You Need to Try This Southwestern Skillet Dinner Recipe

Are you having a busy day, but still find yourself in the mood for some sort of Mexican delicacy? Look no further than the southwestern skillet dinner! This dinner is as easy as it gets for at-home Mexican cooking and it will be devoured, savored, and appreciated by everyone in your family!

Whether you are in the mood for some deconstructed nachos or some tacos that do not fall apart after one bite, this southwestern skillet dinner is exactly what you should be looking for. From the many variations you can provide with this meal, everyone will find their own favorite version of the southwestern skillet dinner.

Mexican Skillet Dinner

The southwestern skillet dinner is one of the go-to meals in the Mexican realm of cuisine. Ground beef, salsa, corn, chili powder, and cheddar cheese are the main ingredients for this recipe, but there is so much experimentation available there, just as there is in Mexican dishes on the whole.

Salsa comes in so many different variations that you can allow yourself to choose your favorite flavor. You can also opt for some other similar substitutes, including pico de gallo and Picante sauce. If you are feeling really adventurous, why not see what happens when you add guacamole and sour cream to the mix?

Additionally, the cheese department of this Mexican skillet dinner is definitely one area that allows for a lot of open trial and error procedures. Obviously, a southwestern blend of cheeses would suit this skillet well, but there are many who prefer to keep it simple with cheddar cheese. The recipe is in your hands now, though, and you can choose whatever cheese you want.

On top of all of these potential variations, you can also opt to not even eat this southwestern skillet dinner in the standard manner of including it on a tortilla. You can opt to instead serve it on top of Mexican brown rice or even just with tortilla chips, rather than the wrap itself. However, for people who prefer less messy tacos, they can use this skillet as a taco filling to keep the ingredients as “together” as possible for eating.

One-Skillet Meals

Obviously, this meal can serve as an excellent one skillet dinner. Not only will you not have to worry about putting together this meal with its simple ingredients and straightforward cooking process, but the only dish you will need to worry about cleaning afterward is just the one skillet. With only one skillet being used, you will take no time to finish the clean-up process that can always feel like such a drag after a stressful day that was topped by a delicious meal. After all, there is nothing better than eating something that tastes out of this world and then finishing it all up with a dishes routine that will take you fewer than five minutes.

That is the beauty of the one-skillet meal, after all, and it is why this southwestern skillet dinner is so popular among people who are constantly busy. It is the southwestern equivalent of a casserole dinner, but it does allow for a change of pace in terms of the flavor experienced when eating a casserole. Instead of worrying about the base of pasta, the southwestern skillet dinner uses beef as the base and allows for the flavors of the other ingredients to take precedence.

Just because it is not quite a casserole, however, that does not mean that it is any more challenging than making a casserole. It takes the same amount of time, it just requires a slightly different cooking procedure. Regardless, it is an easy meal to make if you have just spent an entire day on the go.

Can I Make This Recipe With My Kids?

One question that may come to mind when considering this recipe is whether it's suitable for children. Many recipes are great to cook with children. They include simple tasks that you can give to your kids without having to worry about safety concerns or potential devastating accidents.

This recipe, in our opinion, isn't the best for making with kids. It involves a lot of work in a skillet, which means time spent near a hot surface. Kids and hot surfaces often don't mix too well. Uncoordinated and quick hands can often result in burns.

If your kids want to help with this dinner, the best way to do it is to either have them gather the ingredients for you or help set the table. They can also help with the dishes afterwards, but we have a feeling that option won't be a popular one.

Handle the actual cooking process yourself. Your kids can definitely watch, but make sure they know to stay a safe distance from the skillet. Even just watching you cook can teach kids important lessons. Explain each step as you go, to help your kids understand why every part of this recipe is important.

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The image featured at the top of this post is ©iStock.com/Lauri Patterson