Emily's Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 cup diced onion
2 celery stalks, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 green pepper, diced
3 cloves of garlic
1/3 cup salsa - you decide how hot
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cans chicken broth
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/8 tsp cayenne
1/3 cup fresh cilatro, chopped
4 TBSP flour
4 TBSP sour cream
2 cups cooked diced chiken

In a stockpot or dutch oven, sautee onion, peppers and celery in a bit of EVOO for 5 minutes or until softened.
Add the garlic and sautee for 1 minute.
Add salsa, tomatoes and one can of broth and stir all together.
In a measuring cup, whisk the flour into the remaining can of broth until smooth and then add to the pot.
Then add the cilantro, chili powder, cayenne and cumin. S
tir in the sour cream until smooth and then add the diced chicken.
Simmer until all veggies are tender, or at least a hour to let the flavors mix.
Serve in a bowl and top with shredded cheese, diced avocado and crushed tortilla chips

Emily's notes: I like to make this a day ahead, the flavor is better. For my chicken I buy the bone-in breast with skin. I put EVOO all over and lots of salt and pepper and roast at 350 for 40 minutes. I pull off the skin and then dice the breast meat. I freeze in 2 cup portions, great for soups and casseroles.

Manda's Taco Junk

1lb lean ground beef browned and drained

1/2 bag frozen corn
1 15oz can kidney, northern or pinto beans drained
1 envelope Hidden Valley Ranch dressing powder
1 envelope taco seasoning
10 oz can Rotel
16oz jar of salsa

Mix all ingredients in the crock and cook on high for 4 hours.
There is some sodium to this so I use the RS taco seasoning. I've also tried it with all the different beans, pinto are my favorite, they make it nice and thick.
I use it for a dip (for football watching lol) but have used it in tacos as well.

When I ran it through the pts calculator it was about $4 per half cup.

Seven Layer Taco Dip

Serves 16

On a large platter, layer:
1 can RF refried beans
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese mixed with 1 (16 oz) container sour cream and 1 pkg taco seasoning
2c RF shredded cheddar cheese
Top with:
16 oz salsa
1 head chopped lettuce
1 chopped green pepper
1 large chopped tomato
and 1 bunch chopped green onions
Garnish with black or green olives, if desired.

Cold Taco Salad

1lb hamburger
2 tomatoes
8oz Doritos/Fritos
1/2pkg onion soup mix
1/2 head lettuce, shredded
1 onion, raw - chopped
5tbs taco sauce
1/2c grated cheese
1 sm can tomato sauce

Brown hamburger and drain.
Add soup, taco sauce, and tomato sauce (some people use French dressing?) Sauce will be thick.
When meat is cool, add onion and lettuce.
Just before serving, toss with cheese and add crushed chips to the top.

Meghann's notes: I add taco seasoning to the meat when I make this, and use less onion or skip it.

Tex-Mex Black Bean Dip

1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained
1 tsp vegetable oil
1/3c. chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2c. diced tomato
1/3c. mild picante sauce
1/2tsp. ground cumin
1/2tsp. chili powder
1/4c. shredded RF monterray jack cheese
1/4c. chopped fresh cilantro
1tbs fresh lime juice

Mash beans.
Saute onions and garlic in oil.
Add beans, tomato, sauce and spices.
Cook 5 minutes OR until thick.
Remove from heat.
Add cheese, cilantro, and lime juice.
Serve warm or room temperature.

Chicken Taco Soup

3 FROZEN chicken breasts
1 envelope ranch dressing mix
1 envelope taco seasoning mix
1 medium onion, diced
1 can rotel tomatoes
1 can black beans ,
1 can cannelli (or any white) beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can vegetarian baked beans
1 can kernel corn

Put everything in crockpot in order listed.
Do NOT rinse or drain beans.
DO NOT STIR.
Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
Take chicken out and shred with two forks.
Put chicken back in, stir, and eat.

Meghann's notes: I often make this on the stove top also, and have used ground turkey or ground beef instead of the chicken. If making in the crock pot with ground beef or ground turkey, I brown first before putting in crock pot.

Cheaper: buy taco seasoning and ranch seasoning in large containers at Sam's Club. BSCB is also available there for much cheaper than even most grocery store sales. Some of the beans can be purchased dry and reconstituted.

