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Welcome to part 2 of our vacation recipes series! Here are two more delicious 30 minute vacation recipes the whole family will love! On the menu: Chili Mac and Cheese and Beef Fajitas!

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Cheesy Chili Mac

What you’ll need:

-1 tablespoon olive oil
-2 cloves garlic
-1 onion, diced
-8 ounces ground beef
-4 cups chicken broth
-1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
-3/4 cup canned white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
-3/4 cup canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed
-2 teaspoons chili powder
-1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
-Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
-10 ounces uncooked elbows pasta
-3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
-2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

How it’s done:

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat, and then add garlic, onion and ground beef, and cook until browned. This should only take around 3-5 minutes. Make sure to crumble the beef as it cooks, and here is when you’ll drain any excess fat if you’d like!

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Once the meat has browned, stir in chicken broth, tomatoes, beans, chili powder and cumin. Season with salt and pepper to your taste, bring the entire mix to a simmer and stir in pasta. Then bring the mix to a boil, cover the skillet, reduce heat and simmer until the pasta is cooked through. It should be done in 13-15 minutes.

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After 15 minutes, remove the chili mac from heat, and top it off with cheddar cheese. Cover the skillet until the cheese has melted, or for about 2 minutes.

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All that’s left to do now is serve it up, hot and delicious!

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Quick and Delcious Chicken Fajitas

What you’ll need:

-2 Medium Chicken Breasts – Cut into strips
-1 Large Onion – sliced
-1 bell Pepper – sliced
-1 Jalapeno Chilli Pepper – finely chopped (optional)
-2 Cloves Garlic – Finely Chopped
-1 lime cut, quartered
-Olive Oil
-4 flour tortillas

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Mexican Spice mix
-1 teaspoon Sweet Paprika
-1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
-½ Chilli Powder or Cayenne Pepper
-½ teaspoon Garlic powder
-½ teaspoon Onion powder
-½ teaspoon Dried Oregano
-½ teaspoon Black Pepper
-½ teaspoon Garlic Salt
-½ teaspoon salt

How it’s done:

First, cut the chicken breasts into thin strips. Put the strips into a small bowl and add the spices and juice of ½ a lime, then set aside.

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Heat a large pan/skillet to medium/high heat. Coat the skillet with about a tablespoon of oil, then add the chicken mixture to the oil. But make sure the pan is hot! A rule of thumb: the more sizzle you hear the more flavor the chicken will have.

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Next, allow the chicken to cook on medium/high heat for around 10 minutes (the hotter the better), while tossing every few minutes. Add the sliced peppers, onions and jalapenos, while continuing to allow the chicken to cook for one minute. Now you’re done! Just remove the fajita mixture from the stove and serve with warm tortillas, lime, sour cream, or guacamole!

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You can prepare the fajitas and then serve them, or go buffet-style and let the family prepare their own!

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Do you have any go-to dishes that you like to prepare while on vacation? Let us know!