Healthy Southwestern Casserole

It’s almost Cinco de Mayo!! Any holiday that gives me an excuse to make yummy Mexican food for breakfast, lunch AND dinner is my kind of holiday! I loooooove Mexican food! This casserole is definitely worthy of a Cinco de Mayo dinner feast PLUS it’s healthy! My family really likes it and I feel good about it as a Mom because it has so many vegetables plus lean ground turkey. Double win! Don’t let all of the ingredients fool you into thinking this is hard because it’s extremely simple! Seriously, give it a try! This is also a great recipe to change up and add things you like or switch out things you don’t.

Southwestern Casserole (recipe from For the Love of Cooking):

– 2 (7 oz) cans of whole green chiles, drained
– 1 tsp. olive oil
– 1 pound lean ground turkey
– 1 sweet yellow onion, diced
– 1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
– 1 1/2 tsp. paprika
– 1 1/2 tsp. onion powder
– 1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
– 1 1/2 tsp. cumin
– 1 1/2 tsp. oregano
– 1 1/2 tsp. coriander
– salt & pepper, to taste
– 2 cloves of garlic, minced
– 3 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped (plus more for garnish)
– 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
– 2 cups frozen corn, thawed
– 1 (14 oz) can refried beans (I use fat-free)
– 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar, shredded
– 2 tomatoes, diced
– 2 green onions, diced
– 1 avocado, diced
– sour cream (optional)
– hot sauce (optional)

First, preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Next, spray a large baking dish (I used a 9×13 but you can use a casserole dish too) with cooking spray. Arrange the whole green chiles in a single layer on the bottom of the baking dish. I cut mine in half in order to cover the whole bottom of the pan.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion, ground turkey and seasonings. Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring often to break up the turkey into crumbles. Add the minced garlic and the can of diced tomatoes. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.

Pour the meat mixture on top of the green chiles; next add the corn. Carefully spread the refried beans on top of the corn followed by the cheese. Place into the oven and bake for 30 minutes.

Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes then top with diced tomato, avocado, green onion, and cilantro. Serve with sour cream and hot sauce, if desired.

ENJOY and Happy Cinco de Mayo!!

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