what to do with leftover taco filling

So, you have leftover taco filling? I know.. it's a shocking thing! I mean you can do nachos,but they are a bit over done honestly. Tasty, yes! Boring tho. I have been mucking around with other ways to deal with leftovers and have my family enjoy them. Pasties! Tasty little hand pies, filled with tasty goodness. So I hunted a pie crust recipe that used the food processor. I found this one.
http://www.marthastewart.com/333879/savory-pie-crust

Yield
One 9- or 10-inch pie shell
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Ingredients

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 to 4 tablespoons ice water
Directions

Place the flour, salt, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse to combine. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. While the machine is running, gradually drizzle in the water, processing until the dough comes together to form a ball.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and shape it into a flat disk. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

Now I did change it a bit, I cut my butter the night before, tossed with a small amount of flour, and put it into the freezer. I knew I needed it to be COLD, and frozen was about as cold as I could think of. I also omitted the pepper and added some garlic powder, cumin, and chili powder. Before I added the water, when I started getting things together I put the water into the freezer as well, again nice and cold, but with no ice cubes. I forgot to take pictures of all that.. but here is what you  need..


2 batches of the above pie crust recipe
about 2 cups leftover taco filling (mine was beef this time, from the hurricane tacos posted here http://tastytoesandotherthings.blogspot.com/2011/08/hurricane-tacos.html just use beef instead of chicken)
about 2 cups of leftover rice
cheese

(please ignore the bread in the background of the picture, it is my tasty challah that the kids wanted some of)

roll out the crust in 2 batches,

 and cut into about 4 inch rounds, I used a plastic cup to cut with.

Now start filling. You dont want too much in, or they explode.

Just a bit of rice

Then a bit of taco filling

Now a bit of cheese

Now wet one side with a finger dipped in water, smush the halves together and push the sides closed, then press with the tines of a fork. Poke 2 sets of holes in the top to vent, and lay on a parchment lined sheet pan.

bake in a 350 oven for about 30 to 35 mins. they will look mostly the same but firmer when you poke them.

You will still have some oozing out even when you crimp well. At least I did.
The kids LOVE this. They would have eaten them all if I let them. YUM!! I did have a few left that did not have meat, I ran out, so I filled them just with cheese and rice, they were good too, not as good, but good. What can I say, I like the filling.

Cran-Pineapple Pork

So I am a fan of the quick and easy dinner. I like no fuss. It's just easier that way. I came up with this. It's not only easy, but TASTY.

Cran-pineapple Pork

1 pork roast (frozen or not) The size that will fit in your crockpot well
1 can jellied cranberry sauce
1 can pineapple chunks
chopped garlic to taste

Put roast into crockpot, open can of cranberry sauce and dump in (you can break it up a little) open can of pineapple (steal a few pieces cause they are yummy) and dump in, juice and all, toss the garlic in over everything. Put on low for about 8ish hours. (6 if its thawed) Take roast out, turn crock to high,  thicken the liquid for gravy buy using cornstarch and water (it is just a faster way, and easier for the crockpot I find) make veggies, make a starch, and there you go!!! I would not advise eating the pineapple, it doesn't taste good. So you can use pineapple juice if you like. It might work. I don't know. If I ever get around to buying pineapple juice I will just drink it.

Christmas Quiche

OK, OK, OK, I know it is a bit early. BUT you have to plan!! OK, "I" have to plan. This is what we have Christmas morning. Every year. It is easy. Make it the day/night before and just reheat in the morning while the coffee is making.


QUICHE

so simple..

1 pie crust (or not, if not spray the pie dishes with Pam or other non stick spray)
8 eggs
1/4ish cup of milk OR cream OR half and half
1/3 cup shredded cheese of your choice
1/2 lb bacon, or sausage, or1/3 cup chopped broccoli

 Preheat oven to 350*
Take the pie plate, if you are using a crust, place it in the pan, if not spray with cooking spray.
In a LARGE bowl crack all 8 eggs add the milk/cream/half and half and mix well.
Into the crust or preped pie plate, put the filling topped with the cheese, then pour the eggs over top.
Place in oven and cook for about 30 mins, but check it. insert a knife and when it comes out clean it is done! So easy.
NOTE: if you are using the broccoli, it must be steamed 1st and then drained VERY well.

I also take the leftover bits of bacon, sausage, and broccoli and make "garbage quiche" SO good!. Make it the same way, just add all 3 things, the bacon, sausage, and broccoli (and cheese of course!) Same eggs and milk, and cooked the same way.

To reheat them, into the oven at 350 for about 15 mins. So pop them into the over, and then make the coffee!!

Enjoy the easy Christmas breakfast. You can of course add in some croissants, or the like to round out breakfast. I love this because I make it the night before in almost no time, and then while its cooking I wrap more gifts!

Impressed Chicken and Fruited CousCous

So here is another one that I don't have pictures of. I need to make it again before I can do that. However, this was VERY tasty and the kids gobbled it right up! I couldn't think of anything to call it other then "impressed chicken". I served it with something else new, "fruited couscous" again, very tasty! So here you go! This fed all 4 of us, 2 adults and 2 kids.


3 Boneless skinless chicken breasts
4oz (1/2 a block) cream cheese
2tsp garlic powder
tsp paprika
2tsp CRUSHED dried basil
2tsp CRUSHED dried oregano
2tsp CRUSHED dried parsley
1/2tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp minced dried onion
1/2 C seasoned flour (mix in some salt paprika garlic powder and pepper)
2 eggs mixed with about 1/2 C water
1C seasoned bread crumbs mixed with
1/4C crushed cheeze-its (left overs from the kids snacking)

pound the chicken thin
mix the cream cheese, paprika, garlic, onion, pepper, basil, oregano, and parsley together
divide the cheese into 1/3s and place each portion into the center of the chicken, fold the sides of the chicken OVER the cheese and then roll up.
Wrap in plastic wrap, and put into the freezer for about 30 mins or in the fridge for a few hours.
Mix up the seasoned flour, and bread crumbs.
Beat the eggs and water together.
roll the chicken in the flour, then egg then breadcrumbs.
preheat the oven to 400*
I would have liked to put the chicken in the fridge for another half hour at least, but didn't have time
Bake in oven for 30 mins uncovered (check temp at least 160* please!!)
Remove from oven and let set for about 10 mins.

YUM!!! This came out so good I was SO impressed with myself!! I served it with fruited couscous.

1 1/2 C water
1/2 tsp chicken base
1/8 C dried apples
1/8 C crasins
1 C pearl couscous
1Tblsp butter

heat water to boiling
add everything but couscous
simmer for 3 mins, add couscous
cook stirring occasionally for 5 mins
add butter and stir cooking for another 3-4 mins
let set for 5 mins
PERFECT!
Try it, impress everyone!!