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.

Slowcooker Mexican Beefy Mac

Slowcooker Mexican Beefy Mac
Makes 4 Servings

1 pound ground beef
1 tbsp minced garlic, jarred
salt and pepper, to taste
1 can fat-free cream of chicken soup
½ cup fat-free sour cream
1 can rotel
1 packet taco seasoning
1 tsp hot sauce
8 oz. pasta (short shape of your choice)

Add beef to slowcooker. Mix soup, garlic, sour cream, rotel, taco seasoning and hot sauce. Stir well and pour over beef. Cook on high 3 hours. Stir, ensuring beef is cooked/no longer pink. If cooked, stir in noodles. Cook for 20 minutes until noodles soften.

Nutritional Information: 457 calories, 60 carabs, 7 fat grams and 32 protein grams.

Review: This was super easy, yummy and spicy! I liked being able to just add raw meat and a few cans/packets to a slowcooker and then having a yummy meal. To reduce the spice, simply remove or decrease the hot sauce - easy peasy. I liked this dish too because I LOVE slowcooker dishes and that cook the pasta for me - gives the noodles a lot of great flavor. This one is an easy one and will definitely be repeated. To make it 6 servings I'd consider just adding a can of corn or a can of black beans! This is definitely one of those you can make your own by adding salsa instead of rotel, topping with guac or jalapeno, etc.

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!

Mexican Quinoa Skillet

Mexican Quinoa Skillet
Inspired by a $5 Dinners Recipe
Makes 4 Servings

2 tsp minced garlic, jarred
1 pound 96/4 ground beef
½ cup onion, diced
1 packet taco seasoning
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 large tomato, diced
2 small summer squash, diced
hot sauce, to taste
1 cup quinoa, dry
1 1/2 cup water
Optional: 2 green onions and fresh cilantro leaves for garnish

Add large pan to medium heat. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add beef and onion and stir until beef is mostly browned, about 5 minutes. Add taco seasonings and stir for 1 minute. Add black beans, tomato and squash. Drop in a bit of hot sauce. Stir, and then add quinoa and water. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to simmer, and cook for 20 minutes. Remove lid, stir, then add lid and cook for another 5 minutes until quinoa is done and most of the liquid is gone. Remove from heat, divide into four servings, and top with green onions and cilantro.

Nutritional Information: 450 calories, 59 carbs, 8 fat grams and 36 protein grams.

Review: Awesome, healthy, filling, rainbow recipe! I was really happy with this one, especially since it's a one-pot (or skillet!) recipe - I love when you don't have to cook the carb in a separate pot! I especially enjoyed all of the colors and flavors from the tomatoes, squash, black beans and green onions. And of course - finding another quinoa recipe we love  makes me very happy. This one is a winner and will be made again, and again.

Creamy Taco Mac

One serving

Creamy Taco Mac
Adapted from Annie’s Eats
Makes 4 Servings

1 pound 96/4 ground beef
8 oz. dry pasta
½ cup onion, chopped
2 tsp minced garlic, jarred
1 (14 oz.) can plain or mexican/zesty diced tomatoes, drained
1 pack taco seasoning
3 oz. fat-free cream cheese, softened
½ cup fat-free sour cream
Salt and pepper
1 oz. Cabot 75% reduced fat cheddar cheese
Fresh cilantro (optional)

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving ½ cup of pasta water. Set aside. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook onions over medium-high heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add beef and cook until beef is no longer pink. Once meat is cooked, mix in garlic and cook for 30 seconds.Mix in tomatoes and taco seasoning and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes. Stir in cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream and reserved pasta water, and continue stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over medium-low heat 4 minutes to reduce the sauce. Turn off heat. Top with shredded cheddar cheese and cilantro. Cover and let it sit off the heat until the cheese melts, about 2 minutes.

Nutritional Information: 457 calories, 58 carbs, 7 fat grams and 34 protein grams.

Review: Creamy is right - the sour cream/cream cheese mixture made the red sauce a lighter color -  it was so creamy! I loved it with the pasta shells - it was really like Mexican Mac and Cheese! Big fan. I will say I only had Italian diced tomatoes on hand (boo) so I drained them, but next time would like to use zesty jalapeno diced tomatoes - or just plain. This is a great recipe and makes HUGE servings - I couldn't even eat the whole thing! We'll definitely put this one in the rotation!

Whole pan!

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!

