Navajo Tacos, Indian Fry Bread, Indian Tacos, pretty much the same thing.  If you have never heard of Navajo Tacos, let me tell you a little about them.

Navajo Tacos were invented in 1864, using flour, sugar, salt and lard.  The Navajo tribe had been given these ingredients by the US Government, when they were forced to leave their land and make the 300 mile "Long Walk" to New Mexico.  Often times, the food ingredients supplied by the government were rancid, and so the tacos came about using just the simplest of ingredients available to the tribe.

The way that the frybread is served, depends on the region and even the tribe, but it's beginning take place during the 4 years of captivity the Navajo suffered.  So to the, Frybread is not just a meal, it is a memory of a painful and sad time for their ancestors.

The closest thing to a frybread that I'm familiar with, are the Vetkoek which we had back in South Africa, which is either served with some delicious savory curried ground beef, or filled jam.

 

I actually just realized that I haven't yet shared the Vetkoek recipe with you all, so that needs to happen soon.

Anyway, back to the Navajo Tacos.  My family loves tacos and usually we stick with the crunchy tortilla type, but once in a while, I prefer to take some time and make some Navajo Tacos, they truly do hit the spot.



Navajo Tacos

2 cups of flour
2 and half teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water
Oil for frying

1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, diced
Cumin, salt, pepper, garlic powder, chili flakes (to taste)
Can of Bush's Southwestern Style Pinto Beans

Shredded cheese
Diced tomatoes
Shredded lettuce
Sour Cream


In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt and warm water.  Mix well until a soft dough is achieved.  You can knead for a few minutes, or pop it in your stand mixer and beat for about 4 minutes or so.  Cover with a kitchen towel and let sit for 20 minutes.

In a skillet, fry the ground beef until browned, add the onion and cook until translucent, add the spices to taste and cook for a few minutes more.  Add in the Southwestern Style Pinto Beans, don't drain.  Mix well and let simmer for 5 minutes.  Set aside.

In a small skillet, add oil for frying.  You don't need a lot, I usually add about 2 inches of oil, I just don't like drowning my food in excessive amounts of oil.  Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, roll into a ball and then flatten to a disc that is about 6 inches wide.

Fry each one for a minute or so until golden brown, then flip over and cook the other side until golden brown as well.  Drain on paper towels.

To serve, spoon meat mixture onto each disc, add the toppings to your liking. 

A few years ago I put up a recipe for Homemade Crunchwrap, and it's been one of the most pinned and shared recipes.

If you're a fan of Taco Bell and like Crunchwraps, you may want to give it a try.

So think about a crunchwrap but in a sheet pan, where you can just cut it up into small individual pieces.  What could be better than that?  I'm actually thinking this would be a great dish to serve at get togethers and potlucks.

The recipe comes from Tasty and I adapted it to our taste.


2 pounds ground beef
1 package taco seasoning
7 Large Flour tortillas
5 Corn tostadas
Shredded Cheddar Cheese (I didn't measure, just eyeballed and added as much as I liked)
Shredded Mozzarella
Nacho Cheese
Diced tomatoes and lettuce

Preheat oven to 375.

Generously spray a sheet tray with non stick spray.

Brown the ground beef over medium heat, when done, drain excess oil and add the taco seasoning packet.  I added in a tiny amount of water just so it wasn't so dry.

Place the tortillas so half of the tortilla is hanging over the edge of the pan. Place 6 tortillas around the border of the sheet tray and one tortilla in the middle, covering the exposed sheet tray.

Sprinkle half of the cheddar cheese and half of the mozzarella cheese over the tortillas.


Spread the ground beef over the cheese, then scoop on some nacho cheese over the beef.  Place the corn tostadas on top and lastly, sprinkle on some diced tomatoes and lettuce.  Sprinkle more cheddar and mozzarella cheese on top, then fold over the flour tortillas so they cover the filling and touch the center tortilla.

Place another baking tray on top of the crunchwrap and then weigh it down with a cast iron skillet, or something else that is heavy.

Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the skillet and the baking tray, and bake for another 10 minutes or until the tortillas are nice and brown.

Let sit for about 5 minutes, and slice into smaller rectangles.  Enjoy :)

So a couple years ago I was watching a vlog and this yummy looking meal showed up.  I am a total sucker for those Weekly Meal vlogs, I just enjoy watching what people are eating and it gives me tons of ideas when I'm menu planning.

I've been menu planning for over 20 years but here's the thing, you kind of go through phases where you draw a total blank and have no clue what to make......that's when I need all the help I can get.

I do have a few criteria I go by and if you've been reading my blog long enough you know what they are.  No gourmet, nothing that I can't make myself or find in my pantry, nothing that I need to go to a specialty store for and it must be pretty inexpensive, easy, quick to make and filling.

Those may seem like a lot of things to check off the list, but I learned how to cook with my greatgrandmother and she was all about feeding a big family, without breaking the bank and filling tummies with delicious food.

Thank you Bio Ema :)

Anyway, this recipe came up and I saved it and never got around to making it until tonight, and the only reason that even happened is because I was reorganizing and cleaning out my computer and the bookmarks and found it just sitting there, waiting patiently since 2013.  Poor thing.

