Tex Mex lasagna

Tex Mex lasagna
Recipe adapted from Cooking Light
Makes 4 Servings

3/4 cup bottled salsa
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 (14.5-ounce) can no salt-added diced tomatoes, drained
1 (8-ounce) can no salt-added tomato sauce
Cooking spray
6 precooked lasagna noodles
1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can chicken, drained
2 oz. Cabot 75% reduced fat cheese
1/4 cup chopped green onions

Preheat oven to 450. Combine first 4 ingredients; spread 2/3 cup sauce in bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 2 noodles over sauce; top with 1/2 cup corn, half of beans and half of chicken. Sprinkle with a bit of the cheese; top with 2/3 cup sauce. Repeat layers once; top with remaining 2 noodles. Spread remaining sauce over noodles. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover and bake for 30 minutes or until noodles are tender and sauce is bubbly. Let stand 15 minutes. Sprinkle with onions.

Nutritional Information: 439 calories, 61 carbs, 8 fat grams and 32 protein grams.

Review: Super easy, really good! This one took no time at all to put together, especially since you can use canned chicken. We did have to add some hot sauce afterwards, so if you're a fan of spicy i'd say to add it in the beginning! Other than that, easy, good and filling - love Tex Mex!

Bacon Ranch Wrap

It's not the prettiest thing I've ever made, but it was awesome!

Bacon Ranch Wrap
Makes 4 Serving
Recipe adapted from Hungry Girl

4 tbsp light ranch dressing
4 tsp taco sauce
1 bag Boca crumbles
4 tbsp salsa
4 slices butterball turkey bacon
4 large La Banderita tortillas
2 oz. Cabot 75% reduced fat shredded fat-free cheddar cheese, divided
1 avocado
1/4 cup shredded lettuce

To make the sauce, combine ranch dressing with taco sauce in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside. Heat boca crumbles and salsa over medium heat in a large skillet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray for about 9 minutes, stirring frequently. In the meantime, cook bacon in the microwave per package instructions. Lay tortillas on a flat, dry surface and spread with sauce. Top with cheese, bacon, avocado, lettuce, and boca crumbles. Roll up and serve.

Nutritional Information: 438 calories, 49 carbs, 15 fat grams and 33 protein grams.

Review: YUM –loved the ranch/taco seasoning sauce, as well as the crunchy lettuce with avocado and bacon. Could have easily done without the cheese – couldn’t taste it! But the boca went well. If anything, you could do less boca to make sure the wrap stays together easier! Super easy, ready in under 15 minutes, and very filling. If you’re looking to take down the calories, reduce/remove the cheese or take down the boca a bit – I wouldn’t mess with the sauce – it was the best part!

Taco Bites

Taco Bites
Makes 4 Servings
Recipe adapted from Emily Bites

16 oz. chicken
1 packet taco seasoning
24 wonton wrappers
12 tbsp salsa, divided
2 oz. Cabot 75% reduced fat cheddar cheese
1 can Black beans, drained and rinsed
6 tbsp guacamole, divided (we used wholly guacamole)
Cilantro, to garnish

Preheat oven to 375. Heat a pan over medium heat. Spray with nonstick cooking spray, and add chicken, taco seasoning and 1-2 tbsp water. Cook until no longer pink, then shred with two forks. In the meantime, spray a 12-whole muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Push a wonton wrapper into each muffin tin. Spread no more than a tsp of salsa in each, then top with 1/12 of the chicken and beans. Top with a bit more salsa and a bit of cheese, then cover with another wonton and top with remaining salsa and cheese. Bake for 18 minutes until golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes, then each with 1/2 tbsp guacamole and a few cilantro leaves.

Nutritional Information per serving (3): 435 calories, 49 carbs, 7 fat grams and 41 protein grams.

Review: Great little guys! Loved the crunchiness and the idea that I get 3! I will say that the chicken/bean mixture fills up those cups, so definitely consider  using half of the beans, which would take down the calories, too! I thought it was plenty of cheese, loved the layers of the bits of salsa and the guacamole topper (we used Wholly Guacamole) was perfect! I'll definitely make these again, too easy not too, and am still loving those wonton wrappers!

