Mexican for a crowd

On Saturday, we had a few people over for the big Louisville vs. Kentucky football game. I decided a build your own taco bar would be an easy route for football food. I made a couple of salsas, a couple hot appetizers and a crockpot full of shredded chicken plus cake for dessert. It was all a big hit. Sorry for the lack of pictures.

Crockpot Taco Mix
(Serves 10 with plenty of leftovers)

5 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 green peppers
1 large white onion
1 1/2 cups chipotle marinade
1 T lime juice
2 T cumin
1 T garlic powder
1 cup water

Put chicken breasts, water and 1 cup marinade in crockpot. Cook on high for 3 hours. Do not open crock pot lid. Cut up peppers and onions and add remaining marinade to a plastic bag and refrigerate. Shred chicken with 2 forks and drain excess water from crockpot. Return chicken to crockpot, add peppers and onions, spices, and lime juice. Continue cooking on low for 1 additional hour. Serve on warm tortillas with desired toppings.

The leftovers made delicious quesadillas when we added 1/4 cup of cheese and some leftover black bean salsa.

Peach-Mango Salsa

3 peaches, peeled, pits removed
1 mango, peeled, core removed
1 jalapeno
1 plum tomato
Handful chopped cilantro

Add all ingredients to a food processor and process until desired consistency. Serve with cinnamon chips or tortilla chips.

Enchilada Bites
(Serves 12, 2 per person)

8 corn tortillas
1 cup shredded chicken, cooked
1 cup cream of chicken soup (I used Healthy Request)
1/2 cup enchilada sauce (I like Old El Paso Hot)
1/2 cup shredded colby jack or Mexican blend cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut 2" circles out of tortilla shells (3 per shell). Warm tortilla rounds in the microwave for about 15-30 seconds and press each round into wells of a mini-muffin pan. Combine chicken, soup and enchilada sauce in a small pan and heat to bubbling. Spoon mixture equally into muffin cups. Top each with shredded cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes until cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown. Use a spoon to pop out bites.


Black Bean Baked Empenadas
(Serves 12, 2 per person)

1 pkg refrigerated pie crust
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can diced tomatoes (I like the garlic and onion or zesty blend), drained
1/2 jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
1 cup roasted corn, removed from cob
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1-2 egg whites
Garlic salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out pie crust and cut into 3" rounds. Put rounds onto a greased cookie sheet. Mix vegetables and spices together for filling, lightly mash beans. Put approx 1 T of filling onto each round. Fold over and seal edges with a fork. Brush tops with egg whites. Sprinkle with garlic salt. Bake in the oven for approx 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned.