Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Chicken

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Chicken

30 Minute Meals 6 Ingredients Bacon Best of 2013 eBook Chicken Food Gluten-free Low-carb Main Course Recipe Texmex

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Today is Cinco de Mayo and I wanted to take the opportunity to update one of my favourite recipes, this bacon wrapped jalapeno popper stuffed chicken with some new photos! The basic idea was to stuff chicken with all of the flavours of jalapeno poppers and then to wrap them in bacon and grill, fry or bake them. Jalapeno poppers are commonly filled with cream cheese and/or cheddar cheese and they are either coated in bread crumbs and fried until crispy or wrapped in bacon and grilled or baked until the bacon is cooked. I like a simple mixture of cream cheese, cheddar or monterey jack cheese and diced jalapeno peppers for the filling and the jalapenos can be roasted, fresh or even pickled. These bacon wrapped jalapeno popper stuffed chicken tastes just like jalapeno poppers and makes for one really tasty light meal! Who says you can't have your favourite game day snacks for dinner any night of the week?

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Crispy Smashed Potato Pancakes with Guacamole, Pico de Gallo, Bacon and Eggs

Crispy Smashed Potato Pancakes with Guacamole, Pico de Gallo, Bacon and Eggs

Avocado Bacon Breakfast Egg Food Main Course Mexican Recipe Texmex

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Tomorrow is Cinco de May and these crispy smashed potato pancakes with guacamole, pico de gallo, bacon and eggs are a great way to kick off the celebrations! The idea here is that you take some cooked potatoes and smash them down into pancake like discs, brush them with oil and bake them until the are nice and golden brown, crispy and all sorts of good! I give them a "Mexican" kick by topping them with plenty of melted cheddar cheese, guacamole, crispy bacon, a fried egg with a runny yolk and finally a fresh tomato salsa, aka pico de gallo! There are just so many amazing flavours going on in these crispy smashed potato pancakes with guacamole, pico de gallo, bacon and eggs which are great for breakfast lunch or dinner!

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Creamy Avocado Zucchini Noodle Pasta with Taco Lime Grilled Shrimp

Creamy Avocado Zucchini Noodle Pasta with Taco Lime Grilled Shrimp

Avocado Food Gluten-free Main Course Mexican Recipe Seafood Shrimp Texmex

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Up first for this years menu of new recipes for Cinco de Mayo is a light, healthy and oh so tasty creamy avocado zucchini noodle pasta with taco lime grilled shrimp. This dish starts with a creamy avocado sauce with roasted tomatillos and a touch of spicy heat from a jalapeno chili pepper. Up next is the star of the show, some simple, finger licking good, taco lime grilled shrimp! The shrimp is marinated in a mixture of lime juice and a home made taco seasoning before being skewered up and grilled to perfection. Up next are some cherry tomatoes that are roasted until they are charred and tender but still burst in your mouth juicy! Everything is tossed with some light and healthy zucchini noodles, though this would also be amazing with regular spaghetti noodles! This creamy avocado zucchini noodle pasta with taco lime grilled shrimp is nice and light and healthy in addition to being sensationally good and it's bound to be the star of your Cinco de Mayo menu, though there's no reason to wait arourd for Cinco de Mayo to enjoy it!

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Thai Peanut Chicken Avocado Burritos

Thai Peanut Chicken Avocado Burritos

20 Minute Meals 30 Minute Meals Avocado Chicken Food Gluten-free Low-carb Main Course Mexican Recipe Texmex Thai

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After teasing you a while ago with photos of these tasty Thai style peanut chicken and avocado burritos on Instagram, I finally bring you the recipe and it was well worth the wait! (I often post previews of upcoming recipes on Instagram so follow Closet Cooking on Instagram to see what's coming!) These burritos were inspired by the thai peanut chicken saute that I made recently and I could not help but think that succulent chicken would be simply divine in grilled burritos along with cool and creamy avocados and of course the tasty spicy Thai peanut sauce not to mention plenty of ooey gooey melted cheese! Oh my! If you are starting off with already cooked chicken and you have the peanut sauce made (or store bought) then these burritos come together in no time flat making for quick and easy meals or even midnight snacks! :) I hope that you enjoy these peanut chicken and avocado burritos as much as I do; my only recommendation would be to make a double batch because if you are like me you will practically inhale them!

