Spicy Beef Cheesy Corn Taco Muffins

Love tacos but need for them to be more portable, less messy to eat? Make my spicy beef cheesy corn taco muffins. These savory muffins are made with spicy canned tomatoes and cornmeal. They turn leftover ground beef seasoned with taco spices into a great mobile breakfast, brunch or lunch option.

The weekend I made these muffins was a get-‘er-done sort of weekend. We ran errands and crossed to-dos off the list that had been languishing there for ages. On day two of the weekend – that would be Saturday here – a song came on that reminded my dear husband of one of our favorite restaurants in Houston, Texas. “Let’s go to El Jardín for dinner!” he says. “You are a cruel, cruel man,” I responded. What we wouldn’t give to be able to eat at El Jardín anytime!

When my elder sister first started working in Houston, using her relatively freshly earned law degree, her office was just down the road from what would become our favorite Mexican restaurant, in a part of town that is not the most upscale, if you know what I mean. But the margaritas are inexpensive before evening dinner service and the food is deliciously prepared and served with a smile. The décor is cheerful, with brightly painted wooden chairs with straw-covered seats, colorful tile-topped tables and lots of tissue paper flowers and banners of papel picado, those decoratively snipped Mexican folk art tissue squares.

Even when we are in Houston, El Jardín is still a hike from our home but we make a point of going there whenever we get the chance.

So, the short end to this long story is that we had to have Mexican food for the dinner that night. Had to. That’s all. It wasn’t El Jardín but tacos with all the fixings were the best I could do on short notice, after two long days of getting ‘er done.

When you brown more than 500g (1.1 lb) of ground beef for tacos and you have only two people for dinner, you are going to have leftovers. These muffins are the perfect use for the leftover spicy beef, extending your Mexican meal through breakfast or brunch or even lunch the next day.

Leftover taco meat? Make Spicy Beef Cheesy Corn Taco Muffins!

Think of them as portable tacos. No leftover meat? Next time, make extra, just so you can make these muffins. You won’t be sorry.

Ingredients
1 cup or 150g fine yellow cornmeal 1/2
1/2 cup or 65g flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup or 225g sour cream
1 1/4 cups or 10 oz or 280g Ro-Tel tomatoes and green chilies
2 eggs
1/2 cup or 120ml canola or other light oil
7 oz or 200g (about 1 1/2 cups) leftover seasoned ground beef for tacos
8 oz or 225g extra sharp cheddar or half cheddar and half Monterrey Jack cheese

Method
Preheat your oven to 375°F or 190°C and grease your muffin pan liberally with non-stick spray or butter.

Grate your cheese, if not already grated. Put a handful or so aside to top the muffins before baking.

Measure your cornmeal, flour, salt, baking soda and grated cheddar into a large mixing bowl and mix well.

Measure the sour cream and oil into a small mixing bowl. Add the eggs and the can of Ro-Tel tomatoes – juice and all. Whisk to combine.

Fold your wet ingredients into your dry ones until just mixed.

Set a little of the seasoned ground beef aside for topping the muffins before baking and fold the rest into the batter.

Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups.

Sprinkle the top with the reserved cheese and beef.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until you can see that the sides are turning golden brown.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes.  Remove from the pan, loosening gently with a knife if necessary, and cool further on a wire rack.

Enjoy!



Like spicy foods with a Mexican flair? You might want to try my chicken and black bean enchiladas with homemade enchilada sauce, my easy breakfast Chilaquiles Rojos con Huevos Revueltos – Tortillas with Salsa and Scrambled Eggs or my Sopa Seca de Fideo - Spicy Mexican Noodles. All three are delicious and will satisfy your spicy cravings.

And if you love tacos as much as we do, you are going to be a huge fan of this week's Sunday Supper. Check out all the delicious taco recipes we are sharing today. Many thanks to our event manager Em Beitel for all of her hard work.

