Pizza|Style|Chicken|Empanadas

I normally love empanadas; I mean, how can you go wrong with pie crust and cream cheese?

You can go gluten-free wrong, that’s how.

Despite this quick favorite going “wrong” however, the family still enjoyed them, so I’ll share anyhow.

I define an empanada as anything that stuffs cream cheese into a pie shell. Pretty open slate, and if you use pre-cooked chicken pieces and pre-made pie shells, hey – easy peasy, 1-2-3. Since our family has mostly gone gluten-free (“mostly” meaning gluten-minimal), I thought I’d try to incorporate a sans wheat version of one of my faves into the family recipe Rolodex.

Quick|Meal|Ideas

To say I’ve been busy lately would be a lame excuse because…well…I really haven’t been. I’ve just been a little lazy – including in my dinner making! So I thought I’d share a couple of my favorite quick-meal ideas for when I really really really don’t feel like making dinner. 🙂

Nacho Casserole

This one is, dare I say, self-explanatory. I couldn’t believe there was something easier than nachos, but I found it! It also helps distribute the meat and toppings better so no one’s fighting over the cheesier chips…

Ingredient Ideas

• 1 can black beans, drained
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 onion, diced
• 6 tomatoes-on-the-vine, seeded and diced
• handful of cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1 package of shredded cheese (or 2 cups)
• 1 cup sour cream
• Spices to taste: garlic powder, cumin, salt, pepper, oregano, and basil

Assembly

First, cook the ground beef with spices and 1/2 the onion. Next, in a baking dish, stir the ground beef, black beans, and 1/2 the bag of shredded cheese together. After everything is evenly stirred, top the meat mix with the rest of the shredded cheese and bake in a 425 degree oven until the cheese on top is melted and bubbly, about 15 minutes. Finally, top the dish with the sour cream, tomatoes, remaining (raw) onions, and cilantro. Serve with tortilla chips.

Voila! Easy peasy. 🙂

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Latkes / Potato Pancakes

Wait…what?! That’s not an easy dinner! Why, it’s barely an easy breakfast!

Don’t fret! There’s actually a very easy way to accomplish these lovely latkes without so much a picking up a grater…. Hungry Jack Diner Style Hashbrowns – just add water! For only about $1.50 and a cup-ish of water, you’ll have all the potatoes you need for about 6-8 nice-sized patties. Just add the rehydrated potatoes, one egg, and some garlic powder, salt, and pepper to a bowl, mix well, and fry them up pancake-style on a skillet. Voila! Simple dinner, and tasty! I recommend serving these babies with sour cream and kielbasa for protein. 🙂

Enjoy!

– Verbena