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Salsa!

My family LOVES salsa. Well…I should say that my dad and sisters LOVE salsa. My mom and I? Meh. Largely because we’re babies and find it too spicy.

The thing is, I really WANT to love salsa. It looks so good! It has tomatoes! You eat it with chips! All of these things indicate I should love it, but somehow I dip the corner of my chip in it, shake it off, and call it good. However, the crowds go wild for this salsa.

Seriously, it’s crazy. I was back in Kansas visiting my family last month for various graduations, and my mom made a big batch to take to my cousin Janelle’s party. We got there, set it out on the counter next to another big Tupperware container of salsa, started going through the line. And in LITERALLY FIVE MINUTES it had been totally devoured. I’ve never seen anything like it.

The best recipes are handwritten…

So rest assured, this is not just me saying it’s the best salsa, it’s a whole bunch of salsa-crazed outsiders.

It’s also the easiest thing in the world, and takes ingredients you can very easily acquire—including one secret ingredient.

That’s right, Rotel with lime juice and cilantro. Why? No idea. But seriously, it’s the secret ingredient and without it your salsa will be only adequate, not spectacular.

You will ignore me and decide any old Rotel will do the trick.

And then you will cry because your salsa isn’t as good. Trust me on this one, and get the Rotel with lime juice and cilantro.

Dump the tomatoes and Rotel into a large food processor.

Strip the cilantro from the stems and add to the processor.

Throw in your diced onions.

And lastly, throw in some pepper and about three circles of garlic salt. “Circles” as in you heavily sprinkle the garlic salt in a circle three times. Don’t pretend that’s not a real measurement.

Fire that baby up, and blend or pulse until it reaches the consistency you want. Some people want theirs really watery and smooth like some Mexican restaurants have it, but that’s always weirded me out. I like some chunks in my salsa. But to each his own. You can also adjust the seasoning to your particular tastes.

Personally, I’d chill this before serving—room temperature things are weird—but my family dives right in. On second thought, you may want to make a double batch…

Fergen Family Homemade Salsa

• 1 large or 2 regular size cans of petite diced tomatoes
• 1 can of Rotel with lime juice and cilantro (it’s important to use this kind, makes a huge difference!)
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro
• Large dash of pepper
• 3 circles (as in circles around the food processor) of garlic salt

Pour the tomatoes into a large food processor, followed by the cilantro, diced onion, pepper, and garlic salt. Blend until it’s the appropriate amount of chunkiness for your particular taste. Chill if desired (I prefer it).

Salsa!

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Sesame-Soy Grilled Salmon

I’m having trouble accepting that my grilling season is almost over.

Yes, I realize that the weather in Atlanta will permit grilling pretty much year-round, but I’m also realistic about how well my electric grill will heat up if it’s 40 degrees outside. So I’m trying to squeeze all the grilling in that I can, and I’m on a super salmon kick. I was so excited when my first salmon grilling (Maple Citrus Grilled Salmon) went so well, that I felt brave trying it again. This one was just as easy, but more of a savory (I always want to spell it savoury, like the Brits) spin.

Besides the salmon, the marinade takes ingredients you probably have on-hand (except maybe the sesame oil, but I highly recommend keeping that stocked—it’s awesome).

Whisk together all the marinade ingredients in a bowl.

Place the salmon fillets in a large ziploc or tupperware container that seals well.

Pour in the marinade, seal, and put in the refrigerator for a few hours. If you’re desperate for dinner, it can be less than that.

When you’re ready to cook them, heat your grill to medium or medium-high (4 out of 5 on my grill). Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side.

Serve while they’re hot and fresh! These were so flavorful and the salmon just melted in your mouth!

Sesame-Soy Grilled Salmon

• 3 pieces of fresh salmon, 4 ounces each (wild-caught, if possible)
• 1 tablespoon of sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon of low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper

1. Whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic powder and onion powder in a bowl.
2. Place the salmon in a large ziploc bag or tupperware container. Pour the marinade over the salmon, seal, and let marinate for a couple hours (can be less if necessary).
3. Heat grill to medium or medium-high (around 4 out of 5 on my grill). Cook salmon for 3-4 minutes per side.
4. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Original recipe here

Sesame-Soy Grilled Salmon

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Easy Crockpot Beer Chicken

I rarely go in for crockpot cooking. Everyone waxes poetic about how easy it is, how much it saves your life, and how it’s basically the best thing since sliced bread. But I guess I just don’t get it.

