Tamale Pie

This recipe is a great way to use up leftover chili. But, if your family devoured your entire pot o' chili, here's what you need:

1 can chili beans (do not drain)
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained
1 can diced tomatoes, drain off most of the juice
1-2 T dried onions
2 T taco seasoning, chili seasonings, or your favorite Mexican spices

(OR substitute leftover chili for the above items)

1-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 pkg cornbread mix
green onions, sliced (optional)

Combine all of the chili ingredients and pour into ungreased casserole dish. Top with prepared cornbread mix. Sprinkle cheese and onions on top.
Bake uncovered at 375 for 30-35 minutes until cornbread is golden brown and set.

Crock Pot Salsa Chicken

Black beans, corn and diced tomatoes are among our food storage staples.
We use all three in this easy crock pot recipe:

Combine the following in your crock pot:

1 cup chunky salsa
1 can black beans, drained
1 can corn, drained
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce, taco seasonings, or other "spice" (optional)

Layer 3-5 chicken breasts on top of the salsa mixture.

I usually cook this for 4.5 hours on med-high. You can adjust the time and temp to fit your schedule.

To serve, pile the chicken, veggies and sauce onto rice. Top with fresh cilantro, cheese and sour cream. The leftovers are great rolled in tortillas the next day.

Note: You can also use canned chicken from your food storage and cook everything in a skillet until warm and bubbly.

Chicken Sopa

I got this family favorite from my sister-in-law, who got it from my mother-in-law. Super easy, and super yummy!

1 cup chicken broth
3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and diced/shredded,
or 2 cans of chicken, or 1 bag from the freezer
1 dozen corn tortillas
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cup grated cheese
2 T dried onions
1 sm can green chilies
Dash garlic salt

Mix all ingredients except tortillas and cheese.
Cut tortillas in quarters and layer with chicken mixture in greased baking dish. Top with cheese. Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes.

Note: You can also make this in a skillet. Add the tortillas the last 3 minutes of cooking, and then top with cheese.

Favorite Fall Chili

Camryn calls this "Mom's Famous Chili" because I actually won a chili cook-off with this recipe. And all of the ingredients are from our 3-month supply.

Here's what you need:

2 cans chili beans (do not drain)

1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cans diced tomatoes (do not drain)

1 small can tomato sauce

Ground beef from the freezer

2 T cumin

1 ½ T chili powder

(OR substitute taco seasoning for cumin and chili powder)

2 T dried onions

1-2 T sugar

A dash of hot pepper sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine everything in your crock pot.

Cook 4-6 hours, depending on how much time you have.

This makes tons, so I usually plan on using the leftovers over baked potatoes (you could use mashed potatoes from your food storage too) or in Tamale Pie, tossed with macaroni or in another mexi dish.

Un-fried Refried Beans

Refried beans are a staple in our 3 month supply menus. You can store the regular cans of refried beans, you can get #10 cans of dried refried beans from the Cannery, or you can make your own from dried pinto beans.

Here's what you need:

2 cups dried pinto beans

2 tsp salt

Seasonings (cumin, chili pepper, onion, garlic, salt and pepper)

½ - 1 small can tomato sauce

Rinse and drain 2 cups of pinto beans. Add to a Dutch oven or stock pot and cover with water. Usually 6 cups of water for every 2 cups of beans is a good rule to follow.

But I just add water until the beans are covered by an inch or two. Cover the pot and set aside to soak for a few hours. You can soak beans overnight, but I just start them mid-morning.

Now we’re ready to start cooking. Discard any of the “floaties” from your pot. Drain and rinse the beans. Return to pot and add clean water. (6 cups or cover by and inch or two.) Add 2 tsp of salt. You can also add seasonings, bacon, onion, anything else at this point. Or you can wait and add it later. Just make sure that you don’t add anything acidic (like tomato sauce) until later or it will drastically slow down cooking.

You can also add 1-2 T of oil (bacon grease, other fat) to add flavor and keep the pot from boiling over. But if your pot is tall enough, you don’t need to worry about that. I skip this step.

Bring the beans to a boil. Then reduce heat, cover and simmer until the beans are tender.

Check periodically to make sure the beans are covered. If necessary, add more hot water to the pan.

Continue to cook (usually 1 hour – 1 ½ hours) until tender.

If there is still too much “juice” in the pot, I drain off some of the bean liquid.

Grab your potato masher (a wire whisk will work too) and start smashing. My kids do not like “chunks” so I mash them until really smooth. Add seasonings, tomato sauce (taco sauce, salsa or enchilada sauce works well too) and continue to mix until blended and smooth.

There are several methods for “refrying” the beans from here. But these beans are ready to eat and taste great on tostadas, wrapped in burritos, or even in enchiladas. This recipe makes enough for two meals for our family of five. Enjoy!