I am sitting here as I write this and I am trying to think back to when I first tasted Mexican Food. (Not that this recipe is very Mexican by any stretch of the imagination.)  

I think it was when I had moved to London, Ontario and we discovered a restaurant called Chi Chi's.  I believe it was a chain restaurant.

 

We used to go there every now and then and treat ourselves to Chimichangas and fahitas, and yes, (at that time) margaritas.  I liked the strawberry ones. They were so yummy.  

The Fajitas were probably not overly loaded with fat and calories but those Chimichangas could probably  be considered heart attack specials.

 

But we were young and did not think of such things. They fed you hot tortilla chips and salsa while you waited for your order. 

 If it was your birthday they would don Sombreros and come and sing Happy Birthday to you at your table.  Horror of all horrors. 

As a person who did not and does not like to be the centre of attention, this was a fate worse than death.

 

My sister taught me how to make Nachos.  I learned how to make Enchiladas from an old Sunset cookery book.  My love of all things Tex Mex was born. 

 

Up to that point the only thing even remotely resembling Tex Mes in my experience was my mother's Chili Con Carne and she got that recipe from off a can of tomato soup.  Not exactly authentic, lol.

 

Of course when you have five growing and hungry children, it can get to be rather expensive to eat out and so you learn to make things you like at home and that is what I did.  

I think I got rather good at making Enchiladas and Nachos, Tacos and Chili.

 

These Flat Chicken Tacos resemble real tacos only in the sense that they are served with flour tortillas.  We like soft tacos in this house.  

You can eat them flat with  knife and fork (my husband's preference) or folded up like a real taco. (My bohemian preferral!)

 

I simply toast some six inch soft flour tortillas over my gas burners until blistered and blackened on the edges and then I top them with shredded poached chicken that I have mixed with my own special sauce.

 

My sauce is tangy and smoky and spicy. I add some heat by using Spanish smoked paprika, this also adds a smoky touch . . .  I do use tomato ketchup. It works well.

 

I add brown sugar, cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and mustard. I use Dijon, but you use whatever kind of mustard you like.

 

I add a full teaspoon of Green Tabasco sauce. Oh, I simply adore Green Tabasco sauce. I could eat it with a spoon.  

Its not quite as hot as the regular one and has a green chili flavour.

 

I use a bit of seasoning and some garlic powder.  This gets cooked for a short time to really meld the flavours and then I stir it into the poached and shredded chicken.

   

The chicken then gets piled onto the tortillas, topped with a four cheese blend, sprinkled with red onions and baked until the chicken is hot and the cheese has melted. 

You don't want them to brown. You want the tortillas to stay fairly pliable.  Served hot with your favourite toppings, they are really quite delicious.

 

Today I accompanied them with a quick slaw that I threw together by grating a carrot, shredding a head of baby gem lettuce, and hand shredding a bit of red cabbage.  

This I dressed with a mix of Mayonnaise, Ranch dressing, a squirt of Lime juice and a pinch of sugar.  It was quite yummy if I don't say so myself, and I know I just did!

 

Oh boy but these were some good.  I was quite full up after eating two one and a half of them.  When I think of how much I used to be able to eat when I was younger I am quite amazed.  Somewhere along the way my appetite has drastically changed.  

We used to be able to eat a pizza in the evening for a snack or a box of Kraft dinner, and this was after having had a full dinner earlier on.  Mind you back then we didn't go to bed until gone midnight most nights and nowadays we are all tucked in by 9 o'clock at the latest!  I guess we have officially become old fogies!

 

I don't know about you, but I consider Macaroni and Cheese to be the ultimate in comfort foods. 

My husband would disagree, as he is not overly fond of pasta of any kind, but the carb lover in me just needs to have some pasta every now and then, and of all the pastas on the earth Macaroni and Cheese is my favourite indulgence.

 

Interestingly enough, it wasn't something that I really remember my mother making when I was growing up. 

Occasionally we might have Kraft Dinner Mac & Cheese, but that was considered a treat.  If mom cooked pasta at all it was spaghetti, which my father love, LOVED and still does.

 

She would brown a pound of ground beef in a skillet and add a can of Catelli spaghetti sauce and call it Italian Spaghetti.  

Served with the plastic green can of  grated cheese that was about as foreign as my family got when it came to dinner cuisine!

 

My children always loved it when I made them Macaroni and Cheese.  Its a pretty economical way to feed a large family, depending on the cheese you use for it.  

When I first moved over here to Chester, there was a cheese monger at the Indoor Market in town who sold bags of cheese crumbs for 50p.  I used to buy two or three each time I went in, specifically for use in cooking.

  

You were never quite sure what kind they were, but they always went great in a cheese sauce!    

I will be honest and up front here . . .  I never stint on the amount of cheese I put in a cheese sauce.  

I think you should be able to full on taste it . . .  not just hint at it.  That's me . . . full on everything.

 

I also love cauliflower cheese and broccoli cheese. 

Yes I confess when my children were growing up, I was one of those moms who spooned heated Cheese Whiz over their broccoli to get them to eat it. 

Nobody complained.  It was simple and it was easy.

 

Adding broccoli and cauliflower to macaroni and cheese is a great way to cut back on the carbs and to increase your intake of your five a day, and its incredibly delicious to boot! 

Its like three of your favourite things all rolled up together in one.

 

It doesn't really involve any extra work, or more work than making ordinary mac and cheese and its a bit healthier.  

At least I think it is. Don't burst my bubble if you disagree.

 

I just throw the vegetable in with the macaroni during the last few minutes of its cook time. 

I cut them into rather smallish florets, about 1 inch in size, and they don't need much more than a few minutes to become crispy tender.

 

They add lots of interest to the dish, plenty of flavour and additional colour and texture.