Slowcooker Creamy Mexican Chicken

Slowcooker Creamy Mexican Chicken
Adapted from Food.com
Makes 4 Servings

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can fat-free cream of chicken soup
1 cup salsa
1 package taco seasoning
1 cup fat-free sour cream
Cilantro, optional topping
8 oz. pasta (dry)

Put chicken, soup and salsa in slow cooker. Sprinkle taco seasoning over everything. Cook on high for 2.5 hours. After 2.5 hours, pull the breasts out and shred. Return them back to slow cooker and stir in the sour cream. Cover and heat for another 20 minutes. While it’s heating, cook pasta in boiling water on stovetop per package instructions.

Nutritional Information: 458 calories, 64 carbs, 3 fat grams and 35 protein grams.

Review: Excellent! Interesting that it was creamy and spicy. It was like an thick, heavy alfredo sauce - but instead of an alfredo flavor it was taco flavored! We're fans. We tried it reheated and frozen and it kept its thickness very well. You could easily do a smaller shape, but we liked the long noodles. To reduce the calories a bit, I would consider 3/4 cup sour cream and salsa, and you could probably take the pasta down a 1/2 ounce or ounce.

Southwest Chicken Wontons

Southwest Chicken Wontons
Recipe inspired by Picky palate
Makes 4 Servings

1 tbsp olive oil
½ cup white onions, finely diced
½ red bell pepper, finely diced
1 tbsp minced garlic, jarred
1 12 oz. can chunk chicken, drained
¼ cup packed fresh cilantro, finely diced
¼ cup salsa (green or red)
2 tbsp light ranch dressing
32 wonton wrappers (half of pack)
1 egg white whisked with 2 tbsp water

Preheat oven to 375. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté onions and bell pepper for 5 minutes. Stir in garlic for 1 minute and remove from heat. In a large bowl (or food processor), add onion mixture, chicken, cilantro, salsa and ranch. Mix (or process) until well combined . Lay out all 32 wonton wrappers on wax paper. Place 1 tablespoon chicken mixture in center of each wrapper. Dig fingers in egg white wash, fold over filling and press edges together firmly, forming a triangle. Repeat with remaining wontons. Lay each on a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Brush tops with remaining egg white wash. Bake for 10 minutes, flip each over (brush with egg white wash again), then bake for 5 – 10 minutes or until crispy. Serve with salsa or ranch if desired.

Nutritional information (for 8 wontons not including dips): 311 calories, 37 carbs, 7 fat grams and 24 protein grams. To freeze, prepare as stated above (even cook them). Place wontons in freezer bag and freeze. To prepare after freezing, bake from frozen at 350 for 15 minutes.

Review: Um, YUM. I’m a huge fan of wontons of course, so these didn’t disappoint. I used my processor to mix the whole filling into a spoonable dip, and then spooned it on to each one, dipping into a tbsp of ranch. Fabulous! We each had 8 for the serving, then froze the last 16 to test the freezing. It froze wonderfully and tasted just as good as the first time. I’ll be making these again! Love that all 8 make a little meal, but you could also serve as an appetizer of course!

Before folding!

Mini Paleo Muffins

Mini Paleo Muffins
Makes 6 Servings

12 eggs
2 tbsp minced garlic
3 Jennie-O Sweet Italian Sausage links, cooked and crumbled
¼ cup Red bell pepper, diced
¼ cup Mushrooms, diced
2 tbsp Sundried tomato, diced
2 tbsp Scallion, diced
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 tbsp water
Optional toppings: 2 avocados, divided into 4; salsa

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 6 ramekins with nonstick cooking spray. In a bowl, beat the eggs. Add garlic, sausage, vegetables, salt, pepper and water; stir to combine. Carefully pour into ramekins. Bake for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out almost clean.

Nutritional information (per serving; without toppings): 250 calories, 5 carbs, 16 fat grams and 22 protein grams. (per serving; with toppings): 325 calories, 10 carbs, 23 fat grams and 23 protein grams.

