Take it up a notch!

So we've all done a "Taco Night", this is not a new idea, am I right? I mean of course it's a great meal plan, Tacos are so easy and everyone loves them. The Mexican food theme is awesome, however there are lots of ways to do this and it doesn't have to always be Tacos! Why not try to branch out a bit and try something a little different... like Enchiladas!! These are super easy to make and are just as much of a crowd pleaser as Tacos.

I found a great recipe for Fajita Enchiladas in my Pillsbury "Budget Chicken Recipes" cooklet (Cooklet is my word for a cookbook-booklet, the kind you can buy in the check out line). I love these cooklets, they are a cookbook addicts cheapie fix because they are only a couple dollars, and they don't take up a lot of space, so it's a lot easier to justify buying them then a huge $30 cookbook.

Back to the Enchiladas: These are so easy. You are basically stir frying chicken, peppers and onion in a skillet, mix in canned chiles, some shredded cheese, enchilada sauce, and wrap the mixture up in 6-inch tortillas. You line them all up in a 9x11 or a lasagna pan, pour more enchilada sauce on top, and bake it. Put more cheese on the Enchiladas 5 minutes before it's done and wooo - Enchiladas! See how easy? They come out tasting really authentically Mexican, and are a lot more impressive than plain old Tacos. You can garnish it as you like, add chopped tomatoes, add cilantro, add sour cream, serve it with Spanish rice, or cornbread with chiles. Mmmm. I actually made this without the chiles and the onions for the immature palates of my children, and they still tasted awesome.

You can find easy Enchilada recipes on the Pillsbury website or check around some of the other cooking websites like allrecipes.com or tasteofhome.com. If you are looking for more Mexican theme meal ideas Better Homes and Gardens recently came out with a special interest magazine of all Mexican recipes. This will only be displayed until April 21 if you want to find it at your bookstore.

So think about taking your Taco Night up a notch next time and try making some Enchiladas!