Not to mention fiber as well as being some of your five a day!

 

Actually there are quite a few vegetables that go well in macaroni and cheese.  

Leeks (I sauté them for a few minutes first), cooked peas and carrots, shredded cabbage or brussels sprouts (again lightly sautéed or blanched),  Kale (once again, blanche first), Swiss chard, spinach, tomatoes, etc. 

  

All are very tasty and I can honestly say I have never had anyone turn their nose up at any of them. 

In fact,  most people ask for seconds  . . . 

 

I like to use a strong cheddar for flavour and of course some mustard also adds a bit of a punch to the sauce.  

You could use hot sauce in its place if you wanted to.  I am particularly fond of the Green Tabasco sauce.  I could eat that up with a spoon.

  

And of course I always top with some bread crumbs, crushed crackers, crushed cereal or stale chips and cheese.  Casseroles with crunchy toppings are one of my favourite things!! You don't need much on the side with this. I like to serve it with pickled beetroot and some buttered brown bread. Yummy!

 

I dare say I love this even more than regular mac and cheese.  Its fabulously delicious!  I have simple tastes . . .  A simple salad also goes very well on the side.

I am fed up to the eyeballs with rain.  Its that time of year!  Not really cold, except for the wind, but the rain . . .  its starting to get to me. 

  

I found myself with a half of a white cabbage in my refrigerator that I wanted to use up but I didn't feel like making a coleslaw or anything like that. I wanted something comforting and delicious.  Todd's not fond of coleslaw.  He doesn't like eating anything that has hard vegetables in it.

 

Our Camelia bush is already in bloom. It seems really early this year, but I saw daffodils blooming this morning and there are buds all over our bushes. The greening of England is about to begin and Spring really is just around the corner.  I look forward to Spring every year, but it also heralds the end of Comfort Food Season which I mourn just a tiny bit . . .  okay, MORE than a tiny bit. I am a comfort food lover at heart. I thought that it would be fun today to share ten of my favourite Home Style Comfort Dishes. Oh, to be sure we will have a lot more blustery days before Spring finally lands, but its definitely time to get in your last tastes of your comfort foods before its too late. Every single dish I am sharing here today is one that we love.

 

Stewed Brisket & Potatoes.   Crusty, buttery little drop biscuits . . .  tender in the middle and going oh-so-well with that beautiful rich gravy, potatoes and those tender chunks of meat!  

Macaroni Shepherd's Pie.  Shepherd's pie with the delicious twist of a layer of macaroni and cheese on top instead of the usual potatoes! Scrumdiddlyumptious!

 

Beef Casserole with Horseradish Dumplings.  Hearty and delicious! My own oven stew recipe with a lovely dumpling recipe borrowed from Mary Berry, and adapted to my own needs.  

 

French Onion Chicken.  All the flavours of your favourite soup  baked into a deliciously saucy chicken casserole beneath golden cheesy croutons. What's not to like!

 

Irish Stew.  Tender lamb and vegetables beneath a thatch of potato cobbles, in a flavour filled broth. Simplicity at its best.  

 

Chicken Savoyarde.  Tender pieces of cooked chicken beneath a rich and creamy taragon sauce, topped with crisp bread crumbs.  Delicious!

 

Beef, Ale & Parsnip Pudding. Kind of like a steamed meat pie, filled with lovely flavours.  Beef, parsnips in a lush ale gravy, served with cabbage and boiled potatoes. 

 

Chicken Rarebits with Melted Leeks.   A deliciously rich and indulgent chicken dish, which is simple to make and uses simple ingredients.   

 

Stuffed Cabbage Trou Style.  Layers of cabbage and the sausage meat create a magical taste combination that is unbeatable . . . the long slow cooking breaks the cabbage down until it is almost buttery . . . the juices of the cabbage and sausage melding together into a melting deliciousness that is just the best flavour in the world. 

 

Cottage Pie with Potato Cobbles.  This may be the most delicious Cottage Pie you've ever eaten and I don't make that claim lightly!  A really tasty meaty base topped with sliced rounds of potato and a layer of cheese baked until the potato cobbles are golden brown and everything is bubbling up nicely. 

Oh, I could have easily done 20 or more of my favourites.  This really is just the tip of the iceberg! 

 

I've been cooking and sharing recipes online for about 18 years now.  I have shared my love of food and recipes on a variety of sites throughout the years, some of which no longer exist.   

I discovered very early during my online journey that people really love food and recipes and that I had plenty to share.  My blog in its current form has been going for about 10 years now.    

Throughout that time I have shared well over 3000 recipes with you.  That's a lot of food and a lot of cooking and a lot of tastiness.  I thought it would be fun today to share some of my all time favourites with you!  

Perhaps some of them are also yours, or maybe you have missed some. In any case there is sure to be something here for everyone.  

  

Creole Chocolate Cake. This is one that I shared with you back in  August of last year on my Birthday.  This is my all time favourite chocolate cake for several reasons. 

It could be the incredibly moist chocolate sponge, or maybe the date caramel nut filling, combined with that rich whipped cream.  Don't get me started on the sour cream chocolate ganache frosting.  Its just a winner from the outside in and back out again!  

  

Classic Fruited Scones.  I love doing tutorials and this one I did on the classic British fruited scone is on of the favourites that I have done.  

These scones always turn out light and flaky and go so wonderful with some clotted cream, jam and of course a nice hot cuppa.  

 

BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger Skillet Macaroni.  This was a favourite of ours for many years and many Missionaries have enjoyed eating it at our table.   A couple of years ago I decided to add some BBQ Sauce to my old standard and took it from wow to WOWSA!  

Bacon, ground beef, cheese and a delicious sauce combined with cooked macaroni for a dinner that everyone is sure to want seconds of.