Taco Pie

Written by on in Dinner, Uncategorized

It’s Taco Tuesday! A perfect time to trick your kids into eating their vegetables. This recipe combines ground turkey (or chicken) with grated zucchini to hide a whole serving of vegetables into a cheesy recipe.

Taco Pie
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Taco Pie

Recipe by The Cooking LawyerCourse: Dinner, Make ahead mealCuisine: Mexican, American, Tex-MexDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

30

minutes
Cooking time

1

hour 

Ingredients

  • 1.5 pounds of ground turkey or chicken (or any ground meat)

  • 1 onion, chopped

  • 1 bell pepper, chopped

  • 2 zucchini, grated

  • 1 TBS Fajita or Mexican seasonings (see note)

  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper

  • Salt and pepper

  • 1 can fat-free refried beans

  • 1 cup fat-free cheddar cheese, grated

  • Cilantro, chopped

  • 2 scallions, chopped

  • Nonstick cooking spray

Directions

  • Make ahead portion
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Saute chopped onion and bell pepper for 5 minutes until softened. Set aside to cool.
  • Grate zucchini. Season with some salt.
  • Place the grated zucchini in some cheese cloth. (See note if you do not have cheese cloth). Wrap the zucchini and place in a colander to let excess liquid drain.
  • Meanwhile, mix the ground meat with the seasonings and onion and bell pepper.
  • Squeeze out any extra liquid from the zucchini.
  • Mix the zucchini into the meat mixture.
  • Add to your casserole dish or pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
  • Depending on the fat content of the meat you used, drain any excess liquid before refrigerating your caserole, and/or moving on to the refried bean step.
  • Day of Preparation
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Add can of fat-free refried beans in a layer on top of the meat mixture.
  • Sprinkle cheese on top.
  • Add foil. Bake for 25 minutes.
  • Remove foil and continue baking for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
  • Garnish with cilantro and scallions.

Notes

  • Cheese cloth is a helpful tool to remove excess moisture. If you do not have it, line a collander with paper towles and then put the zucchini in the collander. Allow to drain for a few minutes.
  • McCormicks makes a great Mexican seasoning blend. Badia also has a tasty Fajita seasoning blend. To make your own, just mix 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp corriander, 1/2 tsp paprika, and 1/4 tsp oregano.
  • I usually use 98-99% fat-free ground chicken or turkey. However, you can make this recipe with any ground meat that you like.
  • This is a great meal for working moms. I usually make the meat part the night before, or the Sunday before. Then the night of, I can assemble in 5 minutes and let it bake while we do homework with the kids.