Burrito Casserole

Burrito Casserole
Makes 6 Servings
Recipe adapted from Blog Chef

1 pound 96/4 ground beef
1 package taco seasoning
9 small Mission flour tortillas
1 can fat-free refried beans
1 can fat-free cream of mushroom soup
½ cup fat-free sour cream
hot sauce (optional)
80 grams Cabot 75% reduced fat cheddar (a little less than 3/4 cup)
Optional Toppings: 1 cup shredded romaine lettuce and 6 cherry tomatoes, divided

Preheat oven to 350. In a large skillet brown ground beef. Once it’s almost done, add taco seasoning and stir in refried beans. Mix until evenly blended. In a bowl, mix cream of mushroom soup 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 (I typically lay 2 tortillas down side by side without tearing - then tear up the third to fill in blanks to make a solid layer!). Put ½ of the meat mixture on top of it. Sprinkle on hot sauce. Add remaining layers as follows: 3 tortillas; sour cream mixture; 3 tortillas; meat mixture; hot sauce. Sprinkle cheese over the top and place in oven uncovered for 25 minutes. Serve with lettuce and tomatoes as toppings.

Nutritional Information: 403 calories, 47 carbs, 7 fat grams and 29 protein grams.

Review: Two words: OH MY. This recipe seriously may trump my top Mexican recipe. No joke! I LOVE the layers, the use of flour tortillas, how that sauce mixture clings to the tortillas and makes it all taste just meshed together and creamy. I also love the hot sauce kick on those layers- perfect! Yes, time to update my top 10 - this one takes the cake. And the calories are great - love that it makes six too. Winner, winner. Austin loved it too! For less heat, simply leave out the hot sauce. You could even top with salsa if you want to leave the heat level up to each person!

Here's a pic of the full dish - how it looks coming out of the oven!

Rotel Slowcooker Chicken Burritos

Rotel Slowcooker Chicken Burritos
Recipe adapted from Fabulessly Frugal
Makes 6 Servings

16 oz. chicken
1 can Rotel
1/3 cup chicken broth
1 packet taco seasoning
6 large Mission flour tortillas
1 avocado (116 grams)
1 can Trader Joe’s refried beans with jalapeno seasoning*
60 grams (2 oz) cabot 75% reduced fat cheddar, divided into 6
6 tbsp Sour cream, divided into 6

*If you can’t find these, get a can of black beans, drain them, and mash them with a fork

Place chicken in slowcooker. Mix Rotel, chicken broth and taco seasoning and pour mixture over chicken. Cook on high for 4 hours. Remove chicken from slow cooker, shred it, and add back to slowcooker to blend with any remaining sauce. Scoop out contents of avocado and mash, leaving mixture chunky. Mix beans and avocado together and spread evenly on six warm tortillas (about 85 grams each). Sprinkle each with cheese (10 grams). Add a scoop of chicken mixture (114 grams) and a dollop of sour cream (15 grams). Fold into burritos and enjoy.

Nutritional Information: 462 calories, 58 carbs, 10 fat grams and 32 protein grams.

Review: Yum! The guacamole added so much mixed with those beans. It was almost like a bean burrito then no – there’s some spicy chicken! I liked the sour cream and that little bit of cheese went a long way. This was a great burrito/wrap that we’ll definitely be having again. Although, next time I’ll double the chicken and use the other half in salads or in a taco or enchilada bake!

The inside

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!

Taco Salad

Taco Salad

Makes 4 Servings

Recipe idea from my co-worker & friend Stacy

1 can fat-free refried beans (400 grams)
16 oz. 96/4 ground beef
2 tbsp onion, diced
1 serano pepper, deseeded and finely diced
1 packet taco seasoning, divided
8 tbsp fat-free sour cream
4 cups lettuce
16 wedges of sliced tomato
¼ cup fat-free cheddar cheese (for garnish)
4 mission low-carb tortillas

Preheat oven to 350. Ball up foil loosely and mold “shells” with the tortillas around the ball (picture bowl topside down). Place tortillas on a cookie sheet in oven for 6 - 10 minutes until desired crispiness. While tortillas bake, set pot over medium and spray with cooking spray. Add beans and 1-2 tsp of taco seasoning. Stir until warm. While beans are heating up, set a large pan on medium and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Add onions and peppers and stir for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add meat, remaining taco seasoning, and a little bit of water (1-2 tbsp). Stir until meat is no longer red. While stirring, remove tortillas from the oven and set on a plate. Add lettuce layer, 100 grams of beans to each tortilla, 121 grams of meat mixture, lettuce layer, sour cream, tomato and cheese and serve.

Nutritional Information: 415 calories, 45 carbs, 8 fat grams and 38 protein grams.

Review: Yummilicious! So glad that I can make this at home - very exciting. I thought it tasted restaurant quality and loved all of the flavors - especially the sour cream topping with the beans - yum!

Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Recipe adapted from Real Mom Kitchen
Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
Makes 4 Servings

1 can black beans, drained
1 can corn, drained
1 can petite diced tomatoes (14.5 oz size - southwest style)
1 packet taco seasoning
1 1/2 cups water
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 can ( 10 3/4 oz) fat-free cream of chicken soup
2 cups fat-free milk
16 oz. chicken, boneless and skinless
Optional: 40 grams corn chips, divided

In crock pot, mix the taco packet together with the water and tomato sauce. Add cream of chicken soup and milk and whisk together until smooth. Add chicken. Pour drained black beans, drained corn and diced tomatoes on top of that. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Before serving, take out chicken and shred, then put back and stir it all together. Serve alone or with 10 grams tortilla chips.

Nutritional Information: 452 calories, 61 carbs, 4 fat grams and 40 protein grams. (before corn chips or other toppings).

Review: We really liked it! You could easily make it 5 or 6 servings, or less, and have as a side with a sandwich! I was just all about big, hearty bowls of soup!

Quesadilla Roll Ups

Recipe adapted from a Rachel Ray book
Quesadilla Roll Ups
Makes 4 Servings

16 oz. chicken + 1 pack taco seasoning, slow cooked for 3 hours on high and shredded; divided into 4 servings
4 mission burrito size tortillas
2 oz. cabot 75% fat-free cheese, grated, divided into 4 servings
2 oz. fat-free cheddar cheese, grated, divided into 4 servings
½ cup green salsa, divided

Add tortilla over medium heat. Top with cheese spread evenly. Cook until tortilla is slightly browned. Heat up a serving of chicken in the microwave (about 1 minute). Remove tortilla from heat and top with chicken. Roll up and cut into pieces. Serve each with 2 tbsp salsa.

Nutritional Information: 417 calories, 42 carbs, 7 fat grams and 41 protein grams.

Review: GREAT! I love these – super filling and flavorful. Next time I may add a tbsp of fat-free sour cream. For more calories (AKA for Austin) serve with chips and salsa on the side or a ½ cup of black beans. One thing to note – if you them crispy (which we did) make sure the chicken is dry – so pour some of the taco seasoning/sauce out (or just drain it). Also, you could easily skillet fry the chicken with taco seasoning on a pan - I just like to slowcook huge batches of chicken and use it in different recipes!

Taco Soup

Taco Soup
Recipe from my friend Monica’s friend Beth
Makes 6 Servings

1 pound lean ground beef (96/4) OR ground turkey
½ onion (simmer with beef)
1 can tomato sauce (14.5 oz)
1 can rotel
1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes, do not drain
1 can corn
1 can black eyed peas, drained
1 can light kidney beans, drained
1 can dark kidney beans, drained
1 packet dry ranch dressing
1 packet taco seasoning
3 tbsp Cilantro
Optional: ¾ cup fat-free cheddar cheese and 60 grams of Trader Joe’s Organic Corn Chip Dippers.

**Put large pot over medium heat. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. Add onions and cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Add beef and cook until no longer pink. Add all drained vegetables and season packets. Once everything is combined and stirred up good, add cilantro, then turn heat to medium-high. Once it comes to a boil, move to simmer for 10 minutes and then serve topped with cheddar cheese and corn chips.

**Other option: put ALL ingredients (except for chips and cheese) in slowcooker. Put meat in raw. Cook on high for 3 minutes, then top with cheese and corn chips.

Nutritional Information per serving (including 1/8 cup fat-free cheddar cheese and 10 grams of Trader Joe’s Organic Corn Chip Dippers): 399 calories, 49 carbs, 8 fat grams and 30 protein grams.

Review: Family favorite! I make this all the time now. It's super hearty and even though it's a soup it's thicker like a chili. I seriously have this year round and it never gets old. I've thought about adding a jalapeno, but it really has enough kick to it without it. Sometimes when i'm feeling super lazy - I omit the onion and throw it all (including raw ground beef) in a slowcooker for 3.5 hours on high. Great recipe and super easy so long as you have a can opener! And note, I've subbed in ground turkey before - it's JUST as good!

Taco Pasta

Adapted from Lynn’s Kitchen Adventures
Taco Pasta
4 Servings

1 pound 96/4 ground beef, cooked in taco seasoning
1 15-oz can tomato sauce
1 8-oz package small pasta of your choice, cooked per package instructions
1 4-oz can diced green chiles
1 cup fat-free shredded cheddar cheese

In a large bowl, mix pasta, beef, tomato sauce, green chilies and half of cheese. Place in a square baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Top with remaining cheese. Cover in foil. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Remove foil; bake for 10 minutes.

Nutritional Information: 451 calories, 56 carbs, 5 fat grams and 39 protein grams.

