Cheap Eats :: Hot and Spicy Taco Filling

To be honest, I use this taco filling for burritos more often than tacos lately...but this recipe gets played in nearly every single bi-monthly meal plan.

It's on the spicy hot side, so I'll add notes for ways to cool it off for families that aren't into the extra kick. My son has a harder time with the spiciness, but we are trying to toughen him up...he can power through this recipe as is, but the husband adds Tapatio to it. That should give you an idea of the heat scale.

Hot & Spicy Taco Filling (or burritos)

Ingredients

• 1lb ground beef
• 1 8oz can of El Pato Tomato Sauce (Mexican style...aka hot!) *use regular plain old tomato sauce if you don't want the heat
• 1/4 can of Rosarita Traditional Refried Beans *use the rest as a side dish
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp dehydrated onion
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Directions
1. Brown and drain ground beef
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and beef back to the pan and combine well.
3. Cook on medium heat for 5-7 mins until most of the liquid has evaporated.
4. Serve in taco shells or in burrito-sized tortillas with your favorite cheese and toppings!

 

 

Taco Night is on!

Cheap Eats :: Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce with Noodles

This is a personal favorite of mine. I don't know if it's the mix of carb-loaded noodle joy  mixed with peanuts...but I love love love Thai-style peanut sauce, really on anything.

I found this recipe and got excited. The only really exotic ingredient is sesame oil. I can swing that cheaply (TJs) and the rest is already in the cupboards.

Again, I threw half of a grilled chicken breast on top, because it was there...but this is great alone on noodles.

You can dress it up with green onion, or not. Crushed peanuts, or not. Some Sriracha, or...well, you get the picture. Just by itself, it's amazing.

Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce
sauce for 1-2 servings (double to serve 4)

Ingredients
1 tbs brown sugar
1 tbs peanut butter
2 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs sesame oil
red pepper flake (to taste, I used about 1/4 tsp for mildly spicy.)
1/4 tsp sesame seeds (optional )

Directions
1. Mix ingredients in a bowl until smooth
2. Toss with noodles
3. Top with crushed peanuts, chicken, green onion, sesame seeds

Cheap Eats :: Sweet Heat Sticky Chicken

I bought some orange marmalade a month ago for a recipe I never made. So I was left with a jar and nothing to do with it.

So, I bought some chicken legs at my last trip to Winco and rather than the usual BBQ or roast chicken legs, I decided to try and whip up a sticky glaze with the marmalade.

I loved a recipe that my mom made as a kid, she called it Sticky Chicken. It was made with apricot nectar...something like that. But I loved it! It gave me a taste for sweet glazed chicken. But how to stike a flavor balance?

Heat.

Sweet Heat Sticky Chicken

Ingredients:

6-8 Chicken Drumsticks

Sauce
1/2 cup orange marmalade
3 tbs ketchup
3 tsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp(or more) Red pepper Flakes
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1 clove garlic (minced)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400

1. For the sauce, this is easy, mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
2. Place chicken in a baking dish or on a baking sheet
3. Brush the chicken with the sauce
4. Bake the chicken for 20 mins

5. Remove and brush with sauce again
6. Bake an additional 20 mins
7. Remove and brush again
8. Bake for 15-20 more minutes (I let mine go the full 20)
9. Remove and serve

We had ours with baked red potatoes and it was great. VERY sticky and a nice amount of heat in the background. You'll love it!