Beef Fajita Chili with Easy Baked Tortilla Strips

Chili is a winter staple and perfect for feeding a crowd! Try this version, which has all the flavors of a Tex-Mex favorite, beef fajitas! Serve it with a customized chili bar, filled with simple baked tortilla strips (or chips) and two ingredient guacamole, for an easy yet delicious holiday meal!

During the holidays I love getting in the kitchen to bake up classic family recipes and host get togethers for friends and family. However, sometimes I get so busy baking or we get wrapped up in our special traditions, that weeknight dinners, meal planning and grocery shopping become an after thought. That is why I am grateful that my Mom instilled in me at a very young age to have a well stocked pantry and freezer for emergencies. This is something I have practiced since moving out on my own. Not only has a pantry full of canned beans, tomatoes and pasta, helped during those times when money has been a little tight; they are HUGE lifesavers during busy times of the year or when occasionally we have bad, icy weather and can’t make it to the store.

Our pantry stockpile really helps us during the holidays to save time and money- when both are super stretched. Recently, when running to Walmart to pick up some holiday décor, I stopped by the grocery department to grab a few last minute dinner ingredients, fresh bell peppers and flank steak, and to stock up some on some canned goods, like RO*TEL Tomatoes and Rosarita® Premium Seasoned Whole Black Beans, to help us get through the season.

Chili, soup and casseroles, are perfect weeknight dinners for this time of year because they can be easily whipped up using what you have on had, and can be doubled for feeding out of town guests or to freeze extra for those days when you forget dinner all together! In fact, since chili is such a crowd favorite and so easy and affordable to make (especially when using an already stocked pantry of ingredients), that I always serve a chili bar at our annual white elephant holiday party! I love that Eric and I started this tradition a few years ago and now our friends have come to expect it! 🙂 To keep things simple I always make up a large pot of chili in my slow cooker and arrange all the “fixin’s” in bowls and on platters so that guests can just help themselves. I do ask party guests to help contribute by bringing an appetizer or dessert, which makes hosting 15-20 friends a breeze, even during this hectic time of year!

My latest chili concoction is inspired by one of our Tex-Mex favorites, fajitas! I seasoned traditional fajita meat, flank steak, with a homemade fajita seasoning blend, then threw in all the typical fajita toppings that you would find spread across the table at local Texas restaurant. Peppers, onions, tomatoes and beans; plus a nice spread of toppings like oven baked tortilla strips/chips and easy, peasy two ingredient guacamole (made in a pinch using RO*TEL Mexican Style Tomatoes) make for a comforting winter dinner that EVERYONE will love!

Beef Fajita Chili with Easy Baked Tortilla Strips
by Heather H. of Kitchen Concoctions: www.kitchen-concoctions.com
Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 5-8 hours Serves: 6-8
Printable Version

Ingredients:
Beef Fajita Chili:
1 pound flank or skirt steak
1 ½ tablespoons chili powder
½ tablespoon ground cumin 

2 teaspoons dried oregano
½ teaspoon each kosher salt and black pepper
1 large yellow onion, diced
3 large assorted bell peppers (red, green yellow or orange), diced
2 jalapenos, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 (10-ounce) cans RO*TEL No Salt Added Original Tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can Rosarita® Premium Seasoned Whole Black Beans
1 (15-ounce) can Rosarita® No Fat Traditional Refried Beans
1 (15-ounce) can Rosarita® Premium Seasoned Whole Pinto Beans

For Serving:
Baked Tortilla Strips (recipe below)
Cotjia or cheddar cheese
Sliced fresh or pickled jalapenos
Sour Cream
Fresh cilantro
Fresh limes
Two Ingredient Guacamole (recipe below) 

Directions:
Cutting against the grain, cut the beef into 1-inch pieces. Set aside.
In a small bowl, stir together spices. Add diced beef to spices and toss to season. Add seasoned beef and any extra seasoning to a large 8-10 quart slow cooker. Add remaining chili ingredients to slow cooker and stir to combine.

Cover and cook on high for 5-6 hours or on low for 8-9 hours. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with baked tortilla strips and other any other desired toppings.

Easy Baked Tortilla Strips 
by Heather H. of Kitchen Concoctions: www.kitchen-concoctions.com
Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 4-6 minutes Yields: approximately 3-4 cups

Easy oven baked tortilla crisps, perfect for topping soup, chili and salads!

Ingredients:
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon taco seasoning
¼ teaspoon each kosher salt and black pepper
10-12 flour or corn tortillas

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil.

In a small bowl stir together oil and seasonings. Lay 2-3 tortillas on a cutting board. Using a pastry brush, brush a thin layer of the seasoned oil mixture evenly over the top side of the tortillas. Flip tortillas over and spread another thin layer of the seasoned oil on the other side.

Stack the oil coated tortillas on top of each other. Using a pizza cutter, cut the tortillas in half and then into ½-inch strips.

Arrange the cut tortillas in an even layer on the prepared baking sheets. Repeat with remaining tortillas and oil, until all the oil is used.

Bake tortilla strips in preheated 400 degree oven for 4-6 minutes or until crispy and golden brown. Let chips cool completely before transferring to a plastic storage container or baggie. Store in an air tight container for up to two weeks.

*Note: To make oven baked tortilla chips, prepare tortillas as directed and cut into eighths. Arrange cut tortillas in an even layer on prepared baking sheets and bake at 400 degrees F for 8-10 minutes or until crispy and golden brown.

Two Ingredient Guacamole
by Heather H. of Kitchen Concoctions: www.kitchen-concoctions.com
Prep Time: 5 minutes Yields: approximately 1 cup guacamole

Ingredients:
1 (10-ounce) cans RO*TEL Mexican Style Tomatoes
2 large avocados, peeled and pitted

Directions:
Place avocados in a large bowl. Using a fork or potato masher, mash avocados, mashing until smooth but some large pieces of avocado remain. Stir in canned tomatoes. Serve immediately.

Optional: Diced red onion or minced garlic can be added for additional flavor, if desired.

Pairing canned goods with fresh produce saves time and helps make dinner easy and stress free! For more easy recipe ideas, visit Yes You Can Recipes! And follow RO*TEL on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.