Lauren Kelly Nutrition

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Healthy Mexican Casserole

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This Healthy Mexican Casserole is simple to prepare, packed with lean protein, light and nutritious with all of your favorite flavors. It’s also gluten free and will be ready in just 30 minutes!

This Healthy Mexican Casserole is my favorite, easy meal. It's gluten free, delicious and is ready in 30 minutes!

This is one of my family’s favorites and I have been making this for YEARS!

We all have those recipes that we keep making. Maybe your mother used to make something similar or you once found the recipe in a magazine and you’ve just continued making it all the time? That is this Mexican Casserole.

It was one of those recipes that I always threw together and never wrote down the ingredients and instructions until now. You know what I mean, right? The kind where you make it up when you go along…

It is super easy and healthy, and most importantly DELICIOUS!  It’s also a great dish for entertaining because it’s simple to prepare (you can easily make it ahead of time) and it’s also very pretty.

I like when food looks good too. It’s always an added bonus.

The best thing about this recipe is how versatile it is! You can wrap it up in a tortilla, eat it over a bed of greens, add avocado or sour cream, or crush tortilla chips on top (my kids love that!) Any way you eat it, it is delicious!

Also, if you are lucky enough to have leftovers (which probably won’t be very often) then they taste great the next day too. I love repurposing leftovers into lettuce wraps or even quesadillas. I usually add a little more cheese when I reheat it, because….cheese….

The possibilities are endless! Sometimes, as moms, we just have to get creative in order to make our leftovers seem more appetizing, anyone else out there?

Check out my video to show you just how easy it is to make…

See? I told you it was ridiculously easy.

This is one of those meals that the whole family likes!  Sometimes when my nights are busier than usual I will prepare it in the morning, wrap it up and place it in the refrigerator until later.  Then, I just pop it in the oven for 20 minutes and it’s done!

Go ahead and use ground chicken or ground beef in this recipe too. Basically use whatever you have in your refrigerator.  Or if you are like me, you might have some in your freezer from last week. Go ahead and use it!

I have probably made this recipe with all of the meat options because I have made it THAT many times. The good part is that whatever I make it with, everyone always likes it.

But if you have kids, you will understand this…

One kid doesn’t like chunky tomatoes.

Another kid hates cilantro.

Two of them hate beans.

Only one likes really spicy food.

Do you see where I am going with this?

I customize this to whatever I have in my house and whomever might be eating this that night. It’s so easy to do and this way I don’t have to make 5 different meals. Let’s be honest, that was never happening anyway. Do any of you actually make different meals for everyone?

That must be beyond EXHAUSTING.

This mom is way too lazy for that.

You can also customize the spiciness of this casserole too. I usually omit the chili powder for my one sone and take out the chili peppers. I promise it tastes just as delicious! And to the opposite end of that, if you like spice, go ahead and add more! Add some jalalpeno peppers (with the seeds) while you’re at it!

For the most part, it makes everyone happy. Most importantly, it REALLY makes me happy. And that’s what counts, right? I mean, I AM the one cooking it so there’s that.

*EDITED TO ADD

I have since started a low carb diet and yes, I still make this casserole! I omitted the beans and corn altogether and added some cauliflower rice or broccoli rice instead. I added some more full fat shredded cheddar cheese and sliced avocado. Let me tell you I was in low carb heaven.

I told you this recipe was so customizable!

Please let me know if you have made this recipe and let me know any alterations or substitutions you may have made. I love getting ideas from you guys!

This Healthy Mexican Casserole is my favorite, easy meal. It's gluten free, delicious and is ready in 30 minutes!
Print

Healthy Mexican Casserole

Servings 6 -8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 pound lean ground turkey
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon chili powder 1/8 tsp if you don’t like it too spicy
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/8 teaspoon coriander
  • 1 15 ounce can organic black beans rinsed thoroughly and drained
  • 1 15 ounce can organic pinto beans rinsed thoroughly and drained
  • 4-5 plum tomatoes chopped and seeds removed
  • 1 teaspoon chopped chili peppers add more or like to your taste
  • 1/2 cup frozen corn
  • 1/4 cup reduced fat mexican blend cheese
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro for topping optional

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put turkey in large sauce pan with oil and cook until no longer pink.
  2. Add cumin, chili powder, red pepper flakes, coriander and a little water until seasoned. Add pinto & black beans, diced tomatoes, thinly sliced chilis, corn and mix it all together in sauce pan.
  3. Place in a 9 x 13 casserole dish and add 1/4 cup of reduced fat mexican cheese blend on top. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes until cheese is melted.
  4. For my kids, I crumble whole grain tortillas on top.
  5. I like diced cilantro sprinkled on top. This is great the next for leftovers in a wrap too. ENJOY!

 

This Healthy Mexican Casserole is my favorite, easy meal. It's gluten free, delicious and is ready in 30 minutes!

Here is the old picture…not as terrible as some of older, hideous pictures but it’s still not great…

This Healthy Mexican Casserole is my favorite, easy meal. It's gluten free, delicious and is ready in 30 minutes!

If you like this, then you will also like these Mexican dishes!

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Healthy Mexican Rice

Chopped Mexican Kale Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing

Chopped Mexican Kale Salad from Lauren Kelly Nutrition

Crock Pot Mexican Quinoa Tacos from Chelsea’s Messy Apron

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This Mexican Bean Salad is packed with plant-based protein and fiber and is naturally gluten and grain-free! www.laurenkellynutrition.com

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Comments

    • Thanks Erin 🙂 Ground turkey and ground chicken are pretty comparable in calories, fat and protein. If you are looking to save calories (which you clearly do NOT need to do) then look for the leanest one which is the breast. It should say 97 or 99% lean. Hope that helps Erin. I know you are going to LOVE this!!

      Reply

    • Hi Diane! 🙂
      Here is the info from http://www.calriecount.count:
      Nutrition Facts
      Serving Size 197 g
      Amount Per Serving
      Calories 295Calories from Fat 52
      % Daily Value*
      Total Fat 5.8g9%
      Saturated Fat 2.0g10%
      Cholesterol 43mg14%
      Sodium 96mg4%
      Total Carbohydrates 37.7g13%
      Dietary Fiber 8.9g36%
      Sugars 3.1g
      Protein 24.1g

      Reply

  12. This looks delicious. Planning on making tonight. What type of chili did you use and was it fresh or pickled? Thanks!

    Reply

  16. This looks like a wonderful supper meal later this week …How can I print this recipe ??? Am I overlooking the ‘print ‘ option??? Thanks so much !

    Reply

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