Bubble Up Enchilada Casserole

1 pound lean ground beef

1 can enchilada sauce
1 small can tomato sauce
1 small can sliced black olives
1 can reduced fat refrigerator biscuits
Fat Free Cheddar Cheese, shredded

Heat oven to 350.
Brown ground beef, drain.
Mix in a can of enchilada sauce and a small can of tomato sauce.
Then add a small can of sliced black olives.
Cut up the refrigerated biscuits and stir them in.
Then you just dump it all in a greased casserole and bake until the biscuits are brown - 25 minutes.
Sprinkle with cheese, and bake an additional 10 minutes or until biscuits are done.

Let stand 5 minutes before serving.  6 sevings

Meghann's notes: I skip the olives and use whatever cheese I have on hand. Cut biscuits in quarters. I layer biscuits in bottom then pour other ingredients over the top, vs. mixing all together.

Lighter: sub ground turkey for ground beef.

Layered Mexican Chicken

1 spray olive oil cooking spray

2 1bs uncooked boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
30 ounces canned black beans, rinsed and drained
3 cups fat free sour cream
2 cups shredded reduced fat Mexican-style cheese, divided
8 ounce chopped green chilies, divided
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
12 med. corn tortillas cut into 2 inch strips
1 cup salsa, mild, medium or hot

Preheat oven to 350
Place chicken in med saucepan and fill with enough cold water just to cover chicken. Set pan over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to med. and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes, drain. When chicken is cool enough to handle, cut into 1 inch pieces
Transfer chicken to a large bowl and add beans, sour cream and 1 cup of shredded cheese,chillies, cumin and pepper; mix well, set aside
Arrange half of tortillas in bottom of prepared lasagna pan, overlapping pieces to cover surface. Top tortillas with half of chicken mixture, layer with remaining tortillas and then top with remaining chicken mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cup of cheese.
Bake until filling is bubbly and cheese is melted about 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing into 12 pieces. Serve with salsa on the side.

Chicken Enchiladas 2

2 1/2 serving(s) cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup(s) fat-free sour cream
1 cup(s) Pace picante sauce
2 tsp chili powder
1 pound(s) uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/2 cup(s) Weight Watchers Reduced-Fat Shredded Mexican Cheese
6 La Tortilla 6.5" Smart & Delicious Original Whole Wheat tortillas

Instructions
1. Boil chicken for approximately 20 minutes or until done, let cool, and then shred.
2. Stir the soup (1 can total - Campbell's Healthy Request or 98% fat free), sour cream, picante sauce, and chili powder in a medium bowl.
3. Stir 1 cup picante sauce mixture, chicken, and cheese in a large bowl.
4. Divide the chicken mixture among the tortillas. Roll up the tortillas and place them in an 11x9" shallow baking dish. Pour the remaining picante sauce mixture over the filled tortillas. Cover the baking dish.
5. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until the enchiladas are hot and bubbling. Top with lots of lettuce and tomato.

Chicken Enchiladas 1

2 item chicken breast, cooked, skinless

6 small corn tortilla
12 oz Old El Paso Green Chili Enchilada Sauce
12 oz canned tomatoes with green chilies
11 oz Campbell's 98% Fat-Free Cream Of Chicken Soup
4 oz Cabot Light Cheddar Cheese - 50% Reduced Fat

Heat oven to 350.
Cook chicken, chop and season with fajita seasoning.
Mix sauce, soup and tomatoes and put thin layer on bottom of pan, tear tortillas and lay on top of sauce, mix chicken with remaining sauce and lay on tortillas, top with cheese and in 350 oven for about 15 min. or until bubbles.

Mexican Lazagna

2 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 lb zucchini diced (about 3 c.)
2 1/2 tsp Cumin
1 can diced tomatoes with chilies
1can black beans, rinsed
1 can corn niblets, drained
1 can (10 0z) mild enchilada sauce
1/2 c. chopped Cilantro
5 (8 inc) whole-wheat flour tortillas
1 1/4 c shredded 2% cheddar
Garnish- R/F sour cream

1. Heat oven to 400F. Coat a 3-qt round baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-hig heat. Add onion and saute 5 mins. Add zucchini and cumin, and saute 5 mins. or until zucchini is a crips- tender. Stir in tomatoes, beans, corn and enchilada sauce and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.
3. Put 1 tortilla in baking dish. Top with 1 1/2 cups zucchini mixture. sprinkle with 1/4 c cheese. Repeat layers 4 times.
4. Cover with foil and bake 20 to 25 minutes until bubbly around edges and cheese is melted. Cool 5 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve with sour cream, if desired.