I mean, I don’t hate crockpots. But I just haven’t had amazing luck with them. I mean, everything’s so…soggy. But every so often I run across a recipe that makes me want to give it another shot. I’d had this recipe bookmarked for a while, and overall I really like it. I do think it would be a little better with a darker beer (I tend toward stouts and darker beers like Negra Modelo), but I used something sitting in my fridge that I wasn’t going to be as likely to drink.

The recipe didn’t call for any veggies, but I added them anyway. If you have the time, it would probably be better to add the zucchini and squash to the slow cooker more like a half-hour before you’re ready to serve, since then they’ll still retain some crunch—as it is, they were practically transparent and fairly mushy. I didn’t mind but I’d probably change that next time. You can add whatever veggies you have around, it’s a super versatile recipe. I also cooked up some farro to use as a base for the recipe. It didn’t call for it, but it seemed a shame to waste all that tasty sauce. You can use anything you have on-hand—rice, quinoa, pasta, whatever.

Cut up your veggies. Like I said, I’d maybe wait and add them until the end next time, but either way works.

Lightly spray your crockpot with non-stick cooking spray. Lay the chicken breasts in the bottom, then pile the veggies on top and sprinkle with the spices. I didn’t have the dried oregano the recipe called for, so I used rubbed sage, rubbed thyme, and of course garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

Pour in the whole bottle or can of beer.

Cook on high for 4-5 hours, or if you’re going to be gone longer put it on low for 6-8 hours. About a half hour before you’re ready to serve, stir up the cornstarch with a little lukewarm water and stir into the crockpot to help thicken the sauce.

Also, cook up whatever grain or pasta you’re using for a base. This is my lovely cooked farro.

Ladle the sauce and veggies on top of the grains and chicken.

I roasted up some peppers as well, but just threw them on top (so they kept their lovely crispiness).

Et voila! Recipes like these definitely make me see the value of using the crockpot sometimes. It was simple, tasty, and gave me some good leftovers for the rest of the week. And I didn’t have to mess with the raw chicken at all, which is always a plus in my book!

Crockpot Beer Chicken

Original recipe here

Easy Crockpot Beer Chicken

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Pan-Caramelized Salmon

Salmon is one of my favorite simple, healthy dinners. It cooks quickly, is super versatile, and is such a nice break from boring chicken.

This recipe can be made either entirely on the stove or finished off with a nice broil in the oven. Besides the salmon, everything else in this recipe is a pantry staple, and you can throw it together in like 10 minutes total.

Mix the sugar, salt, and black pepper together in a shallow bowl or plate. Carefully dip each filet into the mixture and coat the entire surface of the salmon with the sugar/salt mixture (including the sides and skin).

Action shot!

Heat a little bit of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat (don’t recommend going higher). If you’re planning to finish it in the oven, make sure you use an oven-safe pan. When the oil is hot, add the salmon, skin side down in the pan, and saute for about 5 minutes. If there’s a lot of oil splattering, turn the heat down.

Flip the salmon—carefully, to keep the skin on—and saute for another 2-3 minutes. If the filet is super thick, you may need to kind of flip it on its side to get them, but most salmon filets aren’t that thick.

Now you get to choose your own adventure…

The best option is to use the oven to finish it, gives it a lovely caramelization on top. Preheat the broiler to 450 F. Sprinkle the top of each filet with another teaspoon or so the sugar/salt mixture. Transfer the pan from the stovetop into the oven. Let the salmon broil for 5-10 minutes (I’d say less, that seems crazy based on my broiling experience). Check occasionally to make sure it’s not burning. The sugar in the pan might look burnt but that’s okay as long as the tops of the salmon are looking golden brown.

If you don’t want to heat your oven up because it’s a million degrees in your house, just sprinkle some extra sugar/salt mixture on top of the salmon and turn the heat up a little, letting it cook for another couple minutes.

When the salmon is done cooking, remove from the oven or stove and allow to cool for a few minutes because that sugar gets HOT.

But make sure to eat it while it’s fresh! Sugar and salt and mmmm!

Caramelized Salmon

Pan-Caramelized Salmon

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Crockpot Chicken Pot Pie with Drop Biscuit Topping

Last weekend I had a plan. I knew that I only had two days of work to get through before break, including two work lunches and a dinner with friends, so I didn’t need to cook enough on Sunday for leftovers. I also wanted to be healthy, so I had some brussels sprouts sitting around and I planned to pick up a salmon filet for dinner, call it a day.