Breakfast, Dessert, and Alternative Tacos

• Jalapeño Cornbread Taco Pie by Soulfully Made
• Loaded Taco Tots by Gourmet Everyday
• Naked Egg Breakfast Tacos by Palatable Pastime
• Spicy Beef Cheesy Corn Taco Muffins by Food Lust People Love
• Veggie Packed Mouth-Watering Cauliflower Breakfast Tostadas by Bites of Wellness

Lunch and Dinner Tacos

• 1970s Style Tacos by Fantastical Sharing of Recipes
• Asian-Spiced Black Cod Tacos with Kimchi and Avocado-Sriracha Mayo by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Beef and Bean Tacos plus planning Taco Tuesday: An Easy Family Meal by Hardly A Goddess
• Buffalo Chicken Tacos by A Mind Full Mom
• Chorizo Tacos with Black Bean and Corn Salsa by Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Cinnamon Beef Tacos by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Easy Fish Taco Recipe by Sunday Supper Movement
• Healthy Ground Turkey Tacos by Mid-Life Croissant
• Low Carb Beef Tacos by Our Good Life
• Salmon Tacos with Watermelon Pico de Gallo by Pies and Plots
• Sloppy Joe Tacos by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Slow Cooker Asian Pork Tacos with Cabbage Slaw by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Slow Cooker Korean BBQ Tacos by Cricket’s Confections
• Steak Tacos with Chimichurri Sauce by The Freshman Cook
• Surf and Turf Tacos by The Weekend Gourmet
• Walking Chili Cheese Tacos by Bottom Left of the Mitten

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Sweet Pineapple Muffins #MuffinMonday

These sweet pineapple muffins have a simple vanilla muffin batter, studded with pineapple. They are perfect for breakfast and snacks. Pop one in a lunch box as a special surprise.

I have a confession to make. These were supposed to be fresh pineapple muffins. My neighborhood grocery store has a special cutter that slices pineapples into circles at the same time that it removes the thick, spiky peel. Don’t you know, the day I was baking these, they didn’t have any fresh pineapples. They almost always have them!

I wanted fresh pineapple because fruit packed in syrup is usually too sweet for me but I took this as a sign to go and peruse the canned goods. Hallelujah! There was actually one option with pineapple slices in unsweetened juice. So, use what you’ve got!

Ingredients
2 cups or 250g all purpose flour
¾ cup or 150g sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
Juice (not syrup!) from small can of pineapple plus enough milk to make 1 cup or 240ml
½ cup or 120ml canola oil or other light oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
Small can pineapple (4.9 oz or 139g, drained weight)

Method
Preheat oven to 350°F or 180°C and generously grease cups and top of 12-cup muffin pan or line with paper liners.

Drain the pineapple and save the juice in a measuring cup. Add enough milk to make 1 cup or 240ml.

Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a large mixing bowl.

Chop the pineapple slices into bits. I like to cut some a bit bigger and save them to decorate the top and I suggest you do the same.

Put the bigger pile into the dry ingredients and stir to coat them so they don't stick together.

In another bowl, whisk together milk, melted butter, vanilla and eggs.

Add all the milk mixture to flour mixture. Gently fold just until dry ingredients are moistened.

Divide your batter relatively evenly between the 12 muffin cups.  Top each with a couple of pieces of chopped pineapple.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until muffins are golden.

Remove from oven and let cool 10-15 before removing muffins from pan.

Enjoy!

Check out all of the great muffins my Muffin Monday group is sharing today:

• Appalachian Pawpaw Muffinsfrom Palatable Pastime
• Apple Oatmeal Muffins from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Pineapple Coconut Banana Muffins from Passion Kneaded
• Sourdough Date Nut Cranberry Muffins from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Sweet Pineapple Muffins from Food Lust People Love
• Whole Grain Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins from Farm Fresh Feasts

#MuffinMonday is a group of muffin loving bakers who get together once a month to bake muffins. You can see all our of lovely muffins by following our Pinterest board.

Updated links for all of our past events and more information about Muffin Monday, can be found on our home page.

