Good Afternoon lovelies! This week, I wanted to take a twist on my post, and give a little bit more of a spin on a good recipe made great. A lot of us go searching around Pinterest trying to find THE recipe, and when something reads healthy or low calorie we are immediately intrigued and give it a try, trusting that the person who posted it is giving you a super healthy option for you and your family to enjoy. BUT we all know that clearly isn’t always the case, am I right? Let’s dig into this more.
So obviously, my cat is super intrigued into my research, blogs, and education on health and wellness (although she could afford to still lose a couple pounds) 😛 So for the recipe this week, I was in the mood for a Mexican style dish, inspired by a client’s love for Mexican, as we were chatting in my office this week. Clearly, I always have a plan (NOT). But once that plan is made, I stick to it!
The dish this week I took off of a Pinterest post, as I normally do (photo above). Now normally each week, I personalize each recipe to fit the needs of my husband and I, as well as making sure it’s up to par on the “clean eats” category. This recipe was no different. I want to give you guys a little insight to what goes into changing these recipes, so when you take a look at a recipe online, you can spot these things out too.
Now the original recipe calls for
- 1 package crumbles or 1 lb ground beef
- 1/2 diced white onion
- 1 can whole kernel corn
- 1 can black beans
- 1 tbsp taco seasoning
- 2 tbsp taco sauce
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2-1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup diced fresh tomatoes
- 1/3 cup green onions
**(Check even further below for actual recipe and directions)**
Now this recipe is pretty straight forward. Most of the ingredients are fresh and don’t require a lot of thinking. So what catches your eye? First I see ground beef. Now my husband and I don’t normally do ground beef, but that’s personal preference, some people’s gut can handle red meat. Mine cannot, so I chose ground turkey instead. I then see taco sauce. Now I went to Busch’s and saw 3 kinds of taco sauce. And the main difference in all 3? The ingredients. Always, always, always check your nutrition label if you are unsure of the best pick. The one I chose contained all REAL ingredients, and had no additives (corn syrup, fructose, red #40, etc.) that you will see in the other taco sauces. Then the sour cream. Now I don’t know about you, but I can’t taste a single difference in sour cream and plain greek yogurt when I cook, but the INGREDIENTS are completely different. Give it a look sometime, you will see what I mean. Your greek yogurt will even provide some added protein if you are trying to up your brotein game.
Now I am not a cheese fan, but you can’t win them all. My husband LOVES cheese, so I made 2 separate dishes, his LOADED with cheese, mine loaded with greek yogurt and veggies. I also added these delicious breaded mushrooms to my dish to make for a filling combo 🙂
If you are unsure of what to get sometimes, don’t be afraid to ask one of your practitioners; we are here to help, and want nothing more than for you to learn, grow and become confident in the kitchen! Also, if you are interested in us possibly having an AFS led seminar on reading labels and grocery shopping, be sure to let us know! We are continuing to look for ways to serve you.
TURKEY TACO CASSEROLE
INGREDIENTS (modified)
- 1 1/2lbs of Butterball Ground Turkey (I prefer Jennie-O) but Costco doesn’t carry it!
- 1/2 diced white onion (vidalia onions)
- 2 1/2 cups of sweet corn (frozen)
- 1 can black beans (rinsed WELL, and drained)
- 1 tbsp taco seasoning
- 2 tbsp taco sauce (read your label first!)
- 1 cup Fage greek yogurt
- splash of lime juice
- 1/2-1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
- 1 cup diced fresh tomatoes (from the vine)
- 1/3 cup green onions
DIRECTIONS
- Saute meat, beans and onions on medium heat until turkey is completely cooked through.
- Spoon half your meat mixture into your casserole dish in an even layer, and top with seasonings, sauce, lime juice, and a thin layer of greek yogurt. Sprinkle with cheese (optional)
- Repeat. Cover with cheese on top (optional)
- Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, then serve topped with diced tomatoes and green onions.
