taco

taco lasagna image

Taco Lasagna

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We ranch in Utah, so as you might imagine, we’re all about the beef. I’m always looking for creative ways to put ground beef to use. And let’s face it – for any of us, it’s easy to get stuck in a rut when it comes to dinner ideas. This twist on a classic is the perfect remedy. Huge hit at our table full of boys! ~Kathy

Ingredients: 

1 lb. hamburger

½ c. onion, chopped fine 

1 pkg. taco seasoning

8 oz. tomato sauce

¼ tsp. cumin

¼ tsp. garlic powder

4 oz. diced green chilies (I use mild)

1 can (15 oz.) refried beans

1 c. your favorite salsa

1/3 c. Mexican table cream (or substitute heavy cream)

2 c. Colby jack cheese, shredded

12 oz. lasagna noodles

Non-stick cooking spray 

Instructions: 

In a large skillet, cook together hamburger and chopped onion. Drain grease. Return to skillet.

Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions and set aside. Spray 9×13” deep pan with non-stick spray and set aside. Preheat oven to 350˚F. 

Sprinkle taco seasoning over ground beef, add tomato sauce, cumin, garlic powder, green chilies and refried beans over medium low heat.  Stir together to combine and heat through.

Start assembling lasagna by adding about 1/3 c. of ground beef mixture into bottom of pan. Add 3 or 4 noodles to begin first layer.  Divide meat mixture into thirds, using part for each layer.   Add meat mixture on top of noodles, spreading into an even layer. Top with 1/3 of salsa, table cream and shredded cheese, drizzling evenly over the layer. Continue with two additional layers, ending with salsa, table cream and shredded cheese. 

Cover with foil (sprayed with non-stick spray if it’s touching cheese layer).  Bake for 25 – 30 minutes covered, then an additional 10 – 15 minutes uncovered, until bubbly and heated through.

Taco Poblanos

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After a long day with Zoom meetings sprinkled throughout for everybody (which is, I’ll go ahead ahead and tell you as a 100% biased mama, super cute for Kindergarten) the last thing I want to do is cook a complicated meal.  Is “Zoom fatigue” an official thing yet?  Just me?

Anyway, who doesn’t love all forms of tacos?  Whether you’re reducing carbs, going full Keto, or you’re like me and just love peppers, this really easy taco recipe is just what your taco repertoire needs. ~Robin

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A poblano is a really large, slightly sweet pepper, especially once it’s roasted so you’re not going to get a ton of heat, but they can still have a little heat once roasted.  It’s a good idea to use gloves when you’re handling them raw.  In this case, since the meat will be cooked and you’ll just be heating everything together, you’re going to roast the peppers first.

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • 4 poblano peppers
  • 1 lb. lean ground beef (97% fat free)
  • 1 packet of your favorite taco seasoning
  • 1.5 avocados
  • 3 oz. low fat Colby Jack or Mexi-blend cheese (I prefer Colby Jack because its flavor is a little bolder)
  • Pam cooking spray

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  2. Wash and cut the peppers in half length-wise so you have two pretty equal halves.  Remove the stem from whichever side it ends up on.
  3. Place the halves open side down in an oven-safe skillet, spraying the top of the peppers with cooking spray well.
  4. Cook for 15 – 20 minutes or until the skin of the peppers begins to blister quite a bit.
  5. Remove skillet from the oven carefully and set aside.
  6. On medium heat in a separate skillet, cook your beef, seasoning with taco seasoning using instructions on the seasoning packet.
  7. Flip the peppers over in the oven-safe skillet so they’re open on top.  The spoon in about 1/8 of the beef into each pepper half.  They may flatten a little but they’ll still hold the contents.
  8. Wash, then cut your avocado in half, lengthwise.  Remove the pit.  Then cube in about ½” sized cubes.
  9. Sprinkle the avocado chunks across the tacos fairly evenly.
  10. Finally, sprinkle with your cheese evenly and return to the oven.
  11. You’re just going to roast these again until they’re heated through well and the cheese is nice and melted – around 8-10 minutes but keep an eye on them.
  12. Serve with your favorite salsa.

WW info:  Makes 8 poblano tacos – On Green, Blue, or Purple:  1 taco = 3 points; 2 = 7 points; 3 = 10 points.

