Tía’s Fideo Loco

Ingredients

• 4 medium potatoes (peeled and cubed; soak in water to remove excess starch, then drain and dry)
• 6 ripe tomatoes (cut into pieces; author uses these to make salsa, with tomato sauce mentioned as an alternative)
• 1 onion (use white or yellow; half cut into pieces for blending, half sliced)
• 2 cup water (for blending the salsa)
• oil (for frying; amount not stated)
• fideo (amount not stated)
• 1 jalapeño (remove seeds if desired; slice)
• 1.5 lb ground beef (author uses 80/20)
• garlic powder (a little; amount not stated)
• 1.5 tsp cumin (author says about one to two teaspoons; quantity represents the stated midpoint estimate)
• chili powder (a little; amount not stated)
• salt (to taste)
• black pepper (to taste)
• 2 cup water (additional water for a soupier consistency)
• 1 can canned beans (use any kind; add the beans and their liquid; can size not stated)
• 1 calabacita or squash (roughly chopped)
• pico de gallo (optional topping; amount not stated)
• avocado (optional topping; a little, amount not stated)

Steps

1. 1

   Peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes. They do not need to be perfectly uniform.

2. 2

   Put the cubed potatoes in water to remove excess starch. Before frying, drain them and dry them.

3. 3

   Cut the tomatoes into pieces. Put them in a blender with half of the onion, cut into smaller pieces, and 2 cups of water. Blend until smooth, then set the salsa aside.

4. 4

   Slice the other half of the onion. Cut the end off the jalapeño, remove the seeds if desired, and slice it.

5. 5

   Set a large pot over medium-high heat and let it heat for about 1 minute.

6. 6

   Add oil to the hot pot, followed by the fideo, sliced jalapeño, and sliced onion. Stir to combine.

7. 7

   Add the drained, dried potatoes and let everything fry briefly. When the fideo starts to toast, remove the pot from the heat.

8. 8

   In another pot, brown the ground beef. Add garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, salt, and black pepper; season the salt and pepper to your liking and stir to combine.

9. 9

   Add the toasted fideo and potatoes to the beef. Mix everything together.

10. 10

    Add the blended tomato salsa. Stir and scrape the bottom of the pot. For a soupier result, add the additional 2 cups of water; leave it out for a thicker result.

11. 11

    Cover and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes.

12. 12

    Remove the lid and add the canned beans with their liquid. Stir, cover again, and let the mixture finish cooking.

13. 13

    While the pot finishes cooking, roughly chop the calabacita or squash.

14. 14

    Remove the lid, stir, and check that the bottom is not sticking. Add the chopped squash and stir it in. Cook for another 2–3 minutes; cook longer if you prefer softer squash.

15. 15

    After about 5 minutes of squash cooking, uncover and test it with a fork. If the fork goes in easily, it is done; cook another 3–4 minutes if you want it more tender.

16. 16

    Serve the fideo loco topped with a little pico de gallo and avocado, if desired. Let it cool slightly before eating.

Notes

The creator does not specify the amount of fideo, oil, garlic powder, chili powder, or the size of the bean can. The bean simmering time after adding the beans is not specified. Tomato sauce is offered as an alternative to fresh tomatoes, but no amount is given.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• dinner
• Tex-Mex
• Mexican
• one-pot
• comfort food
• stovetop
• spicy