Butternut Squash Black Bean Burritos

Butternut Squash Black Bean Burritos
Recipe Inspired by One Heatlhy Apple and Dinners for a Year and Beyond
Makes 4 Servings

1/2 pound ground turkey
1 tsp olive oil
salt, pepper and paprika to taste
1 4 oz. can green chiles
2 oz. Cabot 75% reduced fat cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup cooked butternut squash
1/2 can black beans
1 batch homemade enchilada sauce (add 1 can tomato paste; ¾ cup water; 1 ½ tsp cumin, ¼ tsp chili powder to  a small sauce pan over medium heat; whisk together for 1 minute; Add in 1 14 oz. can vegetable stock and ½ tsp kosher salt; Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes)
4 large tortillas
Cilantro to garnish (optional)

Brown turkey in a skillet with olive oil, salt, pepper and paprika, and set to the side. Mix cooked turkey with chiles, shredded cheese, butternut squash and black beans in a bowl. Pour a layer of enchilada sauce at the bottom of your baking dish. Stuff each tortilla with 1/4 of the stuffing and roll up; repeat until finished. Pour remaining enchilada sauce on top and sprinkle with cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and browned. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Nutritional Information: 397 calories, 56 carbs, 9 fat grams and 25 protein grams.

Review: I find these amazing. Not going to lie – the sauce absolutely makes them. Typically I’m not a big fan of ground turkey, so to be able to ‘mask’ it in this soft tortilla and yummy sauce is wonderful! The beans went really well with the squah, and like always, the squash made this super filling. It reheated very well, and is a winner with us. Definitely make this your own – try other squash or veggies, try chicken or beef – it’s easy to mix this one up and make it your favorite. Just make the sauce and you’ll be fine!

Honey Lime Enchiladas

Honey Lime Enchiladas
Makes 5 Servings
Recipe adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Café (found on Stephanie Cooks)

1 tsp olive oil
2 tsp minced garlic
½ cup onions, diced
1 pound raw chicken tenders, not diced
6 tbsp honey
5 tbsp lime juice (juice from1 large lime)
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
10 small flour tortillas (La Banderita)
4 oz. Cabot 75% reduced fat cheddar cheese
16 ounces green enchilada sauce
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

Set a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil, garlic, and onions. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink. Remove chicken from skillet and shred it. Mix the first four ingredients and toss with shredded chicken. Let it marinate for at least 1/2 hour. Pour 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9X13 baking pan. Add 2 oz. cheese to chicken mixture. Fill flour tortillas with chicken and shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas. Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with cream. Pour sauce on enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top.

Nutritional Information: 442 calories, 59 carbs, 7 fat grams and 35 protein grams.

Review: Loved. Austin loved more, he's a big lime guy, but I loved a lot, too. They have a distinct flavor with the honey mixed with lime, and I loved how cheesy and saucy they came out. I like the idea of a different enchilada, and to save time can easily see making this a casserole. I liked that it had flour instead of corn tortillas - mixed it up a bit! I also thought the serving was filling. Normally I do 4 or 6 servings, but 5 came out right to stay somewhat true to the original recipe, but not too over- or under-caloric for me! These will be made again, and I think they would freeze/reheat very well!

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

Adapted from Mom of 5

Makes 4 Servings

Sauce:
1 can fat-free cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1/2 tsp salt
1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies
1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded

Other ingredients:
12 mission corn tortillas
1 (10 oz) can green enchilada sauce
1/2 cup fat-free grated cheese (60 grams)

1/2 cup 75% reduced fat Cabot cheese (60 grams)

Fresh cilantro (optional topping)

Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Drizzle ¼ to 1/3 of enchilada sauce on bottom, spreading with a spoon. Stack tortillas on a clean kitchen towel, wrap them up and microwave them for 30 - 60 seconds until soft. Spread sauce across center of each tortilla. Roll each tortilla and place seam-side down in sauce in baking dish. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over the top. Sprinkle with cheese, cover with foil and bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 15 more minutes until bubbly.

Nutritional Information: 437 calories, 47 carbs, 8 fat grams and 40 protein grams.

Review: November 2010 Notes: Loved it! Super creamy and very filling. I will say that I’d rather mix less fat-free cheese and “reduced fat” so that it will melt better (for looks!), but other than that I’d make it as is next time! I'll update the calories when I fix this. :) February 2011 Notes: FIXED! I changed it up, made it look more 'melty' and removed the 2 tsp of oil so the calories, carbs and fat grams actually went down - i'm really happy with the new recipe - even topped it with fresh cilantro!

Chicken Tortilla Casserole

Chicken Tortilla Casserole
Makes 6 Servings
Recipe from me! (so exciting to make one!)

