Mexican Restaurant Rice

Ok so I know you all probably think Jessica and I are a little obsessed by now with Spanish rice, huh?  Or just Mexican food in general??  So a little while back Jessica posted an updated Spanish rice recipe that looks awesome, but I didn't have tomato base on hand even though I wanted to try it.   (Jessica how about you loan me some and I'll give you some pinto beans from Costco so you can make slow cooker beans? :)  Anyway, so I wanted to make a rice that was more mild that my little kids would eat and that tasted more like the rice they serve in Mexican sit down restaurants, because my little kids always gobble that stuff up.  So I experimented some and came up with this recipe that our family just LOVES.  It is super delicious, simple, and kid and adult friendly!!  I cook Mexican food a lot for our family and so I make this all the time now.  I love that you pretty much will always have the ingredients you need for it on hand as well.

Mexican Restaurant Rice
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Regular Recipe, Serves 4-6
1 1/2 Tablespoons Olive Oil or Butter
1/2 of a medium onion, chopped or 1 1/2 green onions, chopped
1 1/2 cups Long Grain Rice
1-2 garlic cloves, minced.  **Depending on size, I sometimes leave this out if I'm in a rush.
1 8 oz. can Tomato Sauce
2 cups Water
2 teaspoons Chicken Bouillon Powder
1/2 teaspoon Oregano
1/4 teaspoon Chili Powder
1/8-1/4 teaspoon Cumin
1 Tablespoon Fresh Cilantro, chopped, optional-if I don't have it on hand I leave it out and it's still delicious

Large Recipe, Serves 10-12 
2 1/2 Tablespoons Olive Oil or Butter
1 small Onion, chopped or 2-3 Green Onions, chopped
3 Garlic cloves, minced
1 16 oz. can Tomato Sauce
3 cups Water
3 teaspoons Chicken Bouillon Powder
3/4 teaspoon Oregano
1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder
1/4- 1/2  teaspoon Cumin
2 Tablespoons Cilantro, chopped
 

Place olive oil in a sauce pan.  Add onion and rice and saute for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently to evenly and lightly brown the rice and cook the onions.  Then add garlic and stir for 1 more minute.  Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and cover and cook for about 20-24 minutes (cook large recipe for closer to 24 minutes).  Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes before stirring. 

Slow Cooker Refried Beans

 Yum, I love these beans so much!! So does everyone who tastes them.  So here is the history behind them.  My husband and I enjoy going on dates to Rubios sometimes, and we love their pinto beans.  So one time while we were there, I asked them how they cooked them.  And the guy said that it was just pinto beans, garlic salt, and pepper.  "That's it?" I said, and he goes "yup, I've seen them make them and that's all they put in."  So that got me thinking, and I began experimenting at home.  I had learned to make beans in the crock pot from my friend Bertie, so I made several batches of beans and this is the recipe I came up with.  This couldn't be any simpler, and except for maybe the beans, you have everything you already need at home!!  You can literally start these in less than 2 minutes in the morning and later, you have a simmering crock pot of delicious homemade beans to use in burritos, on the side with tacos, or whatever your favorite Mexican dishes are.  I made these for a superbowl party and all my girlfriends there asked for the recipe and have made them now too.  A quick note:  my friend who taught me about making beans in the crock pot told me to get my pinto beans at Costco because they are clean and never have rocks or junk in them.  So that is always where I buy my dried pinto beans.  They come in two sizes of re-sealable bags and last me a while in my pantry. I love them.


Slow Cooker Refried Beans

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Note: This makes a large batch.  They freeze well but you could easily cut it in half, my family of 8 eats these over a course of a few days.  We use them in burritos, tostadas, and as after school snacks with our most FAVORITE tortilla chips EVER, On the Border chips.  You MUST buy these at the store if your store carries them, I get them at Walmart.  They are even better warmed in the microwave.

4 cups dried Pinto Beans
9 cups Water
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil (I use the pure olive oil, not the extra virgin)
1 1/2 Tablespoons Garlic Salt
1/2 Tablespoon Black Pepper

Place all ingredients in a 4-5 quart crock pot that is sprayed with cooking spray.  Cook on low for about 7-8 hours or until beans are very soft and mash easily.  You can speed cook them on high, or a combination of high and low, but if you do this you must watch them carefully because they can scorch and lose water.  So keep an eye on them and add more water as needed.

When they are done, remove some of the water but DON'T discard it.  You will want to add it back in as needed.  I always add some back in the next several days because the beans dry out a little in the fridge.  So keep your extra flavored water in a tupperware in the fridge.  Then mash the remaining beans and water together until desired consistency, you can leave some beans partially mashed or whole, depending on how you like them.  After mashing, adjust seasonings if necessary, but if you add in extra salt, use a little at a time.  I sometimes add in a little extra kosher salt, but just a little!  You won't believe how good these are for how easy they are to make!!

Slow Cooker Smoky-n-Sweet White Chicken Chili

So a couple of times on different occasions I have tried white chicken chilis that had a bit of a sweet/smoky taste to them, and I loved them but had no clue how to make them.  Then one day I was at the store and found myself in front of the Bush's Beans, which my family loves in all varieties.  And I looked at one can of baked beans that said "a touch of maple syrup" or something like that and a light bulb went off in my head.  I thought "I bet I could use some of these to make a white chicken chili!!  So I did, and yummmmm was it good!  Our family loved it so much.  Now if you're not a fan of mixing some sweet flavors into your main dishes, this may not be your thing, but we love baked beans so this was a hit.  I also used a rotisserie chicken that I had bought at Costco, but it would also taste great if you cooked your own chicken.  But this has definitely made it into my "regular dinner rotation hall of fame" and I use it when I don't want anything to do with what might be lurking in my freezer that needs defrosting and cooking.

Smoky-n-Sweet White Chicken Chili
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2 large cans Bush's Baked Beans (Maple Cured Bacon or any flavor work awesome, or you could use your own favorite brand of baked beans, we just like the Bush ones) ***DO NOT drain your beans
1 15 oz. can Great Northern Beans
2 15 oz. cans Petite Diced Tomatoes
1 1/2 cups Frozen Corn (or 1 can of corn, drained)
14 oz. Chicken Broth (or 2 cups water w/ 2 tsp. Chicken Boullion powder)
1 7 oz. can Fire Roasted Green Chilies
1/2 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
2 teaspoons Cumin
1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder
1 large Onion, chopped
1 Bell Pepper (green, red. or yellow-this is optional I don't always add the bell pepper)
1 Rotisserie Chicken, just tear that baby apart and throw in as much chicken as you can!!

NOTE: if you don't want to use your slow cooker to make this, you can heat up 2 Tablespoons of oil in a saucepot, add the onion and bell pepper (if using), and cut up fresh chicken breasts or thighs if you don't have a rotisserie chicken on hand.  Brown til chicken is cooked, then add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cook for about 30 minutes or so.

Throw all ingredients in a crock pot sprayed with cooking spray.  Cook on low for 4 hours. Serve with cheese, sour cream, cilantro and chips. 

Recipe Source: Ourcookingcafe.com