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Chicken Fajita Pasta

Chicken Fajita Pasta

30 Minute Meals Chicken Food Gluten-free Mexican Pasta Recipe Texmex

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Chicken fajitas are one of my favourite meals and I often like to use the same flavours in a hearty and tasty chicken fajita pasta. This pasta starts out with some chicken that is tossed in taco seasoning (I like homemade for tons of flavour) followed by plenty of onions and peppers! Once the chicken and veggies are ready there is some broth to form the base of the sauce along with some diced tomatoes (fire roasted are great here) and I like to add some sour cream to things nice and creamy. All that's left is to mix in the pasta and serve topped with your favourite chicken fajita fillings like cheese and sour cream!

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Enchilada Sauce

Enchilada Sauce

Food Gluten-free Low-carb Mexican Recipe Salsa Sauce Texmex Vegetarian

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I use enchilada sauce in a lot of different recipes and instead of buying those expensive cans I like to make my own! Not only is it cheaper to make your own, it's also super easy to make and you know exactly what's in it! I start out with some seasonings including onions, garlic, cumin and oregano and then I add some heat with smokey chipotle chilli peppers and the base of the sauce is a can of diced tomatoes. After seasoning with salt and pepper and pureeing in a food processor you can simmer it a bit to reduce it and thicken it to the desired consistency. All said and done you can make this tasty and healthy enchilada sauce with commonly stocked pantry ingredients in less than 20 minutes; once you try it you'll never go back to those store bought cans!

See below for some tasty recipe ideas that use this enchilada sauce!

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Chicken Enchilada Chilaquiles

Chicken Enchilada Chilaquiles

20 Minute Meals 30 Minute Meals Avocado Breakfast Egg Food Gluten-free Main Course Mexican Recipe Texmex

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It's time for another quick and easy chicken dinner, chicken enchilada chilaquiles! Chilaquiles is a Mexican dish where tortillas are fried until golden brown and crispy before being tossed in salsa and cooked until they start to soften and optionally topped with things like cheese and crema. I like to kick chilaquiles up a notch, making them even more hearty, with the flavours of chicken enchiladas, starting with an enchilada sauce, as the salsa, to which I add shredded chicken, corn and black beans. From there I top the chicken enchilada chilaquiles with onions, cheese, crema, avocado, cilantro and even a fried egg! Of course you can top these chicken enchilada chilaquiles with your favourite chicken enchilada toppings and I won't tell anyone if you enjoy them for breakfast, dinner or even a late night snack!

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Mushroom Quesadillas with Chipotle Crema

Mushroom Quesadillas with Chipotle Crema

30 Minute Meals Appetizer Food Gluten-free Main Course Mexican Mushroom Quesadilla Recipe Texmex Vegetarian

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Today, October 15, is National Mushroom day and do I ever have a tasty mushroom recipe for you today! Mushroom quesadillas with chipotle crema! These mushroom quesadillas are super easy to make where you pretty much just saute the mushrooms with some onion, place them in tortillas, along with plenty of cheese and then fry them until the tortillas are lightly golden brown and crispy and the cheese has melted! I always like for there to be a source of spicy heat with my quesadillas so I serve there mushroom quesadillas with a smokey chipotle crema that you can either drizzle on or serve it on the side for dipping!

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Texmex Grilled Chicken Salad in Creamy Avocado Salsa Verde Dressing

Texmex Grilled Chicken Salad in Creamy Avocado Salsa Verde Dressing

Avocado Bacon Chicken Food Gluten-free Main Course Mexican Recipe Salad Texmex

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Summer's not over yet and there is plenty of time for another salad like this texmex grilled chicken salad in creamy avocado salsa verde dressing! This salad is a texmex themed salad with taco lime grilled chicken, grilled corn, black beans, tomatoes, avocado and bacon in a creamy avocado salsa verde dressing! This salad does not take much time to make, you just need to grill the chicken, cook the bacon, assemble the salad and toss it in a dressing and if you grill the chicken and cook the bacon ahead of time it gets even easier! There are so many amazing flavours packed into this salad that work so well together and it is definitely calling my name! This texmex grilled chicken salad in creamy avocado salsa verde dressing is the perfect way to enjoy the last days of summer!