Then this pot pie totally derailed my Sunday dinner plans.

See, last Sunday (and several days thereafter) was just relentlessly gray. Gray, misty, chilly. One of those days where the only then you want to do is curl up in your jammie jams on the couch and read a book, then watch TCM for hours. The kind of day where you get the idea of chicken pot pie stuck in your head and you’re unable to dislodge it despite your best efforts and lazier tendences.

The thing is, I’d never made pot pie before. And honestly, I like pot pie just fine (anything with “pie” in the name, really), my mom’s is good, but pot pie isn’t a thing I’ve ever really craved. Pasta-as-comfort-food is more my style. So I didn’t have a triend-and-true recipe that I was willing to undertake, since I definitely didn’t want to deal with pie crust. In my mind, I was picturing making the filling in a slow cooker, and then topping with a drop biscuit crust—seemed easy enough. Unfortunately I couldn’t find a crockpot chicken pot pie filling recipe I liked (that didn’t include cream of chicken soup) or even a biscuit-topped pot pie for cooking times and so forth, so I decided to make it up as I went, pulling bits and pieces from some recipes and just using my brain for the other parts.

This chicken pot pie is probably the best I’ve ever had. Okay, not probably, DEFINITELY. It’s warm and hearty and comforting and feels decadent, but is secretly really healthy and easy and basically perfect. It’s great as leftovers. The biscuit crust is amazing. I could just eat the filling as a stew (which is saying something because I’m not keen on stew). What I’m saying is that you need to make this pot pie now.

Turn your crockpot on high.

Peel and dice the carrots and dice the potatoes (don’t peel them), then add to the crockpot. Pour the frozen corn and peas on top.

Dice up the chicken into even, bite-size pieces and add to the slow cooker. Pour in 2 cups of chicken broth, then season with salt, pepper, and rubbed thyme.

Cook on high (covered) for 2-3 hours. You’ll want to stir it every so often to keep it from sticking, and make sure that everything gets evenly cooked. I had to add a little more broth from time to time to make sure it had enough liquid.

When it seems all the veggies and chicken are cooked, you can get the roux started. Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Preheat the oven to 415 F.

Melt butter in a large skillet on medium, then add the onions. Cook for a couple minutes, then add the flour (I used whole wheat flour). Whisk everything together and start adding the milk, a little at a time.

Continue to whisk in the milk and combine everything, then add the chicken broth (I think I used another half cup or so) as well and whisk in. Let the mixture cook for a few minutes to thicken, then add to the crockpot.

Stir into the chicken and veggie mixture and turn the crockpot down to low. Taste the mixture to see if it needs more seasoning—I added more salt, some white pepper, and some more of the rubbed thyme. Let the mixture cook and thicken while you stir together the biscuit dough.

Pour the filling into a large oven-safe pan (I used my trusty cast iron). I’d be careful about over-filling the pan because you’ll end up with a mess in the oven (…”she says from experience”).

Drop dollops of biscuit dough around the edges of the pan, then in the middle as well.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until your biscuits are cooked through and browning, and the filling has gone all golden and crusty around the edges.

Let it sit for 5-10 minutes to set, then serve hot and fresh. The filling will be watery at first, but will thicken a lot more as it cools, so don’t worry about that.

Comfort in a bowl. Absolute belly-warming deliciousness.

 Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuit Crust

• 3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 3 large carrots, peeled and diced
• 4 small golden potatoes (or 1 large russet)
• 1/2 pound of frozen corn
• 1/2 pound of frozen peas
• 2 cups of chicken broth (I used low sodium) + some extra
• 1/3 cup of butter
• 1 small or medium yellow onion
• 1/3 cup of flour (I used whole wheat, gives it great flavor)
• 2/3 cup of milk (room temperature, or at least take the chill off)
• 2 tablespoons of minced garlic
• Salt, fresh ground black pepper, white pepper, rubbed thyme
• 1 batch of drop biscuit dough

Turn your crockpot on high. Peel and dice the carrots and dice the potatoes (don’t peel them), then add to the crockpot. Pour the frozen corn and peas on top. Dice up the chicken into even, bite-size pieces and add to the slow cooker. Pour in 2 cups of chicken broth, then season with salt, pepper, and rubbed thyme. Cook on high for 2-3 hours.