NI: 339 calories 17 g protein, 64 g car. 11 g fiber, 8 g fat (3.5 sat fat) 17 mg chol

Crock Pot Salsa Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup salsa
1 package reduced sodium taco seasoning
1 can reduced fat cream of mushroom soup (condensed)
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream

Add chicken to slow cooker.
Sprinkle taco seasoning over chicken.
Pour salsa and soup over chicken.
Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
Remove from heat and stir in sour cream.

Serving suggestion: serve with rice.

"Weight Watchers Famous" Taco Soup

1 pound extra lean ground beef

1 large onion, chopped
48 ounces canned pinto beans, drained
3 16-ounce cans corn, undrained
16 ounces canned tomatoes, undrained
16 ounces tomato sauce
1 ½ cups water
4 ½ ounces green chili pepper
1 envelope Hidden Valley Dip Mix **
1 Package of Taco Seasoning **

Brown beef and onion; drain.
Mix in other ingredients in a large pan.
Bring mixture to boil, reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes.

NOTES : Per 1c serving, 14 servings per batch: 215.5 cal, 6.7g fat, 6.1g fiber, 748mg, sodium, 3.65 WW points
Suggestions: use black beans or a mixture of black and pinto beans (black beans are higher in fiber and lower in carbs).

Lighter: sub meatless crumbles, ground turkey or chicken in place of ground beef. Cut sodium with ranch and taco seasoning recipes.

Cheaper: use dried, reconstituted beans instead of canned. **Use ranch and taco seasoning recipes instead of buying, or buy in bulk.

Taco Seasoning Mix

2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder.
 
Mix.

Meghann's Taco Chili

This is my own low carb variation of Taco Soup - I estimate 1 cup is 15g carb. Woot!


1 lb ground turkey
2 large cans diced tomatoes, do not drain
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 packet taco seasoning
1 packet dry ranch seasoning

Brown turkey. Add taco seasoning, tomatoes, corn, black beans, stir. Add ranch seasoning. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer approximately 1 hour.

Top with shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream. Serve with corn bread or taco chips on the side.

*Can also be done in crock pot - throw in pot in AM, cook on low 6-8 hours stirring as you can.

Gluten free: use recipes for ranch seasoning and taco seasoning to avoid allergens. Skip corn if need be. Serve with gluten free crackers for dipping.

KKB's Tex-Mex Rice and Bean Casserole

1 spray(s) cooking spray
1 cup(s) canned yellow corn, drained, or frozen, thawed corn kernels
1 Tbsp canned green chili peppers, chopped, mild or hot
15 oz canned pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup(s) cooked brown rice, fresh or day old
3/4 cup(s) shredded reduced-fat Mexican-style cheese
3/4 cup(s) fat-free sour cream
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp table salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp scallion(s), chopped (dark green part only)
2 Tbsp shredded reduced-fat Mexican-style cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a 2-quart glass baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine corn, chilies, beans, rice, 3/4 cup of cheese, sour cream, chili powder, salt and pepper; stir in scallions.

Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons of cheese. Return to oven and bake until cheese melts and casserole is slightly bubbly, about 10 minutes more.

Let stand for 5 minutes to firm up before slicing into 6 pieces. Yields 1 piece per serving.

Black Bean Burrito Bake

Half of the beans are finely chopped to give the filling a thick, creamy consistency. This dish can be made up to 8 hours in advance and chilled; just bring it back to room temperature before baking.


Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 burrito)

Ingredients

* 1 (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
* 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
* 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed, drained, and divided
* 1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
* 4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
* Cooking spray
* 1 cup bottled salsa
* 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Remove one chile from can. Chop chile. Reserve remaining adobo sauce and chiles for another use. Combine sour cream and chile in a medium bowl; let stand 10 minutes.

Place half of beans in a food processor; process until finely chopped. Add chopped beans, remaining beans, and corn to sour cream mixture.

Spoon 1/2 cup bean mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll up tortillas; place, seam side down, in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spread salsa over tortillas; sprinkle with cheese. Cover and bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 365 (29% from fat)
Fat: 11.7g (sat 5.8g,mono 2.8g,poly 0.8g)
Protein: 5.7g