 

Super Simple Chicken Taco Soup

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How many times in my life, after a very indulgent food weekend, have I said the words, “I’m going to have eat nothing but baked chicken and broccoli all next week!”?  I’m sure that those who know me roll their eyes as they laugh, because it’s no secret that I am not a fan of self-deprivation. This girl gotta eat!  In fact, I often find that when I try to deprive myself of food that makes me feel satisfied, I end up eating more in the long run.  Just about the only thing that helps me get myself back on track after a few days of eating “all the things” is doing some serious food-prep leg work.  

If you’ve been following around here for long, you know that I am a big fan of soups and stews.  I’m one of those people who can eat a bowl of soup or chili in the middle of an August afternoon.  Soups and stews are super easy to make and can easily fit into my food planning and pre-prepping rotations.  They are also great to help me feel full without going full-tilt down a crazy eating path. This Super Simple Chicken Taco Soup is one of my favorite make ahead meals.  It’s my go-to lunch this week and is saving me after a weekend of eating out.  ~ Tracy 

SuperSimpleChickenTacoSoup

Ingredients:

4 medium sized chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1 can black beans, drained (15.5 oz.)

1 can pinto beans, drained (15.5 oz.)

1 can tomato sauce (8 oz.)

1 can diced tomatoes and green chiles, such as Ro-Tel

1 c. frozen corn

½ c. finely chopped yellow onion

½ c. finely chopped red bell pepper

1 c. water

2 T. taco seasoning

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. chili powder

Add all ingredients together in a large stock pot or soup pan.  Bring to a low boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer on low heat for approximately 30 minutes.

Serve topped with your favorite shredded cheese or sour cream.

This soup makes approximately 7 cups and is zero points/cup on the WW Freestyle/Blue plan.

 

 

Taco Pasta Salad

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I don’t know about you, but I feel like my family eats a ton of spaghetti and lots of tacos, mostly because they are family friendly, tasty, quick and economical. Personally, I get bored with the same-old, same-old for dinner so I try to mix it up when I can. This dish marries two of our favorites together — tacos and pasta! This would be a great “meatless Monday” dinner or as a side dish. We love it served with grilled chicken as our main course too. One of my boys says we should call it “Paco Salad,” mashing “pasta” and “taco” together.   Whatever you want to call it, it’s delish! ~Kathy

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. orecchiette (ear shaped) or medium shell pasta
  • 1 can (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 c frozen corn, thawed and drained
  • ½ c. (loosely packed) cilantro
  • 1 c. cherry or grape tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • ¼ c. red onion, finely diced
  • 1 jar (15.5 oz) salsa (roughly 1 2/3 c) – I used Tostitos Restaurant Style
  • ¼ c. olive oil
  • 3 T. lime juice
  • 3 T. taco seasoning, dry
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 Hass avocado, ripe but slightly firm, diced
  • 2/3 c. cheddar cheese, diced to about 1/4” cubes (a good ww friendly option is Cabot sharp light cheddar 50% reduced fat)*

Instructions: 

  1. Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions.  Drain, rinse in cool water and set aside to cool. 
  2. In a large bowl, add the pasta, beans, corn, cilantro, onion, tomatoes and salsa.  Mix gently together. 
  3. In a small bowl whisk olive oil, lime juice, garlic and taco seasoning.  Mix well.  Pour over pasta and mix to coat. 
  4. Gently fold in cheese and avocado just before serving. 

WW Freestyle Info.:  Makes 12 one-cup servings at 7 points each.  You could  also add grilled chicken breast for zero ww points if desired! 

Creamy Chicken Taco Chili

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Every New Year’s Eve on Facebook (for the past several years), I have posted, “Tell me something good that happened this year.”  If you listen to The Bobby Bones radio show, the phrase “tell me something good” may ring a bell.  It’s a segment on his show every morning where the cast reads positive news headlines.  It’s my favorite part of his show.  I mean, who doesn’t love to hear about the GOOD things people are doing in this world?!  There is enough negativity and bad news out there.  It’s nice to focus on the good for a change.  My yearly Facebook post is a knockoff from Bobby’s Tell Me Something Good segment… a chance for me to hear some positive news from my friends and share some positive news of my own.  A perfect way to end one year and move into the next.  If more people focused on the positive things in their lives instead of harping on the bad stuff, this world would be a much more pleasant place, don’t you agree?