After the chicken is cooked and the veggies are softened (you’re probably good after 2 hours), get the roux started. In a medium skillet, melt the butter, then add the diced onion. Cook for a few minutes, until they start to soften. Add the garlic, then add the flour and whisk until it forms a paste of sorts. Pour in a little of the milk, whisk to combine, and then repeat this with the rest of the milk. You’ll probably also want to add some chicken broth to get it liquidy enough—I think I used a half cup or so. Once everything’s incorporated, let it cook for a minute to thicken, then add to the crockpot and stir it in. Turn the crockpot down to low and let the whole mixture thicken for a few minutes. Taste it and see if you need to adjust the seasoning—I added some more salt, white pepper, and rubbed thyme.

Preheat the oven to 415 F. Mix together the biscuit dough, then pour the filling into a large oven-safe pan (I used my cast iron). You may have some extra filling, I’d be careful about over-filling the pan because you’ll end up with a mess in the oven. Drop pieces of the biscuit dough around the outside edges and then in the center.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the biscuits are cooked through and browning, and the filling is bubbly and golden brown around the edges. Remove from the oven and let sit for a few minutes, then serve hot (the filling will continue to thicken as it cools).

Crockpot Chicken Pot Pie with Drop Biscuit Topping

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Balsamic Chicken and Brussels Sprouts

That’s right, we’re still on a healthy kick! And it’s delicious!

This recipe had been calling my name for a while, but getting decent brussels sprouts is kind of hard right now, and I also kind of avoid chicken when I can. Chicken’s kind of boring.

This chicken isn’t boring at all—it’s got a richness from the balsamic, a crunch from the walnuts, and serious fiber from brussels sprouts. It came together super fast and made for great work lunches for a few days.

Throw in a side of spaghetti squash and butternut squash and you’re on healthy overload! Seriously, the whole thing is a 20-minute meal, was super easy, and totally delicious!

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add the olive oil, then the sprouts, cut-side down.

Allow them to cook for several minutes until they’re well-browned (it may take less if they’re smaller sprouts). Then flip and cook on the other side for a few minutes.

Add the chicken to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the chicken is well browned on both sides, then0 add the thyme.

Continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through. Add the balsamic vinegar and walnuts, and cook for a few more minutes, until the vinegar is reduced and walnuts are toasted.

Serve hot, but this also makes great (if possibly a bit dry) leftovers!

Balsamic Chicken & Brussels Sprouts

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1/2 pound of fresh Brussels sprouts, halved
• 2 chicken breasts, sliced
• 1 teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup of chopped, toasted walnuts
• 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper

Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add the olive oil, then add the sprouts, cut-side down. Allow them to cook for several minutes (it may take less), until they’re well browned. Then flip and cook on the other side for a few minutes.

Add the chicken to the pan, and season with salt and pepper. Stir and cook until the chicken is well browned on both sides, and add the thyme. Continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through, then add the balsamic vinegar and walnuts. Cook for a few more minutes, until the vinegar is reduced and walnuts are toasted.

Original recipe from Skinny Ms

Balsamic Chicken and Brussels Sprouts

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Balsamic & Honey Grilled Chicken

You just can’t go wrong with a well-grilled marinated chicken breast. It is endlessly versatile—eat it fresh off the grill, re-heat with some veggies, throw it in a stir fry, make chicken salad.

This marinade is one of perfect simplicity…the balsamic vinegar helps slightly break down the meat, allowing the spices and garlic to really soak in, and the honey to make it super moist. But none of it overwhelms.

These suckers are so juicy and flavorful, but can go with just about anything!

In a large ziploc bag or container, pour the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic, honey, and rosemary, plus a generous pinch of kosher salt and fresh black pepper. Add the chicken breasts and refrigerate for 1-2 hours to let them marinade.

Preheat the grill to medium-high or high. Cook the chicken for 4-6 minutes on each side, then continue turning until the chicken is cooked though, about 10 minutes but it will depend on how thick your chicken breasts are.

Remove from the grill and let sit for a few minutes before serving.

Balsamic & Honey Grilled Chicken

• 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 breasts)
• 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons of honey, divided
• 1 teaspoon of fresh rosemary, minced, plus more for garnish
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. In a large ziploc bag or container, add the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic, honey, and rosemary, plus a generous pinch of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the chicken breast and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
2. Preheat the grill to medium-high or high. Cook the chicken for 4-6 minutes on each side, then continue turning until the chicken is cooked though, about 10 minutes or until chicken is opaque and juices run clear.
3. Remove from the grill and let sit for a few minutes before serving.

Original Recipe from foodiecrush

Balsamic & Honey Grilled Chicken

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Drunken Cheesy Bread

Question:  what should one serve at a girls’ night with wine, tiramisu, and Magic Mike XXL??

