The Consumption: Slow Cookin' Chili Tacos

This recipe could not have worked better for my needs!  I have been relaxing in St. George, FL with my family from Atlanta.  I do not get to see them very often so, I am spending as much quality time with them as I can.  For my night to cook, I chose Mexican cuisine using the slow cooker.  My whole family supports Crock-N-Roll, and was anxious to see how tacos turn out in the crock.  My sister-in-law, Brooke, is an expert at slow cookin'.  She suggested that I use a crock pot liner to make clean up even more simple.  She made pulled pork sandwiches in the crock the night before and demonstrated how easy it was to use a liner.

The tacos fed everyone in my family!  While browning the meat, I added salt, pepper, and diced jalepeno.  I have read that cooking fresh jalepenos relieves the heat.  I noticed the serving size varied based on how much meat filling you want to use in your taco.  The taco seasoning I used flavored the meat like chili.  I think for my next attempt I will use taco seasoning I have tried before.  St. George, FL is a tiny island in the Gulf and grocery stores are extrememly limited so I had slim pickins.  Other than the flavor of the meat, the tacos were delish!  I don't think you could really go wrong with a Mexican recipe (since it mainly consists of tortilla, meat, cheese, and vegetables) just monitor your flavor and use fresh veggies.

- Chef Mimi

I have to share a great photo from St. George Island, FL.  This pretty much sums up the vibe on our trip:

     

The Recipe: Slow Cooker Tacos

Prep:  15 - 20 mins

Cook:  LOW 6 hours

Serving size: 6-8

Category:  Beef

Ingredients:

• 2lbs ground beef (or turkey)
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1 pkg of taco seasoning
• 18 oz can of tomato sauce
• 10 oz can of Rotel with cilantro & lime
• 2 cups shredded cheese
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 jalepeno
• 1 can sliced black olives
• soft or hard tortilla shells

Preparation:

Place a crock pot cooking liner in the crock.  In a skillet, brown meat over medium flame.  Drain and add to crock pot.  Add water, taco seasoning, tomato sauce, and Rotel.  Cover and cook on low 6 hours.  Serve with soft or hard taco shells with toppings like shredded cheddar cheese,  sour cream, diced jalepeno, black olives, and other desired toppings.

Tips & Tricks:

• 
  
  This can also be served as a taco meat dip using tortilla chips.

- Chef Tiffany

The Ingredient: Ground Beef

I chose ground beef this week because I am constantly finding Mexican recipes for the crock pot.  Mexican food is an all time favorite of mine, and I am anxious to try this cuisine in the crock.  Some of my favorite recipes I want to try include ground beef.  Seasoned ground beef adds substance to these meals.  Most Mexican dishes are different variations using similar ingredients.   

Jim Gaffigan, a great comedian, said it best:  All Mexican food is made up of 4 types of ingredients tortillas, meat, cheese and vegetables. 

My family and I are about to travel to St. George Island, FL.  Each night my siblings and I rotate making dinner for everyone.  I wanted to make something that would feed a lot of people, but take no time to make. I did not want to lose any beach time with the fam.  Check out the next recipe!

Tips & Tricks:

• Pick your meat

• Ground Beef Nutrition

- Chef Mimi