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Creamy Avocado Salsa Verde Dressing

Creamy Avocado Salsa Verde Dressing

Avocado Dressing Food Gluten-free Mexican Recipe Texmex

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Up next is a quick and easy creamy avocado salsa verde dressing that is perfect for any salad and in particular texmex and mexican themed salads. This dressing could not be easier to make, you simply mix some mashed avocado with some salsa verde and buttermilk. The avocado provides and buttermilk provide the creaminess and the salsa verde provides the flavour! I like to use a nice freshly homemade batch of salsa verde to maximize flavour but store bought works as well. Trust me this dressing is amazing on salads despite the fact that you will be tempted to drink it all up before it makes it to the salad!

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Taco Lime Grilled Chicken

Taco Lime Grilled Chicken

6 Ingredients Chicken Food Gluten-free Grill Main Course Mexican Recipe Texmex

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While it's still warm enough to do some grilling I got out and did some to make this taco lime grilled chicken using my homemade taco seasoning! This taco lime grilled chicken is super easy to make, you just marinate the chicken in the taco seasoning and some lime juice, grill it and you are good to go! You can serve these tasty chicken breasts as is or slice them up and use them in anything from tacos, to burritos, quesadillas, etc. I like to make larger batches so that I have leftovers to use in other recipes requiring grilled chicken. This taco lime grilled chicken is one tasty way to enjoy some of the dwindling summer grilling days!

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Taco Seasoning

Taco Seasoning

Food Gluten-free Low-carb Mexican Recipe Spice Blend Texmex Vegetarian

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Taco night was always one of my favourites when I was growing up and the key to good tacos is a tasty taco seasoning. Back then taco night was always from a box or a package and although I remember those meals fondly when I take a look at the ingredients and see things that I do not recognize and can't really pronounce I just have to make my own. Homemade taco seasoning is actually really easy to make and you can control the amount of each ingredient so if you like things spicy you can increase the chili pepper powder and it you want to reduce the sodium you can easily cut back on the salt etc. This homemade taco seasoning consists of chili powder (ground chilies), cumin, paprika, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper and cayenne. This recipe makes enough for one taco night dinner with one pound of ground meat but feel free to make a much larger batch so that you have some on hand and you don't have to make it every taco night. Once you try this homemade taco seasoning you will never go back to the store bought packaged stuff!

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Mexican Street Corn Nachos

Mexican Street Corn Nachos

Appetizer Food Gluten-free Mexican Recipe Texmex Vegetarian

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With the new football season starting we're going to need some new snacking ideas and I have one for you right now, some Mexican street corn nachos! I am a big fan of the Mexican street corn (elote) style flavours which vary but the flavour combo that I like is with butter, mayo, crumbled cotija (or feta), cilantro, chili powder and lime juice which goes so well with sweet juicy corn! When I came across the idea of Mexican street corn nachos on Simply Recipes I just had to try it! Normally when I make nachos I load them up with ingredients, sprinkle on plenty of cheese and then throw it into the oven to melt the cheese but this recipe calls for a cheese sauce which is always a nice alternative especially when it's a creamy Monterey Jack cheese sauce! Other than the addition of the tortilla chips and cheese sauce these nachos have all of the ingredients of Mexican street corn and when in nacho form they are perfect for snacking on while watching the game!

Check out below the recipe for links to other recipes that use this amazing flavour combo!

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Chicken and Avocado Burritos

Chicken and Avocado Burritos

20 Minute Meals 30 Minute Meals Avocado Chicken Food Gluten-free Low-carb Main Course Mexican Recipe Texmex

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Today I have some tasty chicken and avocado burritos for you! They are so easy to make, you simply wrap the chicken, avocado, cheese, salsa verde, sour cream and cilantro up in a tortilla, grill it and enjoy! Just make sure to put the cheese on the top or bottom of the burrito so that is melts and gets all nice and ooey and gooey when it's grilled. Feel free to serve these burritos with extra salsa and sour cream for dipping! These burritos don't take long to make, they are nice and portable, filling and most importantly, packed full of flavour!