Answer:  drunken cheesy bread.  If you answered anything else, you’re wrong.

This recipe has been burning a hole in my Pinterest board, but I felt like I couldn’t justify making it for just myself on a random Sunday night.  So when my friend Casey came over for a long-overdue girls’ night, I knew what was on the menu.

In addition to be delicious and decadent-feeling, it’s also deceptively-simple and easy to prepare.  It literally took five minutes to put together (and that was just how long it took to grate the gruyere), then we popped it in the oven, drank some wine, and 20 minutes later a bubbly, cheesy delight popped back out.  The flavors together are AMAZING, and the wine soaks into the bread and creates a silky, almost custard-like texture.

Heat the oven to 400° F.  Butter an oven-proof skillet or casserole dish and place the bread in the dish.  Scatter the diced onion over the bread.  Tear or cut the bacon (or ham) into pieces, and scatter over the bread.

Sprinkle with pepper, and then pour the wine over the bread.

Top with the shredded gruyere.  Top it real good.

Bake until the cheese has melted and begun to brown at the edges, about 20 minutes.

Just take it all in.  That is girls’ night gloriousness.

Serve while it’s hot.  The leftovers for this are surprisingly good, but obviously it’s best fresh out of the oven.

Drunken Cheesy Bread

• 3/4 of a baguette, cut into 2-inch slices
• 1/2 of a medium yellow onion, diced
• 4-6 pieces of Trader Joe’s turkey bacon (or 1/8 pound of thinly sliced cooked ham, if that’s your jam)
• 3/4 cup of white wine
• 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) of grated Gruyere
• Butter for the pan

1. Heat the oven to 400° F.  Butter an oven-proof skillet or casserole dish.
2. Place the bread in the dish, and scatter the diced onion and diced/torn pieces of bacon over the bread.
3. Pour the wine over the bread, onion, and bacon, and sprinkle with the pepper.  Then top with the shredded gruyere.
4. Bake until the cheese has melted and begun to brown at the edges, about 20 minutes. Spoon onto individual plates.

Original recipe from Real Simple

Drunken Cheesy Bread

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Roasted Carrots & Fingerling Potatoes with Turmeric

Guys, I have been in a side dish rut.  That’s a real thing.

Side dishes seem like So. Much. Work.  I mean, I’ve already made a main dish and maybe a bread, and maybe a dessert.  And now you want me to make something else entirely to go beside it??  Basically I always get overwhelmed and then make basic roasted veggies or shredded brussels sprouts and call it a day.

It has—rather embarrassingly—been over two years since I posted a true side dish on the site, excepting the kale and quinoa pilaf from a couple months ago.  So I’m excited to bring this somewhat odd but delightful and super healthy side to you.  I’d wanted to try it for a while but…well, I really haven’t been cooking much besides nachos.  This was also my first time using turmeric, a spice used for millennia to combat inflammation and a variety of issues.  And these veggies are crazy fast and easy, so as long as your oven is free it doesn’t add any stress or logistics to dinner at all.

I used fingerling potatoes and carrots, but the original recipe, linked below, calls for radishes instead of potatoes.  Weirdly (since it’s springtime), my grocery store had absolutely no radishes, so I winged it (wung it?).

Preheat the oven 450 degrees.  Cut the potatoes in half, or quartered if they’re large and place the carrots in the bowl as well.  Pat them dry if they’re wet, they’ll roast better that way.

Drizzle with the oil and lemon juice. Toss well.

Add the spices and toss until the vegetables are evenly coated.

Spread the vegetables out in a single layer on a baking sheet (I lined a baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup).

Roast for 20-25 minutes, or until fork-tender.  You’ll want to start checking after 15 minutes, but mine needed closer to 25.

Remove from oven, and transfer to a serving bowl, or let cool and then refrigerate in Pyrex or tupperware.

Roasted Carrots & Fingerling Potatoes with Turmeric

• 1 1/2 pounds of organic fingerling potatoes, washed & halved or quartered
• 12 ounces of organic baby carrots, washed
• 2-3 tablespoons of melted organic coconut oil
• 1/2 of a lemon, juiced
• 2 teaspoons of dried organic parsley flakes
• 1 teaspoon of organic ground turmeric root
• 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon of real salt or sea salt

1. Preheat the oven 450 degrees.
2. Cut the potatoes in half, or quartered if they’re large.
3. Place the carrots and potatoes in a large bowl, and drizzle with the oil and lemon juice. Toss well.
4. Add the spices and toss until the vegetables are evenly coated.
5. Spread the vegetables out in a single layer on a baking sheet (I lined a baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup).
6. Roast for 20-25 minutes or until fork-tender (start checking after 15 minutes, but mine needed closer to 25).
7. Remove from oven, and transfer to a serving bowl.

