The week leading up to my birthday I started my same job in a new location. That plus the stress of the mid week ice storm left me with saving most party prep things for the last minute, aside for the multiple Amazon Prime orders I placed throughout the week. On my way home from work Thursday, my last day of work for ten days, I made my stops at Total Wine (my new favorite place) and Stop & Shop where I grocery shopped off of a photo taken of the grocery list that I left at home. This was probably my first real hiccup of the day. I was buying too many things, didn’t cross anything out, and turns out, I forgot to write some things down in the first place. My contributions to the birthday get together I was hosting were mini buffalo chicken tacos, Texas caviar dip, my new go-to Greek inspired 7-layer dip, and a fun bar set up in the dining room. I’d seen a video online for these buffalo chicken tacos that I’d been eyeing for awhile and I thought it was the perfect occasion for them. Boy was I right - they were delightful, but also very, very wrong - they were a disaster.
In order to pull off the tacos, there were lots of steps to follow. I cut corners by using pre made buffalo sauce and rotisserie chicken, anything to work smarter, not harder. I bought larger tortillas that I planned on buying a circle cookie cutter to use to make the tiny shells. Hiccup #2 - couldn’t find said cookie cutter so I was going to have to freehand the mini shells. So while catching up on The Bachelor, I traced a lid that I thought was small enough with a knife until I created 40 small shells. It’s important to know I started with 40 because I certainly didn’t end this way.
I then was turning the soft shells into spicy, crispy shells. You do this by smothering the shells in buffalo sauce, then, according to that video; strategically placing the saucy shells folded on the bottom of a cupcake pan, open side up, and bake in the oven at 350 for 12 minutes until crispy. This is where hiccup #3-43 go down. Not only did I cut the shells too large so that I could only fit 6 shells at a time on the cupcake tin instead of double that, the size also made the shells fall open, more like a flower than a taco. In hindsight, could have made taco bowls or something out of them but was thinking I had so many extra shells to work with I could scrap them and move on (WRONG). So on my second batch, to try and get them to fold into recognizable taco shaped shells, I opted to place a cooling rack on top of a cookie sheet and drape the shells over the rack. I go to spray everything down with cooking spray and run out mid coverage so I try to wipe everything down with a paper towel dipped in oil, send that round into the oven and hope for the best. In the meantime, I attempt the cupcake tray again, making another six shells while the 10 or so draped over the cooling rack become perfect little shells in the oven... until I pull them out and realized I didn't oil the cookie sheet down enough. The shells are ripping in half, bottom half stuck like glue to the cookie sheet. Can I chisel them slowly and gently off the cookie sheet with a butter knife? Nope. Do I have to throw out another round? Yup.
At this point, I'm shockingly not panicking about my messed up shells and since I've been enjoying a glass of two of wine or maybe more while cooking and it's 10pm, I know I'll have to wait in the morning to go back to the grocery store anyways and grab some cooking spray. At this point, I already have to go back for an ingredient I missed in the Texas Caviar Dip that I made throughout this shell debacle, and will find out in the morning I left ingredients for the Greek layer dip out on the counter overnight that needed to be refrigerated so those will get added to the grocery list too. A lot of time goes by as I'm picking up my bedroom and I realize that the second round of cupcake tray shells is STILL in the oven. Thankfully didn't set the house on fire but out comes a batch of black, completely inedible shells. Couldn't even call these bad boys "Cajun" or "blackened" because they are so far the point of no return. Into the trash they go too.
So if you're wondering why I'm even sharing this recipe with you if it's such a headache, know that I worked out all the kinks for you! Make sure the shells are small enough to fit on the cupcake sheet, 17 small shells should fit on the tray, not just six. Or if you're making bigger ones, use the cooling rack/cookie sheet method and spray the hell out of it. Cut corners when you can to make your life easier. Use the premade buffalo sauce and rotisserie chicken if you can.
Since this is a post about tacos, I'm also going to share with you some bacon shrimp tacos I learned how to make when I took a cooking class with my mom while I was in Arizona last week! SOOOO good! First buffalo, then bacon.
Recipe Twenty: Buffalo Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
8 flour tortillas cut into mini circles (mine we probably 5 inches in diameter and big)
1+ cup of Buffalo Sauce depending on how saucy you like it
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
1 scallion, finely chopped
6 oz cream cheese
Grated mozzarella
Pinch of salt
Ranch dressing (optional)
In medium size bowl, toss the small tortillas in 1/2 cup of buffalo sauce and arrange on the back of a cupcake tray or over the top of a cooling rack. Bake for about 10 minutes at 350 until crispy.
Meanwhile, combine chicken, cream cheese, 1/2 of your chopped scallions, and a pinch of salt in a bowl.
Once cooled, spoon a teaspoon of this mixture into each taco shell. Top with a pinch of mozzarella and arrange on a tray where they all fit and won't knock over and toppings spill out. Bake for 5 minutes at 350 or until cheese is melted. Top with the remainder of your scallions and enjoy!
For the record, got RAVE reviews from friends about these tacos. And yes, that picture shows all that was left for me to make day of the party (minus the test run one that I devoured prior to people showing up).
Recipe Twenty-One: Chipotle Shrimp and Bacon Tacos
Ingredients
12 oz bacon cut into small pieces (makes it easier to cut in small pieces if you throw it in the freezer for a 15 minutes prior to chopping)
1/2 red onion diced
2 lbs large raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cut in half, tails removed
3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced
12 corn tortillas
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime, juiced
Salt to taste
In large, deep skillet, fry the bacon over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain the bacon fat. Add the onions to the pan with the bacon and cook 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
Stir in the shrimp and chipotle chiles. Sauté for about 5-6 minutes or until heated through.
Heat tortillas on an ungreased skillet over medium-high heat for 10-15 seconds. Turn and heat for another 5-10 seconds. You could also toss them in the microwave for a few seconds if you prefer.
Fill the heated tortillas with shrimp mixture. Sprinkle with cilantro, lime juice and salt.
So delicious and so easy, guys. Love hearing what you try out and what you think!
Enjoy!
- Kela
