Recipe: Turkey Taco Casserole

AFS Education

The dish this week started as a Pinterest post, but you don’t always have to follow these to a “T”! It’s always a good idea to personalize to fit yours and your family’s needs, as well as making sure it’s up to par on the “clean eats” category. This recipe was no different. We 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.

 

The original recipe (pictured above) 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

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 there’s ground beef. Some people’s gut can handle red meat, so ground turkey works too. Then the taco sauce: some stores have at least 3 kinds of taco sauce. The main difference in all 3? The ingredients. Always, always, always check your nutrition label if you are unsure of the best pick. Our recipe uses one with *real* ingredients and no additives (corn syrup, fructose, red #40, etc.) that you will see in the other taco sauces. Then the sour cream. Plain Greek yogurt is a great substitute and the taste difference is hardly noticeable, if at all! Your Greek yogurt will even provide some added protein. Here’s our final product; doesn’t it look brighter?

If you are unsure of what to get sometimes, don’t be afraid to ask one of your practitioners; they are here to help, and want nothing more than for you to learn, grow and become confident in the kitchen!

TURKEY TACO CASSEROLE

INGREDIENTS (modified)

·       1 1/2lbs of ground turkey

·       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 greek yogurt

·       1/2-1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

·       1 cup diced fresh tomatoes

·       1/3 cup green onions

·       splash of lime juice

DIRECTIONS

1.    Sauté meat, beans and onions on medium heat until turkey is completely cooked through.

2.    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)

3.    Repeat. Cover with cheese on top (optional)

4.    Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, then serve topped with diced tomatoes and green onions.