Fideo
Food has a way of bringing you home sometimes. I grew up eating this version of Fideo with meat, making it a main dish rather than the traditional side dish. Fideo directly translates to spaghetti, so think of this as a Mexican spaghetti. I'm all for a one-pot meal so I've stolen my sister's ingenious idea of adding spinach toward the end, making this a complete meal with out all of the fuss. This comes together very quickly and is great for a quick weeknight meal.
Ingredients
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb ground beef (we use venison when available and any ground meat would work)
1 5oz box, Fideo, original vermicelli
1 10oz can Rotel, original or spicy
4 cups fresh spinach, stems removed
3 tsp vegetable oil, divided
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
Salt & Pepper to taste
Directions
Chop onion and set aside. Heat 1 tsp of oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion and while the onion cooks mince your garlic.
When onion is partially cooked add garlic and meat. Continue cooking until the meat is browned and cooked through. Transfer to a plate, and allow your pan to cool slightly.
Add 2 tsp vegetable oil to the same pan over medium heat. Add entire box of Fideo and lightly sauté the noodles, stirring frequently, This will only take 1-2 minutes. This sears the noodle much the same way you sear meat, and keeps it from becoming sticky.
Add the can of Rotel, fill empty can with water and add that as well. Add cumin, oregano and salt & pepper to taste. Add the meat mixture back in and allow to simmer until the liquid is absorbed.
Once all the liquid is absorbed, add the spinach and stir into the Fideo mixture until completely wilted and incorporated. It's ready to eat!
Extras
My dad always serves tortillas on the side. He uses it like a scoop... YUM, all the carbs!
Leftovers are even better!
If it's a little too spicy for your littles (mine love it) you can stir in some sour cream and/or cheese.