The Best Chicken Salad

Arby's sells amazing chicken salad. You can get it on bread or wrapped up in a tortilla. It has grapes and nuts and a tangy sweetness that keeps you coming back for more. Then Arby's closed. Well, the one near my house closed. The next closest one is almost an hour away. I had to figure out how to duplicate this awesomeness at home, and I finally nailed it. It's a little different, and I think it might actually be better than the original. I could eat this every single day and be a very happy Mama. Let me know what you think.

Fiesta Chicken Enchiladas

Andrew makes the most amazing beef enchiladas. He uses corn tortillas and a ton of cheese, and they are so, so good. He knew somebody whose sister had a friend who was from Mexico and she made "authentic food". She was kind enough to share a few of her recipes with him. Because of this, Andrew is the go-to guy around here whenever we want mexican food.

I make tacos. From a packet. That's about where my expertise ends. But I decided to give it a shot and see what I could come up with. Andrew looked at me kind of funny when I told him I was making enchiladas and no, it wasn't his recipe. It only got worse when I started talking about beans and rice and such. But when it was all over, he was hooked and we were fighting over the leftovers. K even cleaned his plate before I was half done, and that's saying something. Move over Andrew, Mama's going south of the border.

Confetti Burritos

Tortillas are such a perfect little thing. They come in all different sizes, made of all types of grains, and you can stuff absolutely anything inside them and have a fun, portable meal for the whole family. Most kids will eat anything that's wrapped up taco or burrito-style (hint, hint). Whether you are making peanut butter banana roll-ups for breakfast, turkey and hummus wraps for lunch, or chicken enchiladas for dinner, tortillas are the answer to every time-crunched mom. Try these super-stuffed burritos out on your picky eaters - they just may surprise you. Mine sure did!

Tortilla Pizza

When I was a kid, we had take out once a week. It was usually on Friday and we usually got pizza. This sounds great in theory, but there were six of us and we all wanted different things. Pizza is expensive, and obviously my parents weren't going to buy six different pizzas, so we usually ended up with plain or some various meat-topped pie. Today, pizza isn't any cheaper and I simply can't justify dropping 12 bucks on a glorified version of cheesy bread. These tortilla pizzas are so quick and easy, each one can be made to suit everyone's favorites (kids love this!), and they offer built-in portion control for those of us who lose all willpower before the delivery driver has even finished counting his tip. Score!

Black Bean Chicken Quesadillas

I grew up in a meat and potatoes house. But dinner does not have to be a separated affair, with the food groups all in their respective corners on a plate. It has taken me a long time but I am finally starting to let go of this concept. I also have to remind myself that meat is not the only source of protein. Not that I truly forget these things, I just fall into a rut now and then.

Pizza Quesadillas (or is it Quesadilla Pizza...?)

We are big pizza eaters around here. And by we, I mean the boys. I eat one slice and I'm happy but they can kill a whole pie by themselves in under 20 minutes. This can get expensive if you're ordering in and time-consuming if you're going the DIY route. I like to mix it up with French bread pizzas, English muffin pizzas, and lately, quesadilla pizzas. Andrew is a purist so he isn't a huge fan, but K loves them. Sometimes he even asks me to send them to school in his lunch box. (I'll take that over the school's cardboard-pizza Fridays any day!)

Taco Salad




I suppose if I'm going to tell you that my two favorite foods in the whole world are pancakes and tacos, that I'd better post recipes for both. I already shared my mini breakfast pigs-in-blankets, so here are some tacos.

Cheesy Breakfast Burritos

The school bus comes earlier and earlier every year, so having a variety of quick breakfasts is a must at our house. I used to eat breakfast burritos like this from fast food restaurants until I had my a-ha moment and realized that I could make these at home for much cheaper, and know exactly when they were made and what was in them. I make a bunch at a time, wrap them in plastic wrap and foil, and freeze them. Throw a couple in the fridge at night and they will be ready for a quick zap in the microwave in the morning. Just don't forget to take the foil off!