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In my world, there is no greater cuisine than Mexican (except Chinese, but that’s for another day). It’s spicy, sizzling, and there’s cheese, too (and we all know, I love chee!!). I also love fajitas. Warm tortillas, grilled beef and chicken (and shrimp if you can!), nestled in with cheese and pico de gallo. It’s warm, it’s cool, it’s heaven on a plate. As it happens, my favorite Mexican place is about an hour away, so it’s nice to have an easy to do alternative at home. Best of all, it cooks quickly (even in the slow cooker), so you can fix it and amuse yourself some other way. Like thinking of the last time you went out for fajitas and had a bad experience with a pomegranate margarita. Here’s what you need:

• 1 pound stir fry beef (it’s even better if pre-sliced)
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 3/4- 1 cup water
• squirt of lime juice (as much as you like!)
• white vinegar (I used roughly a tablespoon)

Place the steak strips in slow cooker. Mix taco seasoning with water and pour over meat. Turn on low if you have all day, high if you have only a few hours (mine cooked in less than 2 on high). Add lime juice and vinegar to taste, cover, and go do something else for a bit. You will want to stir it once or twice to keep meat from sticking to the crock.

I’m serving mine with vegetarian refried beans, cheese and salsa on tortillas. But I’m sure the meat would be just as tasty served over Spanish rice (if you like it). And while these are obviously not identical to traditional fajitas (hence “faux”), they do a great job of satisfying any craving for the real thing you may have, without all the work. Or the long drive, in my case Enjoy!

This meal was born of my love for cheesy biscuits made from Pioneer baking mix (or Wagon Wheel, as it’s known in this house), and thick, creamy potato soup. I’ll eat it any time of the year, but it’s especially great in winter. So I’m a bit late posting, but now you know for next time

Also, I don’t always use exact measurements in cooking (yeah, it’s a little Rachael Ray, but not intentionally). So these are the best measurements from all the times I’ve made this. Except for the biscuits. You can’t just throw some stuff in a bowl all willy-nilly and expect awesomeness to result. Not with baking, at least.

Soup:

• 4-6 medium sized potatoes (I’ve used Russets and red skinned new potatoes with equally great results)
• water
• Cooked bacon or real bacon bits (I like the Hormel brand, in the glass jar)
• paprika, to taste
• salt and black pepper, to taste
• heavy whipping cream and skim milk
• shredded cheddar

Peel, wash, and chop the potatoes into small chunks. Rinse the chunks, and place in a 4-quart crock pot. Add enough water to pot to cover potatoes, and add spices. Turn cooker on high, and go do something else for about 5 hours. In the beginning of hour six, add bacon bits (half the jar should do), and about a cup of cream and enough skim milk to make it soupy- whatever soupy means to you. Cover and cook one hour more. For the last 20 minutes of that hour, it’s time to make the biscuits! Here goes:

Chee Biscuits:

• 2 cups Pioneer baking mix
• 2/3 cup milk, plus a splash of heavy cream (about a tablespoon should do)
• shredded cheddar- I just throw in two handfuls. I love cheese.
• half a jar of bacon bits. They have to be the real deal. Not those dehydrated bits. It won’t be the same.

Preheat oven to 400. Put baking mix in mixing bowl, add cheese and bacon bits, and mix it a bit with your hands. Don’t be afraid to get dirty. Add milk and stir just until mixed. If the mix still looks a little dry, add the cream (and if not, do it anyway. it makes a difference!) Spoon onto a baking sheet. Non stick spray is often helpful, so use it if you like. Place in oven and bake for 12-15 minutes. When done, brush them with a bit of melted butter or margarine. You don’t need the butter, and if you don’t like it, it won’t make a difference. I just prefer mine butter-basted By this time, the soup is done, the biscuits are out and still piping hot, and you’re hungry. So dig in. I also love to sprinkle a bit of cheese on top of the soup, mostly if I decided not to add any to the soup in the crock. I know this meal sounds like an artery clogging fat fest, but no one told you to eat this way every night. Once in a while though, you can misbehave, and I won’t tell if you won’t. One last note- if you like spice, red pepper goes really well in this. I especially like red pepper flakes in the biscuits. But not too much, because I like my tongue not on fire. But a little bit of heat really complements the salty bacon and cheese. Either way, they’re just awesome biscuits, and super easy.