Clean Eating: Taco Lasagna

This dish is for my special man. Cliff is a big fan of tacos and lasagna. I'm a fan of casseroles, but not normally lasagna. So, I figured I could make a taco lasagna. It was very reminiscent of my enchilada casserole, but with the creamy sour cream and fresh raw tomatoes and lettuce on top, it feels more like a taco. Although, I guess it's hard to call it a taco if you can't eat it with your hands. At any rate, this was a delicious meal.

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground chicken breast
4 LaTortilla Factory Fiber & Flax corn tortillas (I use these because each one is only 45 calories)
2 tomatoes
1 tomatillo
2 tbsp. chopped onion
1 clove garlic
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flake
1 tsp. dried cilantro
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 tbsp. pimento cheese (or whatever clean eating cheese you like - use something totaling 210 calories)
2 tbsp. hot banana peppers, chopped
2 tbsp. hot banana pepper pickling liquid

Toppings:
1 tomato, diced
1 cup shredded lettuce
4 tbsp. light sour cream


Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 F.

Dice 2 tomatoes and the tomatillo and place in a food processor. Add onions, seasonings and garlic. Pulse grind until completely pureed into a salsa.

Spray a skillet with cooking spray. Over medium-high heat, brown ground chicken breast. Once browned, add fresh salsa, cheese and banana pepper rings. Add 2 tablespoons of pickling liquid from pepper jar. Stir with spatula to break up any large pieces of chicken and melt cheese.

Cut tortilla in half. Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray and place 4 tortilla halves at the bottom of the pan. Top with half the beef and sauce mixture. Repeat layers.

Cover casserole dish with foil and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Once cooked, serve topped with diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce and sour cream.

Nutrition Facts
Serves 4
Serving Size 370.1g
__________________________________________________

Calories - 302
Calories from Fat -79
Total Fat - 8.8g
Saturated Fat - 2.4g
Trans Fat - 0.2g
Cholesterol - 74mg
Sodium - 683mg
Total Carbohydrates - 31g
Dietary Fiber - 7g
Sugar - 6.2g
Protein - 29.4g
---
Vitamin A - 17%
Vitamin C - 44%
Calcium - 15%
Iron - 26%

Clean Eating: Enchilada Casserole

When I don't have a craving for Chinese food, I tend to have a craving for Mexican food. Yet again, not very diet friendly. But this little meal certainly hits the spot. The only thing missing is the crunchy chips and salsa I like to have before the meal. I have to work on a nachos that will work in the purview of my diet plan.

Ingredients:
1 lbs. 93% lean ground turkey
1 red onion
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp. garlic powder
black pepper, to taste
2 tomatoes
1 (7 oz.) can of chopped green chiles
4 tbsp. medium salsa
3 oz. 75% reduced fat Cabot cheddar
4 tbsp. light sour cream
6 La Tortilla Factory Smart & Delicious Tortillas

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 F.

Add water to a medium pot. Remove stemmed end of the tomatoes. On the other end, cut an X. Add tomatoes to pot of water and bring to boil. Boil for 5 minutes and remove from heat.

Chop onions into small pieces. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions to skillet and cook until tender, about 3-5 minutes.

Move onions to one side of the pan. Add ground turkey to other side of pan along with all the seasonings. Cook until turkey has browned, mixing with the onions.

Remove skin from the boiled tomatoes. In a food processor, add tomatoes (breaking up if needed), green chiles and salsa. Spin it until well combined into a sauce.

Add sauce to ground meat mixture. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 5 minutes.

Spray and 8x8 square casserole pan with cooking spray. Cut tortillas in half. Line the bottom of the casserole dish with half the tortillas.

Grate the cheddar cheese. Place half the meat mixture over the tortillas and top with cheese. Repeat layers (tortilla, meat and cheese).

Cover with aluminum foil. Bake in oven for 15 minutes. Remove aluminum foil from top of casserole. Bake an additional 5 minutes to brown cheese.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Serves 4
Serving Size 354.2g
__________________________________________________

Calories - 356
Calories from Fat - 145
Total Fat - 16.1g
Saturated Fat - 6.2g
Cholesterol - 93mg
Sodium - 793mg
Total Carbohydrates - 25.9g
Dietary Fiber - 6.5g
Sugar - 6.2g
Protein - 32.3g
---
Vitamin A - 16%
Vitamin C - 47%
Calcium - 31%
Iron - 27%