Review: Fabulous! I served each of mine with 1/4 of an avocado and dipped it in salsa - yum! It was very filling and had a good kick from the spicy sausage. I liked how easy these were, too, and that you can easily make more (assuming you have the ramekins) or less. They reheated well, and were a great 'work' breakfast, too. I just brought one (wrapped in foil) to work (along with a bag of toppings!) and it was great. And note: It may be easier to put sausage and vegetables into the ramekins first, then pour egg over it.

Black Bean Fiesta Burgers

Black Bean Fiesta Burgers
Makes 4 large burgers or 12 mini burgers for sliders

1 15-oz. can black beans, drained, rinsed and given time to dry
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 2 inch pieces
1/2 onion, cut into wedges
1 tbsp minced garlic, jarred
1 egg
Taco seasoning packet
¼ cup salsa
1 tsp hot sauce
1/2 cup bread crumbs
(Sliders: 6 tbsp fat-free sour cream, divided; 12 small potato rolls)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and lightly oil a baking sheet. In a medium bowl, mash black beans with a fork until thick. In a food processor, finely chop bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Strain mixture. Then stir into mashed beans. In a small bowl, stir together egg, taco seasoning, salsa and hot sauce. Stir egg mixture into mashed beans. Mix in bread crumbs until mixture is sticky and holds together. Divide into 8 small patties. Place patties on baking sheet, and bake for 10 minutes on each side.

Nutritional Information: one large pattie - 205 calories, 38 carbs, 2 fat grams and 9 protein grams; one mini pattie – 66 calories, 12 carbs, <1 fat gram and 3 protein grams. For sliders, adding potato buns and sour cream, each: 161 calories, 30 carbs, 2 fat grams and 7 protein grams. I had two mini patties on two potato rolls which each had ½ tbsp fat-free sour cream. This comes out to: 322 calories, 60 carbs, 4 fat grams and 14 protein grams.

Review: Loved them! They tasted kind of like Amy’s breakfast burritos – so much so that Austin suggested we take the big pattie and use it to fill a medium-size tortilla for breakfast burritos! Great flavor, love the fiesta flavor, and truly think that you could take the breadcrumbs down if you want to reduce the calories a bit – up to you. I’m a huge fan and love that it was so filling, but yet had no meat. New favorite for us – so glad we tried it! We even reheated them for breakfast and I found two to be a great, filling breakfast - fabulous!

Egg and Bean Breakfast Tostados

Egg and Bean Breakfast Tostados
Recipe adapted from a nacho recipe at My Bizzy Kitchen
Makes 2 Servings

4 small corn tortillas
2 eggs and ¼ cup egg beaters (1 egg and 2 tbsp egg beaters for each)
1 tbsp fat-free milk, divided
½ oz. Cabot 75% reduced fat cheddar, grated
1 can black beans, drained
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp hot sauce
Cilantro, diced (for garnish) or dry
2-4 tbsp salsa, divided

Preheat oven to 350. Lay corn tortillas on cookie sheet and spray them with Pam. Sprinkle with sea salt and bake for 9 minutes. Cook bean/garlic/hot sauce mixture in pot for about 10 minutes. Mash beans with potato masher. Set aside. Whisk half of egg mixture with milk and a bit of salt; microwave in bowl (about the size of tortillas). Repeat with second serving of eggs. When tortillas are done, divide bean mixture. Spread half of bean mixture carefully onto one tortilla, then top with second tortilla, then round, now-cooked egg. Add cheese. Repeat for second serving. Broil until cheese melts, about 4 minutes (watch it or it will burn!). Then top each with cilantro and salsa if desired, or serve on the side.

Nutritional Information: 383 calories, 57 carbs, 9 fat grams and 26 protein grams.

Review: This meatless breakfast is insanely filling – must be all of those beans! I loved the garlic and hot sauce in the beans – great kick, but not too spicy. The tostado was crunchy, but the beans helped soften it. To make the tostado less crunch, I’d suggest lightly spreading salsa on one side of each tortilla. I would consider this one a weekend recipe – I worry it would lose its crunch on the reheat. This is a great recipe, ready under 20 minutes, and a great, filling start to the day! We will make this again. And it's easy to double if needed!

A look at the inside! I cut mine in half and dipped each bite in salsa!

