Fideo MY Way

~Be sure and click on the picture to enlarge & see how amazing this looks~

When I was in Texas, I was introduced to this strange thing called "Fideo."  Who knew?  Not me.  The pasta are tiny noodles usually found in the Mexican food section, but sometimes in the pasta section. They kind of remind you of the "Roni" from the you-know-what box!  The bags are only about 7 oz, but don't worry...that's enough.

This makes a very large skilletful 

(& freezes in individual containers & microwaves up beautifully).  

You can enjoy it in a flour tortilla with a little cheese, like the picture above, 

or just in a bowl by itself.  Delicious either way!

Let's get started.....

Though I'm not Hispanic, my Fideo will rival the person's I learned it from ANY day...(if I do say so myself!)  I think you'll like it.  You'll need to gather your Fideo, garlic, scallion, green chiles, bouillon, Rotel, salt, and tortillas.  

A little note about Rotel - I choose the one with habanero peppers because I like extra spicy. They also have a mild and medium versions with different flavors...all are good in this dish.  Just depends on your heat tolerance!

Brown up a pound of ground pork or ground beef.  What you see above is pork.  It was a good change!  Set it aside.  Do not drain the grease out of the skillet.

Dump your UNCOOKED Fideo pasta into the pan with the drippings from the ground pork or beef.  Have your heat on medium and don't leave it for even a second!  Take your spatula and start stirring.  Continue to stir and and move the pasta around in the pan for approximately 5 minutes.  The idea is to get it to a golden brown color.  It browns up fairly quick, 

...and will burn even quicker if you walk away!

Prepare a cup and a half of chicken broth and have it ready...

~Be sure & click on the picture to enlarge & see how amazing this looks~

Notice the nice golden brown color of the Fideo?  Perfect.  Pour in your chicken broth.  Add your can of Rotel (don't drain), your green chiles, garlic, scallion, the meat, salt, & cumin, and you are good to rock & roll!

Stir it up!

Now cover & simmer on medium-low (low enough not to burn) about 20 minutes...really just until the liquid is all absorbed. By the time the liquid is absorbed, the Fideo is cooked to perfection.  You can take the lid off a couple of times and stir while it is cooking.

FABULOUS DAHLING!

RECIPE INGREDIENTS

1 pound ground pork or hamburger

1 approx 7 oz package Fideo pasta

1 can Rotel - any heat/flavor

3-4 oz green chiles (you can use fresh chopped chiles too!)

3-4 finely chopped garlic cloves

(or more to taste)

About 1-2 tablespoons finely chopped scallion 

(everyone is different with how they tolerate the flavor of scallions - they are a bit stronger than onion.  You can use about 1/4-1/2 cup chopped onion instead...done it a million times!)

4 teaspoons ground cumin (or to taste)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 cups chicken broth

Flour tortillas & shredded cheddar if you would like to roll it up!

(My favorite way to eat it!)

Great Variations:  Add fresh chopped jalapenos with or without seeds, add fresh chopped Anaheim peppers, add fresh chopped green or purple onion, add about a 1/4 cup of finely chopped fresh cilantro