Original recipe here

Roasted Carrots & Fingerling Potatoes with Turmeric

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Tex Mex Breakfast Casserole

It is a truth universally acknowledged that I am a super lazy breakfast casserole maker.  Which is why I basically refuse to try new recipes, because they all have, like, a billion ingredients (which makes them expensive) and require way too much prep work.  So it’s pretty unusual for me to take on this recipe on a Thursday night for Friday morning department breakfast.

But boy, am I glad I did.

While this requires a tad more prep than my usual recipe (mostly cooking up the potatoes), it was super yummy and totally worth it.  The prep probably only took 30 minutes total, and I was also getting a coffee cake in the oven as well so I could have cut that down a bit with some focus.  The spice mix is awesome, and the tortillas add a great texture along with the black beans.  This is definitely going into my regular breakfast rotation.

It’s also worth nothing that this is really doggone healthy as well.  Full of protein and fiber, and weighing in at around 100 calories per serving (assuming a 15-serving pan…probably more like 130 calories per serving if you have hungry people).  It was super filling and stuck with me all morning.  I had a second helping for a late lunch, in fact.

I made a few changes to the original recipe, including omitting the bacon out of laziness—also, turkey bacon doesn’t quite have the same effect.  I considered adding ground beef instead, but I was both lazy and cheap.  And honestly it doesn’t need it.  I also left out the cilantro (meh) and added cheese because…duh.  There’s a lot of flexibility in this recipe, so if there’s something you’re dying to add or substitute, go for it.  I’m not the boss of you.

Dice the potatoes fairly small and even, and cook with the olive oil in a large pan—I recommend cast iron..  Stir occasionally, for about 5 minutes, and the potatoes should be getting nicely golden and soft.

Add the diced red onion and bell pepper, and continue to stir occasionally and cook for another 5 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.

Add the black beans, chili powder, cumin, and salt, and let it all cook for another 4-5 minutes.  Then remove the pan from heat.

Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray and spread half of the black bean mixture in the bottom of the dish.  Sprinkle with half of the shredded cheese.  Cut the tortillas into strips and spread them over the top.

Repeat this with the other half of the bean mixture and cheese.  At this point you can cover the dish and place it in the refrigerator overnight if desired.

When you’re ready to bake it, preheat the oven to 350 F.  Place the remaining tortilla strips over the top of the layers, and sprinkle with a tad more cheese for good measure.  Because a little extra cheese never hurt anyone.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and season them with a little salt and the black pepper.  Pour the eggs into the baking dish, trying to make sure that it gets evenly distributed.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the eggs are set.  Serve with a dollop of sour cream and diced tomatoes.

Tex Mex Breakfast Casserole

• 1 large russet potato, diced small and even
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 (15 ounce) can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon of chili powder
• 1/2 tablespoon of cumin
• 2 teaspoons of kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 large corn tortillas or 4 small ones
• 3/4 to 1 cup of shredded Mexican blend cheese
• 10 eggs
• Optional for serving:  sour cream and diced tomatoes

1. In a large pan (I recommend cast iron), cook the potatoes and olive oil on medium, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.  The potatoes should be starting to be pretty soft at that point, then add the onion and bell pepper. Continue to cook for another 5 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
2. Add the black beans, chili powder, cumin, and salt, and let it all cook for another 4-5 minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat.
3. Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray.  Spread half of the black bean mixture in the bottom of the dish and sprinkle with half of the shredded cheese.  Cut the tortillas into strips and spread them over the top, then repeat this with the other half of bean mixture and cheese.  At this point you can cover the dish and place it in the refrigerator overnight if desired.
4. When you’re ready to bake it, preheat the oven to 350 F.  Place the remaining tortilla strips over the top of the layers and sprinkle with a little bit more cheese.
5. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and season them with a little salt and the black pepper.  Pour the eggs into the baking dish, trying to make sure that it gets evenly distributed.
6. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the eggs are set.  Serve with a dollop of sour cream and diced tomatoes.

Original recipe from Girl Gone Gourmet

Tex Mex Breakfast Casserole
poodster2002