Mexican Flavor Explosion
Let me start by saying.... this recipe is worth the MESS you are about to make in your kitchen!!
Promise! It is the biggest flavor explosion I can give you!
This is a recipe I used to make back when I didn't care about calories, fat content, sodium and processed foods. I stopped making it for that reason. But, I found the recipe when I was cleaning out my kitchen cabinets the other day and thought to myself.... I could TOTALLY make this a clean eating recipe. It took a little tweaking (and there are still conveniences I didn't want to give up, like canned tomatoes and black beans) but I did it! And it is even BETTER than the original. --Which I will give you the alternative in the event that you want to make an indulgent meal.
The original recipe calls for one can of enchilada sauce. I have a hard time buying it in the can because there are always so many preservatives and ingredients that I don't want or need. I have been making my own for some time now and I can guarantee it is better than ANY store bought. If you are pressed for time, you can use canned but check the label for any added ingredients that are not necessary! To make your own home made enchilada sauce grab:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp flour ---> I used a gluten free all purpose mix, but you can also use whole wheat
- 3 tbsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 2 cups of chicken broth ---> I used my home made frozen broth, you can use vegetable broth here too
To make the sauce, heat the oil in a small saucepan over med/low heat. Add the flour and whisk for a minute or so. Add all the spices and stir. Gradually and slowly add the broth, whisking to prevent any lumps. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Take off of heat and set aside.
The original recipe also calls for a can of refried beans and we all know that most canned refried beans are full of lard. Yes. Lard. Check the label. So I opted to make my own. Once I show you how to make your own, good luck ever going back to canned! It is so easy and delicious and you can use any type of bean that you want, but I chose black beans.
I love any excuse to use my food processor but if you don't have one that is ok, you can use a blender, a hand mixer, or even just mash it up with a fork for a chunkier version. Here is what you will need to make your beans:
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed well
- 1/4 tsp chipotle powder
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 2 tbsp water
- 1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro (yum!!)
- 1 tsp cumin
Put all ingredients into the food processor and pulse until well blended and smooth. You may season with salt and pepper to taste, but I choose not to.
Ok so we have our two mess makers out of the way, let's work on putting this casserole together! Here is the list of ingredients I used to make this specific casserole.... in parentheses, I have noted the original recipe ingredients so you can decide how to personalize yours.
- 1 lb lean ground turkey (original -- 1 lb lean ground beef)
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2 cans of Rotel tomatoes, drained
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- refried beans, from above recipe (original -- 1 can of refried beans)
- enchilada sauce, from above recipe (original -- 1 can of enchilada sauce)
- 1 1/2 cups of frozen or fresh corn, thawed
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (original -- 3 cups of cheese... yikes)
- 1 cup quinoa, uncooked (original -- 8 flour, or whole wheat tortillas)
As you can see there were a lot of great substitutions here and they really paid off for a healthy, delicious meal!
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2) Rinse your quinoa and cook according to package. Set aside.
3) Place turkey and onion in a large skillet over med/high heat. Cook, breaking up the meat, for about 10 minutes.
4) Add ground cumin, chili powder, oregano and salt to turkey. Then add tomatoes, black beans and corn. Simmer. Take a deep breath because your kitchen is starting to smell pretty amazing right?!
5) In a 9x13 baking dish, spread your refried beans on the bottom. Spread half of your cooked quinoa on top of that. (In the original, you would break apart your tortillas and spread them to form one layer) Top with half of the meat/veggie mixture, then half of the enchilada sauce. Repeat these steps (without additional refried beans). Top with cheese. Cover with foil.
6) Bake the casserole for 20 minutes covered, then 20 minutes uncovered, or until bubbly.
For a serving option, you could sprinkle some fresh cilantro and sliced avocado on top and dig in! I will never, EVER pass up Mexican food! ;-)
Like I said, this makes asmall mess in your kitchen, but it is sooooooo worth it! This cleaned up casserole is packed full of protein and very little sodium and added ingredients that our bodies don't need anyways! Please let me know what you think of this recipe by commenting below and thank you for stopping by to read! Now excuse me while I shove my face in this.... before I drool right into my keyboard!
