In the mood for a taco night? Skip the hassle of assembling all the tacos and try this super easy and delicious twist on the traditional taco! It's loaded and layered with every single taco topping out there, but made a bit more healthyish of course! It's fresh, light, and will without a doubt leave you feeling completely satisfied...making it the perfect meal for the family or even a party. I seriously can't get enough of this bake, it's now a new staple in my home.
First, preheat the oven to 375 F.
Charr 2 small organic corn on the cobbs, then let cool and set aside.
While the oven is heating up, start prepping the produce. Wash and dry the tomatoes, scallions, bell pepper, and cilantro. Begin chopping, mincing, and slicing. You will need to chop 1/2 of a small organic red onion, dice 1 organic yellow or orange bell pepper, halve 1/3 cup of organic cherry tomatoes, thinly slice 3 organic scallions, cut the charred corn off of the cobbs, and roughly chop 1 bunch of organic cilantro. Set aside.
In a large non-stick saute pan, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add in 1 large organic garlic clove, minced. Stir until the garlic starts to turn golden brown, then add in 1 lb of ground chicken. Break the ground chicken up and season with 1 tsp of paprika, 1 tsp of cumin, 1/2 tsp of chili powder, a dash of cayenne, 1/2 tsp of freshly ground black pepper, and 1/4 tsp of salt. Mix together until well combined.
Add in 1 cup of water, 4 oz. can of Ortega chilis, and 1/4 cup of salsa verde salsa (I really like the one from Trader Joe's). Stir and bring the mixture to a low boil, then remove from heat when the mixture becomes a bit thicker.
In a large oven-safe casserole dish, add a layer of organic blue corn tortilla chips. Put the desired amount in, but make sure to cover the entire bottom of the baking dish.
Next, scatter on, in layers, the charred corn, diced bell pepper, halved cherry tomatoes, chopped red onion, black beans, 1/2 of the thinly sliced scallions, and 1/2 of the roughly chopped cilantro. Then, top with the rest of the shredded cheese.
Place the dish in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until it is completely hot throughout. The cheese should also be fully melted!
Make sure to watch it carefully, you don't want it to burn.
Remove from the oven and allow it to cool for 5-10 minutes. Garnish with the other 1/2 of the cilantro and scallions. Add fresh avocado and greek yogurt if you would like as well.
Serve immediately!
Hope you enjoy it!! Let me know if you have any questions!! XO
Healthyish Taco Bake
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 lb of organic ground chicken
- 1 12 oz. bag of organic blue corn tortilla chips (you won’t use the whole bag)
- 1/2 small organic red onion, chopped
- 1 large organic garlic clove, minced
- 1 organic yellow/orange bell pepper, diced
- 1/4 cup of organic ripe cherry tomatoes, halved
- 3 organic scallions (green onions), thinly sliced
- 1 bunch of organic cilantro, roughly chopped
- 2 small organic corn on the cobb, charred and cut off the cobb
- 4 oz. can of Ortega chilis
- 1/2 can of black beans (no sodium added)
- 3/4 cups of Mexican blend shredded cheese
- 1/4 cup of Salsa Verde salsa
- 2 tbsp of olive oil
- 1 cup of water
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- Dash of cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp of salt
- organic whole milk greek yogurt (optional for topping)
- organic avocado, cubed (optional for topping)
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Heat the olive oil n a large non-stick saute pan over medium heat. Add in the minced garlic and cook until it begins to turn golden brown, then add in the ground chicken. Season with the cumin, paprika, chili powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper, then stir until well combined. Pour in the water, Ortega chilis, and salsa verde, stir, then bring to a low boil. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Add a layer of blue corn tortilla chips on the bottom of an oven-safe casserole dish. Layer the ground chicken mixture over the chips and top with a layer of shredded cheese.
4. Scatter on, in layers, the charred corn, diced bell pepper, halved cherry tomatoes, chopped red onion, black beans, 1/2 of the thinly sliced scallions, and 1/2 of the roughly chopped cilantro. Then, top with the rest of the shredded cheese.
5. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the taco bake is hot throughout and cheese has fully melted. Watch carefully.
6. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes. Garnish with the other 1/2 of cilantro and scallions, fresh avocado, and a dollop of Greek yogurt (optional), then serve immediately.
Enjoy!!!