Your new secret for easy Mexican food *GIVEAWAY*

Hello everybody!! I've been a little quiet here and on the 'gram due to being so busy with house renovations and moving. Let me just say, redoing a house is not for the faint of heart. I've had a few breakdowns the past two weeks, but we are still trucking along and taking everything in stride. I can't wait to show you guys the before and after pictures of what we have done! 

But in the meantime, I wanted to share with you all a new product I've found that has made meal prep easier. When we were driving back and forth to work on the house every night, I had to make quick meals earlier in the day and then bring it to the house to reheat in the microwave. Quick and easy was the name of the game. That's where these sauces came in handy. 

Awhile back, the owner of Molli sauces, Rodrigo Sales, contacted me asking me to try his sauces. He is the sweetest man and want to do something for all of YOU. He wants to give one of you lucky readers a pack of three of his sauces plus "Mexico, the Cookbook." All you have to do is comment below with your favorite Mexican dish or comment on my IG post.

I've made several dishes with his sauces, this cheesy beef and rice Mexican casserole and a chicken enchilada soup. Any of the sauces will do, so pick whichever one sounds most appealing to your tastebuds. I know I should have included the jar in the picture, but I took them after I created the dish, which means the jar was empty. 🤦🏼‍♀️ Reason number 183902483 of why I probably shouldn't blog 😂 

Anywho, you should give these sauces a try. They're full of veggies and flavor and a super easy way to add a lot of flavor to a meal. So what are you waiting for? Comment below for a chance to win!!

Yield: 8

Author: Ashley Smith, RD

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Easy Mexican Beef and Rice Casserole

Ingredients

• 1 cup yellow onion, diced
• 5 cups rice (or quinoa)
• 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1 tsp garlic
• 1 jar Molli sauce of choice + 1.5 cup water, divided
• 1.5 cup shredded cheese (Mexican, Pepperjack, Colby Jack, whatever you prefer!)
• 1 lb ground beef or turkey (or use can black beans for plant based)
• Toppings: green onion, plain Greek yogurt, cilantro, avocado, tortilla chips

Instructions

1. Cook onion, bell pepper, ground meat, and garlic in a large skillet until meat is browned and veggies are soft. In a 9X12 casserole dish, combine cooked meat and veggies with jar of Molli sauce, 1 cup water, and rice (or quinoa). Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and stir in 3/4 cup cheese, and 1/2 cup water (if needed). Bake another 30 minutes with foil on. Uncover, top with rest of cheese and broil for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.
2. Top with plain Greek yogurt, green onions, cilantro, avocado, etc and serve with chips!

In case you missed the link about, here is the link to learn about Molli sauces: http://www.mollisauces.com/

Turkey and Black Bean Enchiladas

Welp, it's been awhile since I last posted a recipe (story of this blog). Sorry about that. *guilty emoji face* But I'm going to make up for my recipe absence with enchiladas. Surely, that corrects all wrongs, right?? 

I don't know if you all have any Christmas food traditions, but I know several people whose families eat tamales at Christmas. Mexican fiesta? Yes, please, I'm down--especially if I can top everything with avocado. My family didn't do that growing up. Instead, our traditional favorites were things like tiger butter, ham dip, and white trash. Interesting names, delicious food. 

So with Christmas right around the corner, I figured you could honor your family tradition or tap into someone else's family tradition and eat Mexican food to celebrate the Christmas season. These enchiladas are filled with protein, veggies, and cheese and wrapped in a doughy tortilla <3. I used store-bought enchilada sauce, but you could definitely make your own. Also, they ended up being a bit spicy, so if you're not a big fan of heat, used a mild enchilada sauce or go easy on the sauce. You'll definitely want to top with sour cream, avocado, and some green onion and cilantro. We didn't have any green onions, hence why they aren't in the picture. 

I served mine with roasted Brussels sprouts and cauliflower because roasted veggies are my jam, but these would pair nicely with some Mexican rice or chips and salsa. I'd love to hear what you all have planned for Christmas and what your favorite Christmas food tradition is!! Comment below! :-D

P.S. MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone!!!

Breakfast Chilaquiles

Breakfast chilaquiles!!! New to the game?!? If so, you've definitely been missing out. Like, your life really hasn't started until you've eaten them. Don't feel bad. I hadn't had them until recently either...but now...my eyes are opened, and yours are about to be too!! 

My absolute favorite type of date is of the breakfast variety. I don't know what it is, but eating breakfast out just seems so special/luxurious. My perfect morning is a bike ride or run (or some other active outing) and then breakfast out. So many good feels.

The first time I had chilaquiles was on a breakfast date with two sweet friends of mine. The breakfast place we went to has such delicious and fresh options--freshly squeezed juices, avocado toast, a veggie market hash, these chilaquiles. Mmmmm. After having the chilaquiles there, I had to recreate them. And this recipes is suuuper simple. You can take out the chicken and add in black beans if you're vegetarian or don't want to take the time to get prepare chicken. Want this for lunch or dinner? Go for it!! The cilantro and avocado or non-negotiable though. Never....unless you think cilantro tastes like soap. Apparently it's a legitimate, genetic thing. If you're one of those people, I am so sorry for you.

First things first, make sure you have cooked chicken on hand. You can use rotisserie chicken, leftover chicken from dinner, or even pre-cooked deli chicken. Also, you can make your own salsa verde if you want to. But really, who's got time for that?? Chop your chicken along with the green onion, red onion, cilantro, and avocado. Heat a skillet to medium heat and fry your egg to your preferred doneness. Meanwhile, heat a mini cast iron skillet (or 6 inch regular skillet) on medium heat. Dip your chips in the salsa verde and layer them in your skillet. Top with chicken, feta cheese, and red onion and cook until the chicken is warmed. Once your egg is cooked, place it on top of your chicken and chip mixture and then top with cilantro, green onion, and avocado. And if you like lime, just give it a little spritz!...and theennnn devour!

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did. The great thing about it is that you can easily double or triple it in a larger skillet for you and a loved one(s). Super simple and super delicious! Tell me what you think after giving it a try.