Mexican Breakfast Burritos with Avocado

Mexican Breakfast Burritos with Avocado 
Makes 4 Servings

4 large La Banderita tortillas
1 can black beans, drained and very lightly rinsed
1 tsp canola oil
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp hot sauce
4 eggs
4 tbsp egg substitute
1 tbsp fat-free milk
4 tbsp salsa
1 avocado, removed from skin, sliced long and divided
4 tbsp fresh cilantro, diced and divided

Set pot over medium heat. Add oil and garlic. Stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add black beans and hot sauce. Cook for 7-10 minutes over medium to low heat, then mash with potato masher and divide into 4 servings. Meanwhile, combine eggs, egg substitute and fat-free milk – sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook in a large pan over medium heat until cooked.* Wrap tortillas in a towel and heat in microwave for 20 to 30 seconds until warm. Top each with black beans (mine came out to 64 grams each), salsa, one quarter of the egg mixture, one quarter of the avocado and cilantro. Sprinkle lightly with salt again if desired. Repeat with other 3. Roll them up and enjoy.

*If making an individual serving, I’d suggest using the microwave. Combine 1 egg, 1 tbsp egg substitute and a bit of milk in a small bowl and cook in 30 second increments until cooked, then slice into long pieces. This way, you can easily take a tortilla, a serving of cooked beans, a cut avodcado, diced cilantro and salsa to work, and then just make the egg at work so it’s fresh.

Nutritional Information: 414 calories, 56 carbs, 15 fat grams and 20 protein grams.

Review: My favorite kind of recipe - fresh ingredients, good fats, colorful and filling. I really enjoyed this recipe and think it's a pretty awesome start to the day. It made a big, filled burrito, but the calories weren't too high. My favorite meatless breakfast recipe for sure!

All wrapped up! (microwave egg process shown - long egg pieces)

Mexican Bake with Cilantro-Lime Cream

Mexican Bake with Cilantro-Lime Cream
Makes 6 Servings
Recipe adapted from Diabetic Living

10 oz. rotini
16 oz. 96/4 ground beef
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 15-oz. can black beans, drained
1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
¾ cup bottled salsa
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp chili powder
2 oz. 75% reduced fat cheddar cheese
6 tbsp fat-free sour cream
3 tbsp green onions, diced
1 tbsp fresh cilantro

1 tsp lime juice

Preheat oven to 350. Cook pasta according to package instructions, drain and return to pot. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook meat and garlic until meat is brown, stirring to break up meat as it cooks. Drain any fat. Add cooked meat into pot with pasta. Stir in beans, tomatoes, salsa, oregano, cumin and chili powder. Transfer to rectangular dish. Bake covered 30 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with cheese, bake for 3 minutes until cheese melts. In a small bowl, stir together sour cream, 2 tbsp green onions, cilantro and lime peel. To serve, top each serving with a spoonful of the sour cream mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining green onions.

Nutritional Information: 393 calories, 59 carbs, 5 fat grams and 30 protein grams.

Review: We really liked this one! The 'dressing' added a lot to it and it was really just a fun, simple pasta dish that was filling and EASY. Was it our favorite? Probably not - but definitely one that we'll keep in the rotation! Suggestion: when reheating - leave the dressing out of the microwave. Keep in a separate bowl then spoon on when it's hot and ready to eat. Also, note that the original recipe suggested you switch the beans up - use pinto, navy, whatever - not necessarily black.

Chipotle Bean Burritos

Chipotle Bean Burritos
Adapted from Pearce’s Kitchen, Cooking Light and Pink Parsley Catering
Makes 4 Servings

1 tsp canola oil
2 tsp minced garlic
1 1/4 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, minced
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/3 cup chicken broth
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup salsa (like Pace medium)
4 burrito-size (large) tortillas, warmed in microwave for 10-15 seconds
2 oz. Cabot 75% reduced fat cheddar cheese, divided
4 tbsp fat-free sour cream, divided

Optional: 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, divided; 4 tbsp green onion, diced and divided

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, chil powder, chipotle chile, cumin, and salt, and cook for 1 minute. Add beans and broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in salsa, and mash with potato masher. Lay out tortillas. Top each with 1 tbsp sour cream, spreading on with the back of a spoon. Divide bean mixture into four equal servings, and spoon onto tortilla. Then top each tortilla with ½ oz. shredded cheese, 1 tbsp green onion and ½ tbsp cilantro. Roll tightly and serve immediately, or crisp outside in panini maker or pan.