This year, I was able to share several good things that happened for me in 2018 (I could have named a bunch but I focused on the highlights):  1.  I became a WW (formerly Weight Watchers) Wellness Guide (a.k.a. meeting receptionist – I’m still not used to the new titles).  I’ve been a lifetime member for YEARS and decided it was time to take a more active roll.  2.  I went back to teaching!  I was a kindergarten teacher for 6 years but I quit teaching and went into a different field when my daughter was a year old (long story) so I’ve been out of public ed for over 10 years.  I’m back and glad to be working with kids again, plus it’s awesome to be back on the same schedule as my own kids.  3.  We more than doubled our blog traffic on Four Sisters Dish in 2018 as compared to our first year, 2017.  That’s amazing!  We have YOU to thank for it.  We want to thank you all for reading, subscribing, commenting, sharing, and most importantly COOKING our recipes!  We love when people make our food and tell us how they like them.  Please continue to do so… we love hearing from our readers and we hope to have more interaction with you 2019!

Tell us something good in the comments!  What was something good that happened for you in 2018?  We hope your 2018 was as great as ours and we at Four Sisters Dish wish you a happy, healthy and delicious 2019!

Speaking of delicious, let’s start the year off with this Creamy Chicken Taco Chili.  This can be made in your crockpot or your electric pressure cooker.  I’ve included instructions for both.  This chili is creamy and rich but it’s guaranteed not to sabotage your healthy diet resolutions.  Enjoy it without guilt!  ~Erin

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Ingredients: 

  • 2 ½ lb. boneless, skinless chicken individually frozen chicken breasts*
  • 2 cans (10 ¾ oz. each) Campbell’s Healthy Request cheddar cheese soup
  • 1 (16 oz.) can fat-free refried beans
  • 1 (16 oz.) jar mild taco sauce (I used Taco Bell brand.)
  • 1 (16 oz.) can fat-free chicken broth
  • 1 (15 oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained
  • 1 (10 oz.) can mild Ro-Tel tomatoes and green chilis, undrained
  • 1 T. chili powder
  • 1 tsp. paprika
  • 1 tsp. onion powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • ¼ tsp. black pepper
  • ½ tsp. oregano
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 2 cans (15 oz. each) black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (8 oz.) package fat-free cream cheese

Slow Cooker Instructions:

In the pot of a slow-cooker, whisk together cheddar cheese soup, refried beans, taco sauce, chicken broth, corn, Ro-Tel, and spices.  Nestle the frozen chicken breasts into the mixture.  *You can use thawed chicken breast, just be aware that it will cook much faster.

Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.  In the last 30 minutes of cooking, remove the chicken from the pot and shred it; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together some of the hot liquid from the crock pot with the cream cheese, until smooth.  Pour the cream cheese mixture into the pot, stir in the black beans, and return the shredded chicken to the pot. Continue cooking for 20-30 minutes of cook time.

Serve with shredded cheese, avocado, jalapenos, and corn chips, if desired.

Electric Pressure Cooker Instructions:

In the pot of an electric pressure cooker, whisk together cheddar cheese soup, refried beans, taco sauce, chicken broth, corn, Ro-Tel, and spices.  Nestle the frozen chicken breasts into the mixture.

*You can use thawed chicken breast, just be aware that it will cook much faster.  See your pressure cooker owner’s manual for time adjustments for thawed chicken breasts.

Set the electric pressure cooker for 45 minutes.  Quick release pressure and open the pot when all pressure is released.  Remove the chicken from the pot and shred it; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together some of the hot liquid from the pressure cooker with the cream cheese, until smooth.  Pour the cream cheese mixture into the pot, stir in the black beans, and return the shredded chicken to the pot.  Using the saute setting, simmer for about 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until beans are warmed through.  Watch it closely so the cream cheese doesn’t scorch.

Serve with shredded cheese, avocado, jalapenos, and corn chips, if desired.

WW Freestyle Info: This soup makes approximately 16 cups.  Each cup is 2 points, not counting optional garnishes.

