Taquitos!

When I used to teach school we had these disgustingly fabulous things in the cafeteria called crispitos. They are indescribably bad for you, but I loved them. This is not a recipe for those because I have no IDEA how to make them. I did however come up with a way to make taquitos that have infinitely more flavor than any I've ever had at a Mexican restaurant. And when I say I came up with it, I totally mean Dustin. The best part is the that filling can be made ahead in the crock pot and stored until you need it.

Taquito filling:
2-3 boneless skinless chicken breast
3/4 mild salsa
2 tbs of melted butter
2.5 tbs of cilantro 
juice of one REAL LIME  - don't be using the bottled stuff
1 tbs of chili garlic sauce (you find it in the Asian food section)

Place the chicken in your crock pot with the butter. Mix the salsa, lime juice, cilantro and chili garlic sauce in a bowl. Pour over the chicken. Let it cook for two hours on low. Don't over cook or it will be dry. When it is almost cool, finely shred the chicken. Reserve about 1/4 of a cup of the juice in the crock pot to store with the chicken so it doesn't dry out. You can use more if you think you need it.

When you are ready, fill corn tortillas - the kind that have not yet been fried - and roll. Heat oil in a cast iron skillet. You only need about an inch to an inch and a half in the bottom of the skillet. Get it good and hot. Don't be scared. If your oil isn't hot enough, your taquitos will be greasy. Also make sure you have tongs handy for turning and for rescuing taquitos once they are cooked. Lay the taquitos down on the pan on their flap so they stay closed. Cook for about 1-2 minutes until that side is golden brown. Then turn and cook the other side. Remove from the pan and lay on a plate with paper towels to drain.

We ate ours with avocado halves and sour cream, but you could do Spanish rice and black beans too.
This makes about 8 taquitos. If you need to make more than that, just add chicken breasts to the crock pot!

Easy Beef Bourguignonne

Okay I swear that I have other sources for recipes, but Real Simple is the star of my kitchen right now! Typically I tweak their recipes just a little bit, but this one I made straight up. It takes 30 minutes and involves very little prep work. This is perfect for a Friday night dinner or Sunday lunch. You can serve it with rice or potatoes. Or really whatever you like.

1.25 lbs sirloin steak cut into one inch pieces (I used london broil)
10 oz of fresh sliced mushrooms
16 oz pk frozen cocktail onions (I used the jarred ones because I couldn't find frozen)
2 cups of red wine (if you don't drink a lot of wine, buy the singles so the rest doesn't go bad; also I used cabernet sauvignon)
1 10.75 oz can of Campbell's Golden Mushroom soup
olive oil
salt and pepper

I used my enameled cast iron pot for this.  If you have one, or a dutch oven you should use it!
Heat 1 tbs of olive oil until shiny. Drop in your meat and brown it until its not pink.  It's tempting to keep stirring it, but really just let it brown on one side then turn it over.  Brown food tastes good!
Move your meat to a separate bowl and drop in your mushrooms and onions. Cook until the moisture evaporates. Pour in the red wine, reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half. BE PATIENT! Add the can of soup and 1/4 cup of water. Bring to a boil. Return the meat and juices from the bowl to the pot. Salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for two more minutes, and serve over rice or with potatoes and a green vegetable.
Serves 4.

I packaged up the leftovers and frozen 1/2. Real Simple says the frozen leftovers will be for 3 months.

crockpot french dip sandwiches with gravy dip

I love love love McAllister's Deli's french dip sandwiches because they serve it with "comeback" gravy. And I do. Come back that is.  But eating out gets expensive, so I found a recipe and tweaked it a tad.  I have to say, it was pretty amazing.  And, it's a crockpot meal so it has the added bonus of being  quick and easy.  It makes about 4 sandwiches.

1 1/2 lbs of boneless round steak
1 envelope of onion soup mix (we couldn't find any without msg, but I am on the hunt.)
12 ounces of beef stock (KITCHEN BASICS brand!)
8 ounces of shredded cheese - I used mozzarella but you can use any kind you like
1 loaf of bakery French bread

Combine the beef stock and the onion soup mix in the crock pot and then add the meat.  Cook it on low for 8 hours.  Remove the meat and gently pull it apart with a fork. DO NOT THROW AWAY THE JUICE IN THE CROCK POT! You need that for the gravy.  Cut the French bread into four sections and then open them up.  Layer meat and top with cheese.  Wrap them individually in foil and pop them in a 375 degree oven for 15 minutes.  While the cheese on the sandwiches is melting, dump the juice into a sauce pan and bring it to a boil.  In a small cup mix about 2 tbs of corn starch with enough water to make it liquid. Add it to the boiling pot and reduce the heat to a simmer.  Whisk it while it simmers until it thickens. If two tbs of corn starch isn't enough, mix up some more and add. Just be a little careful; the gravy can get too thick.  Season the gravy to taste.

I served this with sliced cucumbers and hummus and potato chips (not terribly healthy, I know, but I LOVE to dip the potato chips in the gravy!)