Make it Monday #2: Mexican Style

Again this week, I am linking up with Ashley over at

for MAKE IT MONDAY! A bit late, I know!

Tonight for dinner I used some more of my Pinterest pins to plan a menu.  As inspiration (or should I say pinsperation), I used these pins:

Taco Pie

Source: manteresting.com via Erica on Pinterest

Mexican Rice 
(Like you get at a Mexican restaurant)
Source: food-pusher.blogspot.com via Erica on Pinterest

Now, when I say inspiration I really mean it, because I didn't follow exact recipes, I simply used them to create my own thing.  Now the first pin (for taco pie) didn't link to a recipe, so I did google it go figure out what was in it.  Basically it was, pie crust, taco beef, cheese, lettuce and tomato.  I changed it up a little.

I used a frozen pie shell and then layered it with refried beans.

Then I put in a layer of cooked beef seasoned with taco seasoning
and then sharp cheddar cheese.

I baked that @ 350 for 15 minutes.  
In hindsight, I realize I should have baked it a little more... 
the crust was a bit mushy.

Next, I added a layer of lettuce, tomatoes and crushed tortilla chips.

I served this Taco Pie with a side of peppers stuffed with the rice.
I didn't follow the rice recipe... I simply added a cup of salsa and
some taco seasoning to the already cooked rice.
I did microwave the peppers for about 4 minutes before stuffing them.
I baked them at the same time as the pie... 
maybe why the crust wasn't quite done.

I finished the pie off with a dollop of sour cream...
And like any good pie, it completely fell apart upon serving!
Notice how this meal was NOT fancy enough to serve on real plates :)

Overall, it was a great meal!  You should try it yourself...

put those pins to use! :)

ENJOY!

Pinterest Dinner

Inspired by my friend Ashley over at

I have decided to join her in her "Make it Monday" adventures.
Ashley started this as a way to actually make (whether it was a craft or a recipe) some of the items she had pinned on pinterest.
I absolutely LOVED the idea (kinda jealous I didn't come up with it on my own actually) and am excited that she has now made it into a link up!
Since I am now in full summer mode, I have no reason to not try something (or many somethings) each week.  Last summer I tried the "Meatless Monday" craze, but neither Todd nor I were a huge fan.
So, I decided to do a full pinterest inspired meal!  Now, I am not going to lie... I actually went looking for pins to pin so that I could make this meal.  These were not all things I had already pinned.
We had already decided that we wanted to have pork for dinner, so I went hunting for some good pork marinades and I came across this one.  I was a little hesitant because I am not a HUGE fan of lemon pepper (though for some, it is their favorite season) but I have to say it turned out DELICIOUS!  Not only was it super easy to mix up, but it had some great bold flavor with just enough kick that Todd loved it but I didn't think it was too spicy. After the pork was decided on, I knew I needed a few side dishes.  I absolutely LOVE mac and cheese, so I decided to start there.  I found this "Beer Mac" recipe that sounded intriguing, so I figured I'd give it a go.  It called for smoked cheddar, but I didn't want to pay for the fancy cheese (you know, the kind sold in the special cheese section of the grocery store), so I just went with 2 cups of sharp cheddar.  I also didn't have mild cheddar, so I used colby jack.  Overall, this was a really "beery" tasting dish.  I thought it would lose some of the beer taste while being cooked, but it kinda... didn't.  Todd, seeing as how he likes beer, LOVED IT!  I, on the other hand, wasn't a huge fan.  I think I will stick with just normal mac and cheese next time.  By the way, I totally skipped all the herbs this recipe called for... didn't have them all, and didn't really want anything but the mac and cheese! :)

Todd helped with the "constant stirring"
while I added the cheese.

The cheese sauce was not very thick.  Still runny...

The finished product!
Notice the bits of unmelted Amercian cheese... YUM!

For my other side dish, I found this recipe of zucchini sticks and "Bloomin' Onion" dip.  Now, I am not going to lie, I am not a big fan of the dip they serve at Outback with the bloomin' onion, but I knew Todd likes it, so I figured I'd give it a try.  The dip was easy to prepare, but in the end, I thought it just kinda tasted like a spicy/honey mustardy/flavored mayo.  It wasn't exactly bad... but I just didn't love it.  Todd, on the other hand, DID.

Not the most beautiful picture, but it gives you the idea of how it looked.

Finally, the zucchini sticks.  I had Zumba class last night (more on that in another post possibly), so I didn't get home until 7:30ish.  Thus, I decided to take a shortcut on these... maybe not the best plan.  I had precut the zucchini, so when I got home I put them in a gallon bag, poured in the 2 eggs and shook to coat them.  Then I added all the panko crumbs, cheese and spices and shook again.  This method did not quite turn out how I hoped.  The breading didn't really stick too well to the zucchini... but I went ahead and baked them anyway.  They were tasty, but not how they were supposed to be.  In the end, I'd have preferred just plain old baked zucchini.

Before baking.

After baking.

So, though I didn't love every part of my meal, all in all it was fun to try new things!  I definitely use the pork marinade again... but I might just toss the other recipes (or I suppose, unpin them).

We figured a meal like this merited eating on real plates (versus paper)!
It all did make a very good looking plate.

 

To: Todd

You're the best daddy in the whole world! 

Love,

Thomas and Frosty