I made it tonight and it was amazing, the family went crazy over it and it's been requested to be put on my MUST MAKES list. 

Give it a try and let me know what you think.  By the way, you can make your own gnocchi or use your favorite brand.  If you want to make your own, I do have a recipe for you :)




Gnocchi (the amount depends on you, but I find that one package is enough, or if making fresh, then about 3 cups)
1 pound ground beef
Spaghetti sauce (again, homemade or your favorite brand)
Spinach
Fresh Mozzarella

In a skillet, brown the ground beef, then drain.  Pour in the spaghetti sauce, simmer for a few minutes, then add in a bunch of spinach, I just use a handful.  Cook for a minute or two more until it wilts down.  Take off heat.

Cook Gnocchi according to package directions, or if you are making it homemade, place in a pot of boiling water and cook until it floats to the top.  Don't overcook or it will fall apart.

Mix the gnocchi and the meat mixture, spoon into a casserole dish and add pieces of fresh mozzarella on top.  Bake in a 425 degree oven until cheese is melted.

I served mine with a salad and garlic bread.

I don't know what it is, but lately I've been on a Mexican flavor kick.  From Homemade Crunchwraps to Tacos, Quesadillas and everything in between.

In keeping with that theme, tonight I made a Layered Nacho dish.  The beauty about this is that it's so versatile and you can add or remove anything you don't like.  It is also one of those that everyone in the family can enjoy however they wish.....you want it in a hard taco shell, go for it.  Want it in a soft flour tortilla, by all means....or maybe you just want to scoop this delicious stuff all over tortilla chips for some amazing nachos....yep, you can do that too.

It's quick to put together, it tastes amazing and your whole family will thank you for it.



1 pound ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning
1 can refried beans
Queso Dip (I'm talking the ever famous queso dip involving Velveeta cheese and Rotel tomatoes and chilies)
Diced onion
Diced tomato
Shredded Lettuce
Sour Cream, optional

Prepare the Queso dip according to the directions on the back of the Rotel can.  It is nothing more than emptying the can into a microwavable bowl, adding a 16 oz. block of Velveeta cheese, cut into 1 inch cubes.  Cover and microwave for 5 minutes until melted, stir well and there you go.

Brown the ground beef, drain and add in a packet of taco seasoning, mix well to combine.  Add a can of refried beans, stir and cook for a minute or two until warm.

In a casserole dish, pour in the meat and beans mixture.  Next goes in the queso dip, followed by diced onions, shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes.  That is IT!!!!

Serve along with tortilla chips or soft and hard taco shells.  Enjoy!!!


Optional:  You can add a layer of sour cream right after the meat and before the queso dip.  You can also add black olives to the toppings, or sliced avocado, dollops of sour cream etc.  It really is up to you.

If there is one thing I enjoy, are casseroles or one dish meals.  I can throw it all in one pan, cook it, serve it and only have to worry about very minimal cleanup.

Not to mention, casseroles have always been synonymous with comforting and filling food, which when you're cooking for 7 people at a time, can mean inexpensive and I'm all about that.

This was pretty good, the whole family enjoyed it.  I served it with a salad and some steamed broccoli and it got thumbs up from everyone, so I hope you enjoy it too.



2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced green bell pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1 pound ground beef, 80/20
½ teaspoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup long grain white rice
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup water
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce



In a skillet that has a tight fitting cover, heat olive oil over medium high.
Add onion, peppers, garlic, ground beef, dry mustard, chili powder, salt and pepper. Sauté until ground beef is no longer pink, breaking up beef as you cook.

Add rice and cook for two minutes letting rice absorb liquid.  Add tomato paste and cook for one minute.  Add canned tomatoes with juice, water and Worcestershire sauce. Stir, cover and simmer for 20 minutes covered.

After 20 minutes, remove lid and fluff the mixture then serve. If the mixture is to wet, cook for another few minutes with lid off.

A specialty from Nebraska, the Runza is quite popular in the State.  But if you're not from Nebraska, chances are you've never heard of it and didn't even know it existed.


I'm one of those people, I had no clue it existed until a friend of mine mentioned them.  So I went online, did a little search here and there and found the Runza's, which are originally a bread dough filled with a delicious meat filling featuring cabbage.

I LOVE cabbage.  Just wanted to get that out of the way.

After doing a little more searching I started seeing the Runza Casserole pop up all over the place and I just knew that I had to try it.

Let me tell you that my kids loved it and never even noticed the cabbage in there.  Definitely going on my Casserole List.




2 cans of crescent rolls
1 Pounds of Ground beef
2 Cups of Cabbage (I used shredded cabbage in a bag)
1/2 Cup of Onion
1 Can of Cream of Mushroom Soup
Garlic powder
Salt to taste
Shredded Mozzarella or Swiss Cheese


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brown meat in large skillet, drain and return to skillet. Add cabbage, onion, garlic powder and salt, let it cook for a minute or two until cabbage is soft. Add the mushroom soup, stir well.

Grease baking dish, unroll one of the cans of crescent rolls and press into the bottom of the dish. Top with the ground beef and cabbage mixture. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.

Unroll second can of crescent roll, place over the beef mixture. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.