Posted by T.W. Anderson on May.31, 2009

We recently showed how to make some delicious tortillas and the most common filler used in a variety of Mexican recipes–refried beans. Now it’s time to move on to the actual meals that you can make with those two basic starters.

Everyone knows about burritos and tacos, of course, but there are plenty of other ways that you can experiment in order to create a Mexican feast that your family will be remembering for weeks to come.

Burritos

Everyone loves a good burrito. The basic principle is make a mess within the tortilla shell, roll it up, and enjoy! But there are a few variations you can throw into the  mix in order to spice things up. You will need:

• Refried beans
• Flour tortillas
• 1 small onion
• Lettuce
• 1 small tomato
• Shredded cheese
• Sour Cream

Dice your tomato, onion, and the lettuce.

Put a liberal helping of refried beans mix into the shell, then add your vegetables, cheese, sour cream, roll it up, add a dash of salt and pepper, and enjoy!

You can also switch things up a little bit by adding add salsa to the mixture, bringing an extra bit of spice, or you can add meat, pork, or chicken. One of my favorites is to make a lemon-pesto chicken and add that to the burrito. The chicken only takes a few minutes to cook, and is a healthy addition to the burrito if you want a little meat added to it. For the chicken you will need:

• 1-2 chicken breasts
• Pesto sauce (your choice; there are a variety on the market)
• Fresh lemon juice
• Brown sugar
• extra virgin olive oil

Cut the chicken into small chunks and put it into a bowl. Add a couple tablespoons of pesto sauce, a couple tablespoons of brown sugar, the lemon juice, and a couple tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Mix it all up and cook on medium-to-high heat in a frying pan for 5-6 minutes on each side. Viola, quick and easy!

Tacos

Corn tortillas have a really nice flavor that is quite different from the flour tortilla. This taco recipe is a favorite in our household. You will need:

• Ground beef
• Shredded cheese
• Lettuce
• 1 or 2 tomatoes
• 1 can of tomato sauce
• 1 small onion
• corn tortillas
• extra virgin olive oil

Dice your vegetables and set them aside. Fry up your ground beef, spicing to your personal desires. Some people like to use taco seasoning, while others don’t. Let your own taste buds be the judge.

Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan. Heat to medium, then place 2 or 3 corn tortillas in the pan, lightly frying on each side for about 15-20 seconds, or until they begin to bubble. The longer you cook them, the crispier they will get, so you can adjust to your personal preference. Fold them, and place them on some paper towels to soak up the extra oil.

Drain your ground beef of the fat and drippings and set aside.

Using a small sauce pan, heat up your tomato sauce. Alternatively you can heat it up in the microwave.

Put your meat, cheese, and vegetables into a shell. Drizzle with hot tomato sauce, add a dash of salt and pepper, and enjoy!

Nachos

Nachos are a quick and tasty treat that are a sure-fire way to liven up any occasion. They can be used as simply an appetizer, or they can become an entire meal. You will need:

• 1 bag of tortilla chips
• Green onions
• Small red onion
• Refried beans
• Shredded cheese
• Sour cream
• Salsa
• 1-2 tomatoes
• Olives

Pre-heat your oven to around 350 degrees.

Dice your vegetables. Spread a layer of tortilla chips on a baking sheet, 2-3 chips deep.

Apply liberal amounts of the refried beans over the tortilla chips. (if you heat the refried beans up slightly before you do this, it helps thin the mixture and makes spreading it easier).

Cover with the vegetables, then a layer of cheese at your discretion.

Bake in the oven until the cheese is melted. Serve with a side of sour-cream or salsa for a quick and easy meal!

Taco Salad

Taco salad is a great dish to use up the extra meat and otherwise that you have left over from making burritos or tacos. For this quick and easy Mexican dish you will need:

• Flour tortilla
• Beef, chicken, or pork (your choice, seasoned or non…many people prefer taco-seasoned beef, while others prefer simple chicken, or pulled pork)
• 1 small onion
• 1 small tomato
• Sour cream
• Shredded cheese
• Lettuce
• Guacamole (optional)
• Extra virgin olive oil

Fry your tortilla shell in some extra virgin olive oil, about 45 seconds on each side, and place on top of a coffee mug or something similar, so that it will harden into a bowl shape.

Dice your vegetables while it cools, then simply fill, top with your meat, cheese, and sour cream, then enjoy!

Enchiladas

Enchiladas are an all-time favorite with many households. They combine many of the most common elements of Mexican and Latin American foods into one spicy, tasty combination that will leave your mouth watering when you are done. You will need:

• Corn or flour tortillas. Your preference entirely
• 1 onion
• 1 tomato
• Shredded cheese
• Meat (again, your choice. Many people enjoy chicken enchiladas, but pulled pork and ground beef are also popular)
• Refried beans
• Green or red chili sauce
• Lettuce
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Sour cream
• 1 casserole dish

Pre-heat your oven to around 350 degrees while you cook your meat and prepare your tortilla shells.

Lightly fry the tortillas in extra virgin olive oil for 20-30 seconds on each side. The oil will enhance the flavor, and soften them.

Dice your vegetables.

Fry your meat using extra virgin olive oil.

Place the meat, onions, tomatoes, some refried beans, cheese, and chili sauce into the tortilla shells. Roll them up and place them side by side in the casserole dish. Cover with cheese and liberal amounts of chili sauce and cook for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese begins to melt.

Serve on a plate with a side of refried beans, with some finely chopped lettuce on the side, and a helping of sour cream.

Now that you know the basics of how to cook a variety of Mexican dishes, it is fairly easy to experiment with each recipe and fine tune them to your personal taste, or the taste of your family. Some people like things hotter than others, while some people will choose to substitute the meat entirely and opt for a completely vegetarian meal, using only the refried beans instead. Regardless of your personal choice, these Mexican dishes are sure to please, and will keep you busy in your kitchen for weeks to come.

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Posted under Food, Nutrition & Recipes, Healthy Recipes, Main Dishes.