Chicken Nacho Mac & Cheese

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I had this brainstorm at like midnight one night. Because that’s when you have your best recipe ideas…at midnight when the fridge starts calling your name. For the record, I didn’t get up and make this in the middle of the night, but I did grab my phone and add it to my notes for “recipe ideas.” Here’s how my thought process went: ‘What if two of my favorite foods, pasta & nachos, got married and had a baby? What would that be like???!!’ The answer is: AMAZING! I hopped on Pinterest to see if this already exists. Nope! Not that I could find. This is a one-of-a-kind original, people, and it’s everything I imagined. ~Erin

Ingredients:
  • 12 ounces rotini pasta
  • 2 (10 oz. each) cans Mild Ro-tel tomatoes & green chilis, drained
  • 1 (10 oz.) can Campbell’s Healthy Request cheddar soup, undiluted
  • 1 c. Tostitos Salsa Con Queso (found I the chip isle)
  • ¼ c. whole milk
  • 1 ½ tsp. seasoned salt (I used Lawry’s)
  • 1 c. 2% shredded Mexican cheese
  • 2 – 4 T. chopped pickled jalapenos
  • Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (one per person)
  • 1 tsp. of low sodium taco seasoning per chicken breast
  • Nonstick cooking spray

Instructions:

  1. Cook pasta, in salted water, according to instructions, until al dente.
  2. Meanwhile, coat each side of the chicken breasts with ½ tsp. of taco seasoning (1 tsp. per breast) and grill (or cook in a nonstick skillet with cooking spray) until cooked through; set aside.
  3. Drain pasta and immediately add Ro-tel, canned cheddar soup, Tostitos Salsa Con Queso, milk, seasoned salt, and shredded Mexican cheese; stir over low heat until melted and well combined.
  4. Stir in jalapenos to taste. (I used 4 T. and it was pretty spicy – if you are sensitive to heat, leave them out completely.)
  5. Plate your desired serving size of nacho mac & cheese; slice one chicken breast per person and serve on top of the mac & cheese!

WW Freestyle Info.: This mac & cheese recipe makes 12 servings of 5 ounces (about ¾ cup) each.  One serving is 6 points.  Two servings (about 1 ½ cups) comes to 11 points.

Taco Slaw Bowls

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Posted by Erin

Did you try our most popular recipe, Egg Roll in a Bowl? This Mexican version was inspired by that dish, and you will love it!

I’m one busy woman, as pretty much all moms (and dads!) are. We are always rushing to get kids to their extra-curricular activities, get homework done, etc. so I try to come up with recipes that don’t require a lot of time-consuming chopping and prep-work. This one fits the bill. 

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Another bonus to this recipe, for those of us with picky kids, is that it somewhat disguises the veggies. I don’t know about your kids, but mine won’t eat raw shredded lettuce and chopped tomato on a taco. They will, however, eat the tomatoes & shredded cabbage cooked with this taco meat. The flavors blend so well, they don’t even detect the veggies. I serve theirs in a taco shell, topped with cheese, but I like mine over rice. Either way, it’s delicious!  

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. 93% lean ground beef
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 (1 oz.) packet low sodium taco seasoning
  • 1 (1 oz.) packet ranch dip mix, dry
  • 1 (14 oz.) bag classic slaw/chopped cabbage with carrots
  • 1 (10 oz.) can mild Ro-tel, undrained
  • 1 T. extra virgin olive oil
  • Juice of 1 lime, plus more for serving
  • 1 tsp. each:  chili powder, cumin, paprika
  • ½ a bunch of cilantro, chopped
  • Chopped green onion for garnish
  • Other optional garnishes & serving ideas:  rice, taco shells, shredded cheese, sliced avocado, salsa

Instructions:

Brown the beef in a large skillet with the diced onions, garlic, taco seasoning, and ranch seasoning; set aside onto a paper towel-covered plate to remove any residual oil from beef.  

Heat olive oil in the skillet over medium heat; add the slaw, Ro-tel, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, and paprika.  

Stir and cook until cabbage is wilted and tender.  

Add the beef mixture back to the skillet; stir and heat through.  

Serve over rice with lime wedges, chopped green onions, etc.

WW Freestyle Info.:  This makes 5 servings of about 1 cup each; 6 points per serving (not including rice or optional garnishes).