How about Nachos tonight?

I'm thinking of serving these crunchy and delicious nachos tonight.

HERE'S WHAT I HAVE ON HAND

• 1 (15oz) black beans
• 1 medium onion
• 1 small red bell pepper
• 1/2 block of Wisconsin sharp cheddar, shredded
• 1/2 block of Wisconsin Monterey Jack, shredded
• 1 jar Joe T. Garcia's spicy salsa
• 1 jar jalapeños
• 8 oz. sour cream
• 1 bag Tostidos Restaurant Style chips

I'm going to cut up the onion and bell pepper the same size slices and cook them over medium high heat in 1 to 2 tablespoons oil, until they're soften. (If I had leftover roasted chicken breasts, I would add shredded chicken, a teaspoon of cumin & chili powder.) Set aside. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.

Puree the black beans in a one cup food processor until mostly blended but still shows a few beans. Spread the bean mixture on each chip and top with shredded cheese. For the grown ups, I'm adding the cooked onion & bell pepper slices. Place the loaded chips on cookie sheet covered with aluminum foil and bake for 7-10 minutes. Remove from oven, top with sour cream and salsa.

Yep, that sounds pretty good to me. What are you making for dinner?

Black Bean Salad, Chicken Quesadillas

This meal was inspired from a Hunt's recipe I found while clipping coupons.  Naturally, I didn't have everything the original recipe wanted me to use, so, I made due.

KID FRIENDLY
Right up front, my kids ALWAYS want simple meals where ingredients are kept separated on the plate.  So for them, I made simple chicken and cheese quesadillas.  I reserved half the can of black beans to serve on the side with a dollop of sour cream.  And everyone was HAPPY!

HERE'S WHAT THE GROWN UPS LOVED

Start heating your large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat.

Mix the black bean salad.

• 1/2 to 3/4 can (15oz) Southwestern style tomatoes
• 1/2 cup whole kernel corn
• 1/2 can (15oz) black beans
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• juice of one small, fresh lime

Stir everything together in a medium bowl and set aside.

• 2 roasted chicken breasts, sliced into bite size pieces
• 2 cups Monterey jack cheese, shredded into small bowl
• 4 burrito size Zesty Garlic tortillas

On the griddle; warm up tortilla on both sides, 20-30 seconds.  Spread 1/3 cup cheese over half the tortilla, top with chicken, and 1/4 cup black bean salad.  Fold tortilla in half over filling.  Brown tortillas 2-3 minutes on each side until cheese melts.  Cut into wedges.  Serve remaining salsa as side salad with tortillas chips.

One hungry husband can take down 1 1/2 full tortillas worth, the kiddos shared one tortilla, and I easily polished off one tortilla.   This is not a heavy meal and it's so flavorful.  You'll be finished before you're ready to be finished.