taco night!

A couple of weeks ago I made the Oven Baked Tacos that have been floating around Pinterest. I made a few changes the 2nd time I made them to fit our tastes a little more and we all love them! With the tacos I served black beans and PW's Mexican Rice. It was a great meal.

Hudson loves Mexican food! South Texas is a great place for this kid. :)

Here are the recipes I used with my tweaks. 

Oven Baked Tacos

adapted from Mommy I'm Hungry

2 pounds ground beef

1 onion, diced 

1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies
1 packet taco seasoning
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1/2 of a (16 oz.) can fat-free refried beans
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
18-20 hard taco shells

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large skillet brown ground beef and onion over medium-high heat. Drain any fat. Return to pan, add chilies, refried beans, crushed tomatoes, and taco seasoning. Mix well and cook for a few minutes if mixture seems runny. Spoon the taco meat mixture into the taco shells and place into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, standing up. Sprinkle cheese over the top of the taco meat in each shell. Place into the oven and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the tacos are heated through. Remove from the oven and top with favorite taco toppings.

Mexican Rice
adapted from The Pioneer Woman


2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
1/2 whole Large Onion, Chopped
2 cups Long Grain Rice
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 can Rotel Diced Green Chilies And Tomatoes (10 Ounce Can)
1 can Whole Tomatoes (14.5 Ounce Can)
2 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth (more If Needed)
1 teaspoon Cumin (more To Taste)
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
Fresh Cilantro, Chopped

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add rice and garlic. Stir constantly, making sure the rice doesn’t burn. Cook over low heat for 3 minutes. Add Ro-tel and tomatoes. Stir to combine and let cook for 2 minutes. Finally, add broth and stir together. Add some kosher salt and a good teaspoon of cumin--—more if you love cumin flavor! Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 to 15 additional minutes or until rice is done. Add more liquid as needed; rice shouldn’t be sticky. Just before serving, sprinkle lots of freshly chopped cilantro over the top.

Slow Cooker Black Beans
adapted from Our Everyday Dinners

1 pound dry black beans
4 cups beef stock, plus water to cover beans
1/2 an onion, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 can tomato paste
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper

Rinse beans and check for rocks. Cover beans with water and soak overnight. In the morning, rinse the beans and place in the slow cooker. Cover with beef stock/water and add the onion, garlic, red bell pepper, and a large pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 6-8 hours on low in the slow cooker. About an hour before serving, add the tomato paste, vinegar, brown sugar, red pepper, and cumin. Stir and then taste for salt and add more if necessary. Cook for another hour on low.