1 pound chicken
1 package taco seasoning
9 small Mission flour tortillas
1 can spicy chili beans
1 can red enchilada sauce
½ cup fat-free sour cream
2 oz. Cabot 75% reduced fat cheddar

hot sauce (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. In a large skillet add chicken, taco seasoning and 1/4 cup water. Cook until chicken is no longer pink. Remove from pan, shred with two forks, then add back to pan and stir for 1-2 minutes until blended. Mix chicken with beans. In a bowl, mix enchilada sauce and sour cream. Spread ½ of the sour cream mixture onto the bottom of a rectangular casserole dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Tear up 3 tortillas and spread them over the sour cream mixture. Put ½ of the chicken mixture on top of it. Sprinkle on hot sauce. Add remaining layers as follows: 3 tortillas; sour cream mixture; 3 tortillas; chicken mixture; hot sauce. Sprinkle cheese over the top and place in oven uncovered for 25 minutes.

Nutritional Information: 388 calories, 46 carbs, 6 fat grams and 29 protein grams.

Review: Awesome! Austin liked this one more than the burrito casserole! I know! This one was great - super spicy - loved the hot sauce and the enchilada sauce and sour cream mixture was very good - kind of made a thick sauce that congealed well with the flour tortillas. We'll definitely have this one again - super easy. And the chicken was CRAZY easy (I tossed it and 2 more pounds of chicken in with the taco seasoning packs - now I have "mexican" chicken for this, tacos, salads, etc.). Great, easy recipe - so glad to have another solid mexican recipe!

whole pan!

Chicken Enchilada Soup

Chicken Enchilada Soup
Recipe adapted from a Lauren’s Kitchen recipe

Makes 4 Servings

1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 14.5-ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes, drained
1 can corn, drained
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/2 to 1 green bell pepper, diced
1 10-ounce can medium red enchilada sauce
1 10.75-ounce can fat-free cream of chicken soup
2 cups skim milk
1 pound chicken
4 tbsp fat free sour cream, divided

1/2 tsp salt

In a slow cooker, combine beans, tomatoes, corn, onion, bell pepper and raw chicken. In a large bowl, whisk together enchilada sauce and soup. Gradually whisk in milk until smooth. Pour sauce mixture over ingredients in cooker. Cover; cook on high for 3 hours. Remove chicken and shred with two forks. Add back to slowcooker for 30-45 minutes. Divide into four servings and top each with 1 tbsp sour cream.

Nutritional Information: 458 calories, 58 carbs, 8 fat grams and 40 protein grams.

Review: I really liked this one! I did have to add salt (so I tagged it on top) - it had a lot of flavor but was missing something. Once I added the salt this went QUICK. I think chips would have been good too, but didn't want to add the calories. I will say this was filling - huge bowl of soup for SURE. If you wanted to make it FIVE servings instead of four, to give yourself room for toppings like cheese, avocado, chips, etc. I say do it! I may next time - because I will be making this one again. I can also say that it reheats well, but note that it does take about 4 minute in the microwave with frequent stirring. For thicker soup, I'd suggest you mix some cornstarch and water - and add it to the slowcooker when you add back in the shredded chicken!

Skillet Chicken with Mexican Green Rice

Skillet Chicken with Mexican Green Rice
Recipe adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Café

Makes 4 Servings

16 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Salt and pepper
1 tbsp canola oil
½ cup onion, finely chopped
1 poblano pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
1 tbsp minced garlic, jarred
1 tsp ground cumin
1 10-oz. can green enchilada sauce
1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Pat chicken dry and season lightly with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat until hot. Brown chicken on each side for 1-2 minutes until golden but not cooked all the way through. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside. In the hot skillet, add onion and poblano pepper and cook for 3-4 minutes, until vegetables are softened, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic and cumin and cook for 30 seconds. Add enchilada sauce, rice and water, stirring to combine. Bring mixture to a boil and set chicken breasts in the simmering rice mixture, nestling them in a bit. Cover the skillet, set the heat to low and cook for 20-25 minutes, until rice is tender, most of the liquid is absorbed and the chicken is cooked through, stirring every five minutes or so to ensure the rice isn’t sticking to the bottom. Stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Nutritional Information: 420 calories, 57 carbs, 6 fat grams and 31 protein grams.

Review: This had a lot of flavor and I liked that the rice was green (more green in person - I swears)! I will say that the rice took a long time to me! It kept tasting crunchy so I ended up cooking it for almost 30 minutes. I'm just SO bad at making rice on a stove - it's always either soupy or crunchy. That being said, even though I had to improvise a bit based on my stove, the recipe was great and I wouldn't consider using minute rice or anything as this was SO much flavorful with the rice cooking in the sauce mixture. I will definitely make this again, and can even see using red enchilada sauce to mix it up!