Nutritional Information: 429 calories, 74 carbs, 6 fat grams and 23 protein grams.

Review: I made these for dinner on Sunday and loved them! It originally called for cherry tomatoes inside but I omitted these - I preferred to have them on the side or not at all! I thought the bean mixture had a nice spicy, without being too spicy, taste. I'm loving those chipotle chiles in adobo sauce - they are perfect. The sour cream was a nice add too, and helped cool it down. Total winner and i'll be making these again!

Breakfast Nachos

Breakfast Nachos
Recipe from My Bizzy Kitchen
Makes 2 Servings

5 small corn tortillas
3 eggs
1 tbsp fat-free milk
½ oz. Cabot 75% reduced fat cheddar, grated
4 slices turkey bacon
4 tbsp salsa

Cut corn tortillas into 6 triangle pieces and spray them with Pam. Sprinkle with a bit of sea salt and bake for 12 minutes at 350. Cook bacon in the microwave per instructions, and dice it up. Scramble eggs with milk and a bit of salt. When the tortillas are done, split them into two piles of 15 triangles and divide the eggs over the top. Then sprinkle bacon over each pile and add cheese. Broil until the cheese melts, about 3 minute (watch it or it will burn!). Then top each pile with two tablespoons of salsa (I used Trader Joe’s 3-Pepper Salsa).

Nutritional Information: 337 calories, 32 carbs, 15 fat grams and 18 protein grams.

Review: YUM. Seriously - I loved the flavors of the eggs, bacon and salsa and the crunch of the nachos, which made them really fun to eat. This, to me, is definitely more for the weekends as i'm not sure how it would reheat, but it could be easily switched to during the week if you made it more like a quesadilla or even a tostado. Regardless, I want mine in nacho form. It filled me up to - while the calories aren't super high the fat helped as well as the protein. Great recipe that i'll be making again!

Ranchero Macaroni Bake

Ranchero Macaroni Bake
Recipe adapted from a Recipes for Moms recipe
Makes 6 Servings

1 can (14.5 oz.) fat-free cream of mushroom soup
½ cup skim milk
3 oz. Cabot 75% reduced fat Cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup red salsa, medium

1/4 cup green salsa, hot
10 oz. elbow macaroni, uncooked
2 oz. tortilla chips, coarsely crushed
16 oz. chicken
1 packet taco seasoning
½ cup fat-free chicken broth

Cook macaroni according to package directions. While it cooks, cook chicken in a large skillet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray over medium heat with chicken broth and taco seasoning. Cook for 7-8 minutes until no longer pink. Drain macaroni. Combine soup and milk in a large bowl. Stir in cheese, salsa and cooked macaroni. Stir in chicken. Spoon into a baking dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Stir; sprinkle with crushed chips. Bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Full Dish - 6 servings

Nutritional Information: 401 calories, 47 carbs, 6 fat grams and 32 protein grams.

Review: Very good. The green salsa really added some extra fire that I think I would have missed if I hadn't added. The soupiness helped - I was nervous at first to stir before adding the chips, but it made a big difference and helped it cook more evenly. I liked the chip layer too - very crunchy, especially against the pasta/soupiness of the rest of the recipe. All in all, I would make this again and wouldn't change anything, great pastsa bake!

Fiesta Sliders

Fiesta Sliders
Makes 12 mini burgers
Recipe adapted from Lauren’s Kitchen

1 pound 96/4 ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning
½ cup salsa
¼ cup breadcrumbs, plain
¼ cup onion
12 tbsp fat-free sour cream
12 slider rolls I like Martin's potato rolls (90 calories each)
Optional topping: 24 tsp salsa I don't think you need it!

inside

Preheat oven to 375. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. Combine meat, taco seasoning, salsa and onions. Mix with a fork. Add breadcrumbs. Form into 12 mini burger patties and cook for 8 minutes on each side, or until done. Meanwhile, smear 1/2 tbsp sour cream on the inside of each bun. Add the patty and top with bun. Option: serve with toppings like diced tomatoes and lettuce.

