If you love going out for great Mexican food, why not try making your own Mexican dishes at home, too? It's not nearly as difficult or time-consuming as you might think. These two recipes can be tossed in the slow cooker in the morning, so you come home to a prepared meal that requires just a few more minutes of prep time.      

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 1/4 cup fresh jalapeno pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup onion, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried cumin
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried chipotle pepper (use less if you don't like spicy foods)
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 1/4 cup tomato puree
• 8 - 12 taco shells
• 1 cup shredded cabbage
• 1 cup queso blanco (a white Mexican cheese you may find in the ethnic foods aisle)
• 1 cup diced tomatoes

Place the chicken in the slow cooker along with all of the other ingredients, except for the taco shells, cheese, cabbage and tomatoes. Place the lid on your slow cooker, and cook for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high. When the chicken is done cooking, pull it into shreds, and return it to the slow cooker, immersing it in the sauce. 

Assemble the tacos by piling the shells with chicken, cabbage, cheese and tomatoes. If you cannot find queso blanco, you can use mozzarella or Monterrey Jack in its place.

Slow Cooker Bean Burritos

Ingredients:

• 1 pound dry pinto beans
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 onion, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 10 - 12 large flour tortillas
• 2 cups shredded cheese of your choice
• 2 cups diced tomato
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup guacamole
• 2 cups shredded lettuce

Place the beans, vegetable stock, seasonings, onions and garlic in the slow cooker. Cover, and cook for 6 hours on high or 12 hours on low.

When the beans are finished cooking, give them a good stir. Then, assemble your burritos by piling the beans, tomato, shredded cheese, lettuce, sour cream and guacamole into the tortillas. Feel free to experiment with your own favorite burrito toppings.

With these recipes in your arsenal, you can come home to great Mexican food any night of the week. After you make the recipes once, you can play with the seasonings to fine-tune the level of spiciness to your personal tastes. For further information or options, visit a local Mexican food restaurant, such as El Chico Cafe.