Review: Yummy, yum! I had never thought to do a mexican-inspired pasta! It was spicy (thank you green chiles!) and had lots of flavor. It was also really filling and reheated well - definitely going to make this again. Austin loved it too - maybe even more than me!

Taco Casserole

Adapted from Recipes For Moms
Taco Cassrole
Makes 4 Servings

1 pound 96/4 ground beef, cooked in taco seasoning
1 jalapeno, finely diced
1 cup crushed tortilla chips (70 grams)
1 can (16 oz.) fat-free refried beans (400 grams)
¼ cup fat-free cheddar cheese
¼ cup cabot 75% light cheddar cheese
½ cup diced tomato, 4 tbsp fat-free sour cream and ½ cup shredded romaine, divided (for toppings)

Preheat oven to 375. Place chips in a square baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Spread refried beans carefully over chips. Top with beef, jalapenos and cheese. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove and add toppings.

Nutritional Information: 398 calories, 35 carbs, 10 fat grams and 35 protein grams.

Review: We LOVED it! I don’t have too many casseroles with refried beans so it was nice to get those in, and we LOVED the crispy chip layer on bottom – fabulous! Next time I may add more lettuce for crunch but that’s an easy, no-calorie fix. It was perfectly spicy – yay for jalapeños! I actually ate it with a spoon - nom nom nom.

Notes: For this one, I actually made 8 servings of beef: 2 pounds beef with 4 tbsp onion, 2 envelopes taco seasoning, 3 jalapenos and 1 cup water. This way I can use the other 4 servings for taco salads and tacos!

before toppings were added

Southwestern Chicken and White Bean Soup

Southwestern Chicken and White Bean Soup
Adapted from a Cooking Light Recipe
Makes 4 Servings

16 oz. chicken breast
3 tbsp 40%-less-sodium taco seasoning
Cooking spray
4 tsp olive oil
4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 16-ounce can white beans, rinsed and drained (272 grams total)
1 cup green salsa
4 tbsp Fat-free sour cream, divided
Chopped cilantro (optional)
Trader Joe’s Organic Corn Chips (40 grams, divided)
Cumin and Salt to taste

Combine chicken and taco seasoning; toss well to coat. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray, and add olive oil. Add chicken; sauté 2 minutes or until chicken is lightly browned. Add broth, scraping pan to loosen any browned bits. Meanwhile, place beans in a small bowl; mash until only a few whole beans remain. Add beans and salsa to pan, stirring well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes or until slightly thick. Makes two large servings. Top each with 1 tbsp sour cream, cilantro and 10 grams corn chips if desired.

Nutritional Information (including cilantro, sour cream and chips): 426 calories, 38 carbs, 10 fat grams and 37 protein grams.

Review: I LOVED this! Austin liked it a lot, but said it was a little too salty for his taste. I decided I won't add cumin or salt next time - I think because all of the ingredients (chicken stock, salsa, etc.) are salty in and of themselves, it doesn’t need anything extra. I’ll definitely be making this again – but next time I’ll make more servings! Woo! I also loved that I was able to use this ingenious product – frozen cilantro cubes.

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!

Fire-Roasted Chicken Tostadas

Fire-Roasted Chicken Tostadas
Makes 2 Servings

For chicken
8 oz. Chicken
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
½ cup water

For rest of recipe
½ cup or 128 grams of Rosarita 98% Fat Free Refried Beans
2 tbsp water
2 tsp taco seasoning (from powder packet)
4 small Mission corn Tortillas
30 grams cheddar cheese
2 tbsp fat-free sour cream
2 tbsp Trader Joe’s Guacamole/Pico
8 cherry tomatoes, diced
1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Get out a baking sheet and lay tortillas on it. Spray both sides of tortillas with nonstick fat-free cooking spray. Add to oven for 12 minutes. While they’re cooking, heat a medium sized pan sprayed with nonstick fat-free cooking spray. Cut defrosted chicken into cubes and add to pan with water and all seasoning. Cooking for 5-6 minutes until no longer pink. Remove from heat and add to food processor. Grind. Also, heat a pot and add beans, water and taco seasoning. Stir for 3 minutes then remove from heat. Remove tortillas from oven. Spoon bean mixture over tortillas, then spoon chicken mixture over that and sprinkle cheese and salt on top. Spoon on sour cream and guac/pico, then add tomatoes and cilantro. Serve hot. Each serving contains two tostadas.

Nutritional Information: 429 calories, 50 carbs, 6 fat grams and 41 protein grams.

Review: Yummy, yummy yummy! They were crispy, filling and flavorful – we’ll DEFINITELY be making these little guys again. As far as substitutes you could easily add onion and could just use salsa instead of guac/pico. You could also mix up the beans, chicken, cheese, etc. before piling it on so it sticks together better. Anywho – GREAT!