Don't forget to follow me on social media! @fitmomjoslin
Promise! It is the biggest flavor explosion I can give you!
This is a recipe I used to make back when I didn't care about calories, fat content, sodium and processed foods. I stopped making it for that reason. But, I found the recipe when I was cleaning out my kitchen cabinets the other day and thought to myself.... I could TOTALLY make this a clean eating recipe. It took a little tweaking (and there are still conveniences I didn't want to give up, like canned tomatoes and black beans) but I did it! And it is even BETTER than the original. --Which I will give you the alternative in the event that you want to make an indulgent meal.
::I give you the Clean Chiliaquiles Casserole::
The original recipe calls for one can of enchilada sauce. I have a hard time buying it in the can because there are always so many preservatives and ingredients that I don't want or need. I have been making my own for some time now and I can guarantee it is better than ANY store bought. If you are pressed for time, you can use canned but check the label for any added ingredients that are not necessary! To make your own home made enchilada sauce grab:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp flour ---> I used a gluten free all purpose mix, but you can also use whole wheat
- 3 tbsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 2 cups of chicken broth ---> I used my home made frozen broth, you can use vegetable broth here too
To make the sauce, heat the oil in a small saucepan over med/low heat. Add the flour and whisk for a minute or so. Add all the spices and stir. Gradually and slowly add the broth, whisking to prevent any lumps. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Take off of heat and set aside.
The original recipe also calls for a can of refried beans and we all know that most canned refried beans are full of lard. Yes. Lard. Check the label. So I opted to make my own. Once I show you how to make your own, good luck ever going back to canned! It is so easy and delicious and you can use any type of bean that you want, but I chose black beans.
I love any excuse to use my food processor but if you don't have one that is ok, you can use a blender, a hand mixer, or even just mash it up with a fork for a chunkier version. Here is what you will need to make your beans:
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed well
- 1/4 tsp chipotle powder
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 2 tbsp water
- 1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro (yum!!)
- 1 tsp cumin
Put all ingredients into the food processor and pulse until well blended and smooth. You may season with salt and pepper to taste, but I choose not to.
Ok so we have our two mess makers out of the way, let's work on putting this casserole together! Here is the list of ingredients I used to make this specific casserole.... in parentheses, I have noted the original recipe ingredients so you can decide how to personalize yours.
- 1 lb lean ground turkey (original -- 1 lb lean ground beef)
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2 cans of Rotel tomatoes, drained
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- refried beans, from above recipe (original -- 1 can of refried beans)
- enchilada sauce, from above recipe (original -- 1 can of enchilada sauce)
- 1 1/2 cups of frozen or fresh corn, thawed
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (original -- 3 cups of cheese... yikes)
- 1 cup quinoa, uncooked (original -- 8 flour, or whole wheat tortillas)
As you can see there were a lot of great substitutions here and they really paid off for a healthy, delicious meal!
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2) Rinse your quinoa and cook according to package. Set aside.
3) Place turkey and onion in a large skillet over med/high heat. Cook, breaking up the meat, for about 10 minutes.
4) Add ground cumin, chili powder, oregano and salt to turkey. Then add tomatoes, black beans and corn. Simmer. Take a deep breath because your kitchen is starting to smell pretty amazing right?!
5) In a 9x13 baking dish, spread your refried beans on the bottom. Spread half of your cooked quinoa on top of that. (In the original, you would break apart your tortillas and spread them to form one layer) Top with half of the meat/veggie mixture, then half of the enchilada sauce. Repeat these steps (without additional refried beans). Top with cheese. Cover with foil.
6) Bake the casserole for 20 minutes covered, then 20 minutes uncovered, or until bubbly.
For a serving option, you could sprinkle some fresh cilantro and sliced avocado on top and dig in! I will never, EVER pass up Mexican food! ;-)
Like I said, this makes a
Don't forget to follow me on social media! @fitmomjoslin
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