Korean Tacos

When I saw this recipe, it reminded of the time I went to Chicago and had super yummy asian tacos there. I haven't had anything similar since then until now. Here's the recipe-

INGREDIENTS

TACO MEAT:

• 3 lbs beef chuck roast
• 1/2 large white onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, (light or dark)
• 1/3 cup soy sauce or coconut aminos
• 10 cloves minced garlic, (see shortcuts in notes)
• 1 inch of fresh ginger root, grated, (or you can use 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger or 1 teaspoon ginger pulp from a tube)
• 1 medium jalapeno, seeded and diced
• 2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil

ASIAN SLAW:

• 2 cups coleslaw, (the mix with carrots)
• 2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS:

• finely chopped cucumbers
• Sriracha mayo
• Gochujang sauce
• lime wedges
• sesame seeds
•  green onions
• red onions
• red cabbage
• corn or flour tortillas for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

 

• Place all taco meat ingredients in a slow cooker or instant pot. Add salt and pepper as desired. For the slow cooker: cook on low for 8-10 hours or until meat is fork tender. For the instant pot: Cook on high pressure for 1 hour and let pressure release.
• Remove meat from the slow cooker or instant pot and shred with two forks. Return meat to the pot with the juices.
• For the Asian slaw: combine all ingredients and chill until serving.
• Use tongs or a slotted spoon to remove the meat from the pot. Serve on warm tortillas topped with the Asian slaw, diced cucumbers, and sriracha mayo or Gochujang sauce. Squeeze with lime if desired.

These are so so good! I was nervous about it but they turned out way better than I expected. I used the slaw and sriracha mayo for my toppings. So delicious!

Creamed Corn

 If you're looking for a way to spruce up your corn, this is a good and super simple way to do it! My whole family loved it. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

5 cups frozen corn, thawed

½ cup heavy cream

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

1–½ tablespoons granulated sugar

Pinch cayenne pepper

Pinch ground nutmeg

1 cup whole milk

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Instructions

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add corn, heavy cream, salt, pepper, sugar, cayenne pepper and nutmeg.  Stir to combine.

In a small bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the milk and flour.  Pour into corn mixture and stir to combine.

Cook, stirring constantly for 4-5 minutes, or until thickened and corn is cooked.

Season with additional salt, pepper, sugar, cayenne pepper and/or nutmeg if desired.

I like corn on the cob, but this is easier to prepare and something different to try. I'm a fan! It makes a lot, so feel free to half it. (I did)

Loaded Potato Soup

 I love soup season! I found the recipe somewhere on Instagram and wasn't expecting much, but my whole family loved it. Here it is:

Loaded Potato Soup

• 30 oz. bag hash browns (I recommend southern style)
• 10 oz. bag frozen cauliflower
• 2 cans chicken broth
• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 16 oz. diced ham (get it diced really small if you can - I found a good one at Winco)
• 15 oz. can corn, drained
• shredded cheddar cheese

Add has browns, cauliflower, chicken broth, cream of chicken, and cream cheese to crockpot. Cook on low 6+ hours or high for 4 hours. Use an immersion blender or hand mixer to puree some of the hash browns and cauliflower. Not all! You want to thicken things up but leave some chunks. Stir in ham and corn and let heat (10ish minutes). Top with cheese and salt and pepper.

This is so easy and so delicious. Pair with good bread or good fruit. :-)

Breakfast Casserole

If you want a breakfast casserole that is both delicious and includes some protein, this is a great one! Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 8 frozen hash brown patties
• 12 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 1 lb breakfast sausage
• 8 oz cheddar cheese
• 1 tsp salt

Directions:

Cook and drain the sausage. Beat eggs with milk and seasoning. Spray bottom of a 9x13 dish. Layer hash browns, sausage, cheese, and then egg mixture last. Cover with plastic and place in fridge overnight. In the morning, remove plastic and cover with foil. Bake at 350 for 1 hour, sometimes longer. The center must not jiggle. Let cool for a half hour before serving. Optional: serve with salsa and sour cream.

This is good as-is, but we also like to put it in tortillas for an easy breakfast burrito filling. Enjoy!

Teriyaki Noodle Skillet

This meal is super fast and easy, yet tastes amazing. I love that it seems like it must have taken forever to make, but actually is under 10 minutes. Here's the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:
* 1/2 pound thin spaghetti (or more)
* Assorted sautéed vegetables- several cups
* Rotisserie chicken meat - about two cups
* Teriyaki sauce - about 3/4 to one cup

DIRECTIONS:
1. Cook pasta
2. Sautè veggies in a large skillet with a bit of olive oil
3. Add drained noodles to the veggie skillet. Add chicken and teriyaki sauce.
4. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Note:
* I wish I would have added the entire pound of pasta because my family of 7 devoured the skillet and we wanted more.
* I used a combo of broccoli, cauliflower and mushrooms, but just broccoli and maybe some snow peas would have been awesome too.
* I used yoshidas brand marinade and teriyaki sauce, but a homemade teriyaki should be amazing too! It’s not hard to make your own teriyaki though… just Google a recipe!

Enjoy!

My favorite veggies to use in this are broccoli and carrots. Pro tip: I actually boil the broccoli for a few minutes before cooking it with the carrots. This gives it a softer texture, which my family prefers. If you like your broccoli crunchy, feel free to just throw them right in the skillet with any other veggies you've got in there. 

Crispy Baked Chicken Tacos

I hardly ever cook with ground chicken, but this was actually pretty good! I have made this recipe as-is, but I've also just put the filling into regular tortillas for easy soft tacos. My husband even likes to eat it plain for lunch the next day. Here's the recipe:

INGREDIENTS

AD
• 2 ½ tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 1 pound ground chicken
• ½ medium sweet onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles
• 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 ½ cups shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided
• 8 flour or corn tortillas, warmed

FOR SERVING

• Sour cream
• Pico de gallo
• Guacamole

INSTRUCTIONS

AD
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray.
• Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add ground chicken, onion and garlic, and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the chicken as it cooks; drain excess fat.
• Stir in green chiles, chili powder, paprika, oregano and cumin until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
• Remove from heat. Stir in cilantro and lime juice; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in 1 cup cheese until well combined.
• Working one at a time, spread chicken mixture on half of the tortilla; top with 1 tablespoon cheese, folding over to seal. Repeat with remaining tortillas to make 8 tacos.
AD
• Place tacos in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Brush tops with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil.
• Place into oven and bake until toasted and crispy, about 12-15 minutes.
• Serve immediately with desired toppings.

I usually just add pico or salsa, but you could add whatever taco toppings you want. I always double or triple the recipe and I'd highly recommend that if you have more than four people in your family. :)

One more tip - if you're feeling lazy, I've taken out the spices and just replaced them all with taco seasoning. It is pretty much just as good. Ha!