Beef Enchilada Casserole

Beef Enchilada Casserole

Inspired by a Cooking Light recipe

Makes 4 Servings

16 ounces lean ground beef (96/4)
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp ground cumin
1 tsp olive oil
1 can spicy chili beans
Salt
6 six-inch corn tortillas, cut in half
1 oz. fat-free cheddar cheese, grated
1 oz. cabot 75% reduced fat cheese, grated
1 10-oz. can Enchilada Sauce
Chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 425. In a large pan over high heat, stir beef, garlic, oregano, and cumin in oil until beef is crumbly and no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Stir in ½ cup enchilada sauce. Add salt to taste. Meanwhile, arrange half of the tortilla halves evenly over the bottom of a square casserole, overlapping to fit. Add beef mixture over the tortillas and remaining enchilada sauce. Then make a tortilla layer, a bean layer and a cheese layer. Bake until cheese is melted and casserole is hot in the center, 18 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

Nutritional Information: 383 calories, 39 carbs, 9 fat grams and 39 protein grams.

Review: Family staple at this point! Original recipe called for ground turkey but we weren't a fan of the taste so we went to 96/4. If i'm feeling super lazy i'll use taco seasoning packet in place of spices (this increases calories a bit). I mix the cheeses so it looks more melted.

Green Chicken Enchiladas

Green Chicken Enchiladas
Adapted from a Cook’s Country magazine given to me by Biz
4 Servings

2 10-ounce cans green enchilada sauce
1 ¼ cups cilantro, divided
1 pound chicken, cooked in salt and pepper then diced or shredded
4 oz. cabot 75% cheese
12 6-inch corn tortillas

Preheat oven to 400. Spray13x9 dish with nonstick cooking spray. Puree enchilada sauce and 1 cup cilantro in blender. Reserve one cup sauce. Combine mixture, chicken and 2 oz. cheese in bowl and toss. Season with salt and pepper. Wrap all tortillas in one towel and microwave until pliable, 60 to 90 seconds. Top each with ¼ cup chicken mixture and roll tightly, arranging seam side down in dish. Spray top with cooking spray then add 1 cup sauce and remaining cheese. Bake until cheese is melted and enchiladas are heated through, 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro.

Nutritional Information: 396 calories, 40 carbs, 9 fat grams and 38 protein grams.

Review: LOVED. I've made a few variations of this recipe but this is my favorite. That fresh cilantro really made an impact and it was a quick, easy to put together recipe thanks to the cans and the ability to make all of the shells flexible simultaneously. This one is a keeper - I hope it reheats well! I could even see adding fat-free refried beans to take it from 4 to 6 servings!
close up shot

full pan = 4 servings of 3 enchiladas each

Chicken Tamale Casserole

Chicken Tamale Casserole
Makes 6 Servings
Adapted from Cooking Light

1 cup Cabot 75% cheese, grated and divided
1/3 cup fat-free milk
1 egg
1 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp ground red pepper
1 14 3/4-ounce can cream-style corn
1 8.5-ounce box corn muffin mix (Jiffy)
1 4-ounce can chopped green chiles, drained
Cooking spray
1 10-ounce can red enchilada sauce
24 oz. shredded cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

Preheat oven to 400. Combine 1/4 cup cheese and next 7 ingredients (through chiles) in a large bowl, stirring just until moist. Pour mixture into a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes or until set. Pierce entire surface liberally with a fork; pour enchilada sauce over top. Top with chicken; sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes.

Nutritional Information: 400 calories, 40 carbs, 10 fat grams and 36 protein grams.

Review: A-mazing! Great portion size, nice flavor, love the zing in the 'cornbread' layer mixed with the cold of the sour cream topping. This is a really great dish - looking forward to making this again. Austin said it may be a favorite - the green chiles really do give it a nice zing!

Beef and Bean Enchiladas

Adapted from For the Love of Cooking

Beef and Bean Enchiladas

Makes 4 Servings

1 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup onion, diced
1 Anaheim chile, diced
1 jalapeno, deseeded and diced
16 oz. 96/4 ground beef
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Once hot add the diced onion, chile and jalapeno. Sauté for 3 minutes; add the ground beef and all the seasonings. Cook until beef is done making sure to break it up into crumbles. I added a little water during cooking.

Other ingredients:

12 small corn tortillas

1 can of spicy chili beans

1 cup enchilada sauce

60 grams fat-free cheese

4 tbsp Sour cream

Green onions, diced

Place tortillas in wet paper towels and microwave for 60 seconds or until soft and pliable. Coat a square baking dish with cooking spray then pour ¼ cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of the pan coating evenly. Place a spoonful of undrained beans on the tortilla followed by a large spoonful of the beef mixture. Roll and place seam side down on the baking dish Continue until baking dish is full. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over each enchilada then top with shredded cheddar cheese. Cover the baking dish with tin foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the tin foil and continue to bake for 2 additional minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 2-3 minutes before serving. Top the enchiladas with sour cream and green onions. Enjoy.

Nutritional Information for 3 enchiladas/1 serving: 477 calories, 21 carbs, 8 fat grams and 32 protein grams.

Review: Fabulous! Even with the fat free cheese and stuff it tasted restaurant style which is AMAZING. So flavorful and fabulous!! And…. This is my first time cooking with ground beef! It was so easy and Austin was so excited to have “red meat” back in the hizzy.