Nutritional Information (per slider): 173 calories, 23 carbs, 2 fat grams and 12 protein grams.
Nutritional Information (for 2 sliders as a meal): 345 calories, 46 carbs, 5 fat grams and 25 protein grams.

Review: I thought these were excellent! The boys (Austin & his bros) gobbled them up! They definitely weren't traditional sliders as they had the mexican flavors, but they were yummy - loved sour cream as the spread instead of mayo on a traditional burger - I thought it was neat! Austin did note that they were more like sloppy joes than burgers, I don't think there was enough bread crumbs to hold them together so I upped it above. Great appetizer, and I think it would be a great meal if you had two and maybe a side of some chips!

Spicy Southwest Chicken Wraps

Spicy Southwest Chicken Wraps

Recipe from Aggie's Kitchen

Makes 4 Servings

First: make Chili Rubbed Chicken Breasts.

12 oz. boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 tsp chili powder
3 tsp garlic powder
3 tsp cumin
3 tsp paprika
Salt & pepper

Turn on broiler. Combine all ingredients except chicken. Put chicken in a foil lined pan sprayed with PAM. Run spices over chicken and broil for 5 minutes. Remove from oven, flip it over, add 1 tbsp of water and broil for 3 minutes. While Chicken is cooking, make the Southwest mixture. For one serving:

4.5 tbsp salsa
150 g black beans, rinsed and drained
6 tbsp diced onion
150 g canned whole kernel corn
9-12 chopped pickled jalapeno
salt and pepper to taste
15 g fat-free cheddar cheese
6 Mission carb balance tortillas

In large bowl, stir together all ingredients except tortillas. Add the chili rubbed chicken. Divide mix into six and put on tortillas. Wrap and heat on the George Foreman for 3 minutes. Cut in half and serve!

Nutrition Information: One serving of 1.5 wraps is 371 calories, 46 carbs and 6 fat grams.

Review: These taste great the day after - easy to heat up and put in a wrap. Lots of flavor - especially the chicken and the jalapenos add a nice kick, too!

Slow Cooker Chicken burritos

Slow Cooker Chicken burritos

Makes four servings

1 pound chicken, boneless/skinless
1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 envelope taco seasoning
Other: 8 mission carb balance tortillas, 4 tbsp fat-free sour cream, 4 tbsp salsa and 4 tsp canola oil.

Place non-cooked chicken in slow cooker. Mix tomatoes and taco seasoning. Pour over chicken. Cover. Cook on low 6 hours. Remove lid and turn off heat. Shred chicken with two forks. Measure out four servings. Divide each serving onto two tortillas.Seal. Heat pan over medium heat with 1 tsp canola oil. Spread oil to cover bottom of pan. Once hot, add two burritos seam side down. Cook for 2 minutes, then flip and cook for 1-2 more minutes until brown. Remove, and repeat with other burritos (add 1 tsp canola; add 2 burritos). Then top each burrito with ½ tbsp sour cream and ½ tbsp salsa.

Nutritional Information (2 burritos per serving; 1 tbsp ff sour cream; 1 tbsp ff salsa; 1 tsp canola oil): 450 calories, 48 carbs, 11 fat grams and 37 protein grams.

Review: A keeper! Very filling and flavorful - my two favorite things. Also, it would be easy to make more of the chicken and use it for other recipes like chicken enchilada casseroles, mexican pizzas, salads, etc. Easy and yummy - will make this again!

