in the oven and once the meat and onions are cooked, I drain off the fat.  Then I add the taco seasoning, mixing thoroughly to combine.

To the meat mixture I add the refried beans, mixing thoroughly.  Once combined, I let that simmer until the cornbread is ready to come out of the oven.

In the meantime, I put the sour cream in a medium bowl.

To the sour cream, I add 1 cup of the shredded cheese, mixing well to combine.

When the cornbread comes out the oven, it should not be browned yet as it will be going back into the oven again.  However, it should be fully baked so that it's ready to take the next layers.

The meat mixture gets spread directly on top of the cornbread layer.  I apologize, I must have forgotten to take a picture of the next layer, which is the sour cream and cheese layer.  This goes on next and the dish gets put back in the oven for an additional 20 to 25 minutes until it is heated through and the cheese is melted.

When the casserole comes out of the oven, it's ready to dress with the remaining cheese, shredded lettuce and tomatoes.  If one of my boys has a friend join us for dinner, I add the toppings directly to the casserole assuming the entire thing will be eaten at the one sitting.  But, if I expect leftovers, we apply the toppings to each individual serving so that the casserole can be reheated in the microwave and the toppings added later.  Enjoy!

Taco Cornbread Squares

1 lb. ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

1 package (8.5 oz.) cornbread/muffin mix

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

1 envelope taco seasoning mix

1 can (1 lb.) refried beans

1 cup (8 oz.) sour cream

1-1/2 cups (6 oz) shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1 medium tomato, chopped

1 cup shredded lettuce

Preheat oven to 350°.  In a large saucepan, brown ground beef and onions until meat is no longer pink; drain.  In the meantime, in a medium bowl, combine the cornbread mix, egg and milk.  Spread in a greased 9-inch square baking pan.  Bake at 350° for 15 minutes.  Once the meat is cooked and drained, add the taco seasoning and mix well.  Add the refried beans and mix well.  Spread over cornbread.  Combine sour cream with 1 cup of cheese; spread over meat mixture.  Bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.  Top with remaining cheese, lettuce and tomatoes.