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Roasted Pumpkin Apple Bacon Soup

Nothing beats roasted pumpkin soup on a chilly fall day. Add some bacon, ginger and green apple for a warm, bright bowl of goodness your whole family will love.

It’s never really winter here in Dubai so when we get a day that is grey and looks like it is threatening to rain (although honestly, it hardly ever does) that is what I call a soup day. Today it’s pumpkin soup since I am trying hard to channel autumn.

Roasted Pumpkin Apple Bacon Soup

This makes two large, very, very thick bowls of soup. This recipe is easily multiplied to serve more.

Ingredients
600g or 1 1/3 pounds fresh pumpkin
2 slices or rashers of bacon (streaky) (optional)
2 cups or 480ml stock (chicken or vegetable)
1/2 small onion
1 medium carrot
1 green apple
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Small knob young ginger
4 cloves garlic
20g or 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter
Olive oil
Sea salt
Black pepper

Optional, to serve: Drizzle of cream

Method
Preheat your oven to 375°F or 190°C. Clean the seeds and fibers out of your pumpkin.

Cut it in pieces so it will roast faster. Trim the bottom a little, if necessary, to make it stand up properly. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.

Roast the pumpkin for 40-50 minutes or until a fork goes in easily. Remove from oven and allow to cool enough to handle.

Meanwhile, if using, chop your bacon into little strips. Fry with a little olive oil over a medium fire.

Peel the vegetables then chop your onion, carrot and garlic and ginger.

Add to the bacon and sauté until softened, adding another couple of glugs of olive oil. Put the lid on and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a little water if it starts to dry out.

Put one teaspoon of lemon juice in a small bowl. Peel, core and chop the apple and mix it around in the lemon juice.

Add the apple to the pot. Stir everything around and pop the lid back. Cook on medium, adding water occasionally if it starts to catch.

Once you are able to hold your pumpkin, scrape the flesh out of the skin.

Add the butter to the pot and then add the pumpkin.

Add the stock and give the pot a whisk.

Carefully ladle and then pour everything in to a blender. Make sure not to overfill the blender. You may have to do this in batches. Blend until smooth.  Return to the pot and check the seasoning. Add salt, if necessary, and a couple of good grinds of black pepper.

Serve with a drizzle of cream and hot buttered toast.

Enjoy!

Check out all the great easy pumpkin recipes my Sunday Supper group are sharing today!

Meals, Sides, and Snacks

• Autumn Harvest Pumpkin Soup by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Chocolate Pumpkin Chia Pudding by Cricket’s Confections
• Chocolate Pumpkin Pastry Twists by Caroline’s Cooking
• Cream Cheese Filled Pumpkin Bread by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Miso Broth with Roast Pumpkin and Noodles by Sprinkles and Sprouts
• Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Walnut Streusel by Baking Sense
• Pumpkin Kugel by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Pumpkin Monkey Bread Muffins by Jersey Girl Cooks
• Pumpkin Mug Muffin by Our Good Life
• Pumpkin Oatmeal Cups by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Pumpkin Shrub by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Pumpkin Spiced Cream Cheese Rolls by Fantastical Sharing of Recipes
• Roasted Pumpkin Apple Bacon Soup by Food Lust People Love
• Savory Pumpkin with Red Onion Garlic and Coconut by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz

Delectable Desserts

• No Bake Paleo Pumpkin Bites by Bites of Wellness
• Pumpkin Blondies by Pies and Plots
• Pumpkin Bread Pudding by The Freshman Cook
• Pumpkin Cupcakes by NinjaBaker.com
• Pumpkin Hand Pies by Kudos Kitchen by Renee
• Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream by Bottom Left of the Mitten
• Pumpkin Pot Au Creme by Cooking On The Ranch
• Pumpkin Spice Crumble Cake by Soulfully Made
• Simple Pumpkin Pie Pudding by Confessions of a Cooking Diva
• Traditional Pumpkin Pie by Palatable Pastime
• Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies by Sunday Supper Movement

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