Mexican Rice Casserole

Recipe from For the Love of Cooking

Mexican Rice Casserole

Makes four servings

1 1/2 cups of white rice, prepared per instructions
1 tsp of olive oil
1 lb 96/4 ground beef
1/3 cup sweet yellow onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
1 15 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz can of tomato sauce
50 grams fresh mozzarella cheese, grated
1 large slicer tomato, sliced thickly
4 tbsp Fat Free Sour cream, divided
4 tbsp Salsa, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare rice per instructions. While rice is cooking, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the skillet is hot, add ground beef, making sure to break it up into crumbles. Cook beef for 3-4 minutes, then add the onion and all seasonings. Stir until well combined and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly for an additional 60 seconds. Add cooked rice, drained and rinsed black beans and tomato sauce to the beef and onion mixture. Mix ingredients thoroughly. Coat a large baking dish with cooking spray and pour mixture into the dish, spreading it evenly. Place tomato slices on top, then top with cheese. Spray a piece of tin foil with cooking spray (so the cheese won't stick) and cover the baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes then remove the tin foil. Bake for an additional 7 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before slicing into 4 servings. Top each serving with one tbsp of salsa and one tbsp of sour cream.

Nutritional Information: 448 calories, 59 carbs, 8 fat grams and 33 protein grams.

Review: We LOVED it. Very good and flavorful! We even talked about taking the servings to 6 or 8 and stuffing the mix into tacos make burritos, or getting a bowl lined with lettuce and making a burrito bowl. I think I’ll take Pam’s advice and use spicy tomato sauce next time, but honestly, with ‘regular’ it was still fab!

Fiesta Chicken

Adapted from Mom of 5
Fiesta Chicken
Makes 4 Servings

1 can fat-free cream of chicken soup
1 11-oz. can of corn, drained
2 cups instant rice
2 cups water
1 cup medium salsa
20 oz. chicken, cut in strips (uncooked)
Paprika and salt to taste

Preheat oven to 375. Spray 9x9 pan and layer chicken on pan. Mix all other ingredients and cover chicken with mixture. Sprinkle paprika and salt on top. Cook for about 55 minutes, until chicken is cooked.

Nutritional Information: 430 calories, 57 carbs, 4 fat grams and 36 protein grams.

Review: Excellent! I personally doubled the amount of rice so it was more rice-heavy and creamy – very much like comfort food. I loved the creaminess of the soup combined with the flavor of the salsa too. I can’t wait to eat this one again - and did for lunch today – LOVE!

Black Bean Chicken Tacos

Black Bean Chicken Tacos

Makes 2 servings

6 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 Mission large tortilla shells
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder
1/8 cup water
1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
1 oz. Cabot 75% reduced cheddar cheese, grated and divided
2 tsp taco sauce
4 tbsp salsa
Salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Set mediums-sized pan on medium; spray with PAM. Defrost chicken. While defrosting, drain and rinse beans, divide into two 1/2 cup portions of beans, two 30-gram portions of cheese, and get out enchilada sauce and salsa. Place tortillas on pan and put in oven for 4 minutes. Cut chicken into strips and add to pan. Sprinkle on cumin and chili powder (it’s a lot!) and stir. Add water and salt to pan. Stir and cook until chicken is no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Once chicken is done, spoon into small chopper/food processer. Grind to make shredded chicken. Remove tortillas from oven. Spoon chicken onto tortillas, add enchilada sauce, then beans, then salsa, then cheese. Serve! Notes: We put salsa on the side, but decided next time we’d put salsa on between beans and cheese. We also added a bit of salt to each taco after the bean layer – I’m glad we did!

Nutritional Information: 474 calories, 61 carbs, 9 fat grams and 39 protein grams.

Review: Filling, yummy and flavorful! Note that it's not super hot - it's more of a cold taco (yes, you could heat it up but it tastes good almost like a taco salad!)

Simple Beef Tacos

Simple Beef Tacos
Makes 4 Servings

1 pound 96/4 beef
4 Mission carb balance tortillas
4 tbsp salsa, divided in 4
1 jalapeno, finely diced
1 package taco seasoning
3-4 tbsp of water
Nonstick cooking spray
12 cherry tomatoes, diced
1 oz. Kraft natural swiss/cheddar cheese blend, divided in 4

Spray a large nonstick pan with nonstick spray. Add beef, jalapeño, taco seasoning and water. Stir until no longer pink, then add to tortilla, top with salsa, tomatoes and cheese. Serve.

Nutritional Information: 314 calories, 9 fat grams, 26 carbs and 32 protein grams.

Review: Easy, yummy and flavorful! Great tacos that are even more filling with a side of southwest salad or chips and salsa - YUM!