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Grilled Zucchini Nachos

Grilled Zucchini Nachos

Appetizer Avocado Food Gluten-free Main Course Mexican Recipe Texmex Vegetarian

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Zucchini season is definitely here! The stores are full of it and it 's pretty cheap so I picked up a lot of it with the plan to start off by making these grilled zucchini nachos! The idea is to slice the zucchini into 1/4 inch discs, grill them until just tender, but still crisp, and then to top them with a bunch of nacho toppings including plenty of melted cheese! As far as the toppings go I start out with some grilled corn off the cob, black beans, tomatoes, jalapenos, onions, avocado, cilantro and a finish of sour cream. With all of the fresh summer ingredients, these grilled zucchini nachos are pretty healthy in addition to being nice and tasty! One of the great things about these zucchini nachos is that you can top them with whatever you want so feel free to use your favourite nacho toppings! This years zucchini season is off to an amazing start with these grilled zucchini nachos which will quickly become a staple in my summer meal plans!

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Tequila and Lime Jalapeno Cranberry Sauce

Tequila and Lime Jalapeno Cranberry Sauce

Condiment Food Gluten-free Recipe Side Dish Texmex Vegetarian

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No holiday turkey dinner is complete without some homemade cranberry sauce and since it is so easy to make at home you really have no excuse not to! Although a basic cranberry sauce is amazing all by itself, you can change things up every once in a while by adding various flavoura and this time I went with a Mexican inspired flavour theme with spicy jalapeno peppers, lime and a hit of tequila. The heat provided by the jalapeno peppers goes well in the sweet and tart cranberry sauce making it little like a salsa and the lime juice really brightens it up!

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BBQ Chicken and Peach Quesadillas

BBQ Chicken and Peach Quesadillas

Chicken Food Low-carb Quesadilla Recipe Texmex

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Peach season is quickly fading and I have been trying to enjoy them as much as I can before they are all gone for another year. In fact this week I may have gone a little overboard and gotten a few too many of them! Not to worry though as I have been happily coming up with new ways to use them including in these tasty peach quesadillas. The recipe could not be simpler, you just need some leftover cooked and shredded chicken mixed in with some BBQ sauce, cheese, tortillas and optionaly, some cilantro, in addition to a fresh peach. Once everything is assembled you just need to cook it until the cheese has melted and then you are in a peach and melted cheesy heaven! The sweet, spicy and tangy BBQ chicken goes really well with the juicy peaches and ooey gooey melted cheese! What a great way to enjoy some peaches!

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Taco Quesadilla Pizzas

Taco Quesadilla Pizzas

Beef Food Low-carb Main Course Mexican Pizza Quesadilla Recipe Texmex

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As many of you know, I like to 'play with my food', experimenting and changing things up! It is always fun to combine two different dishes that are both great by themselves and to make something new and even better like using a taco ingredients as a pizza topping! When I recently came across the idea of combining not just two dishes but three, all very tasty in their own right, into one dish I knew right away that I would have to try making the taco, quesadilla pizzas and soon.

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Texmex Sloppy Joes

Texmex Sloppy Joes

Avocado Beef Food Main Course Recipe Sandwich Texmex

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Sloppy Joeshad to be one of my favourite meals when I was a kid and I think that it probably had a lot to do with the name. I mean what kid could resist a meal where the name itself implies that not only is it going to be messy but that it is expected and thus ok! Although I like to play around with my sloppy joe recipeI had never really thought of doing a themed version so when I came across the idea of Texmex Sloppy Joeson Homesick TexanI knew that I would have to make them! The recipe for these sloppy joes has a base that is pretty similar to the regular ones with some texmex flavours thrown into the mix such as chipotle chili peppers in adobo, jalapeno peppers, cumin, lime juice and cilantro. Another nice touch to this recipe is that instead of using broth for the liquid it calls for beer which is always fun to cook with! The Texmex flavours do not stop there as the sandwich is decked out with even more in the form of guacamole, diced onions, sliced jalapenos, cotija cheese and plenty of fresh cilantro!

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