Forget all the tortilla rolling, I’ve got a skinny twist that’s easy to assemble and really, really good. This casserole has many of the same ingredients of a classic enchilada casserole and some updated skinny ones too. For example, instead of adding a large amount of high fat cheese, I’m adding fat free cottage cheese to the layers and only topping with ½ cup of shredded reduced-fat cheese. The cottage cheese adds a rich, cheesy flavor. In addition, I’m using fat free sour cream and very lean ground beef.
The skinny for 1 serving, 285 calories, 4 grams of fat and 7Weight Watchers POINTS PLUS. One full fat serving has 429 calories and 24g fat. Best of all, this Mexican-style dish is loaded with flavor!
Prep Time: 25 minutes (includes browning the beef)
Bake Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients for Enchiladas:
8 ounces (½ of a 1-pound package) extra lean ground beef, I used Trader Joe’s 96/4, see healthy benefits
1 cup onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 (15-oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (4-oz) can Fire Roasted Diced Green Chiles, see shopping tip
1 cup fat free sour cream
½ cup fresh corn kernels (cut from 1 cob) or ½ cup frozen and thawed
¼ cup fat free cottage cheese
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
8 (6-inch) Mission yellow corn tortillas, extra thin, see shopping tip
1 (10-oz) can enchilada sauce, see shopping tip
Ingredients for Topping:
¾ cup tomatoes, chopped
⅓ cup scallions, sliced
½ cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9” square pan with cooking spray. Glass or metal pan is fine.
2. In a large nonstick pan, cook the beef, onions, garlic, chili powder and cumin over medium-high heat until onions are tender and beef is no longer pink. Stir often, breaking up the beef. Stir in black beans, undrained chile peppers and mix well. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. In a small bowl, stir together sour cream, corn, cottage cheese and garlic powder.
4. Place 4 tortillas, overlapping on the bottom of pan. Top with half the meat mixture, half the sour cream mixture and half the enchilada sauce. Reserve topping ingredients until baked. Repeat layers.
5. Cover casserole with foil. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until heated through. Remove from oven, sprinkle with tomatoes, scallions and cheese evenly over the top of the casserole. Bake uncovered for about 10 minutes, until cheese is melted.
6. Remove from oven and let sit for about 10 minutes to set. Cut into 6 servings. Remove servings with a spatula Note: It holds together even better if baked and refrigerated overnight. Just before serving, heat in a 350 degree oven or microwave until hot. Cut into 6 slices.
Makes 6 servings (each serving, 1 slice)
Food Fact
White or yellow corn tortillas are pretty interchangeable in most recipes. The main difference between the two is simply the color of the corn from which it is made. In terms of taste, yellow corn tortillas tend to be a little more earthy and rustic, while white tortillas are a little lighter and finely textured.
Healthy Benefit
Trader Joe’s extra lean ground beef is a terrific, healthy choice. It has 130 calories and 4 grams of fat for 4 ounces. If you can’t find beef this lean, be sure to drain the fat in a colander after browning it. This step will cut the fat way down.
One serving of this casserole has an amazing 9 grams of fiber!
Rinsing canned beans before adding to any dish cut the sodium way down.
Shopping Tips
You’ll find the can of diced Fire Roasted Diced Green Chiles in the Mexican foods aisle where salsa is sold. Trader Joe’s also sells it.
Mission (extra thin) yellow corn tortillas are sold in most supermarkets. They’re only 40 calories each compared to most tortillas at 60 calories. If you can’t find them just use the regular corn tortillas.
Enchilada sauce can be found in the Mexican foods aisle where salsa is sold. There are many types but I used Las Palmas Salsa Para Enchiladas, medium hot. It’s a red sauce.
Prep Tip
To make ahead, assemble casserole as directed except don’t add the topping ingredients. Cover casserole and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Before serving, preheat oven to 350. Remove plastic wrap, cover with foil and baked for 35-40 minutes, until heated through. Remove form oven, sprinkle with tomatoes, scallions and cheese. Bake uncovered for about 10 minutes until cheese is melted.
Storage Tip
This casserole will keep for a few days in the refrigerator and freezes great. To freeze, cut into individual servings and wrap each well, before freezing.
Weight Watchers (old points) 5
Weight Watchers POINTS PLUS 7
SKINNY FACTS: for 1 serving (1 slice)
285 calories, 4g fat, 24g protein, 42g carbs, 9g fiber, 295mg sodium, 5g sugar
FAT FACTS: for one serving
429 calories, 24g fat, 19g protein, 36g carbs, 6g fiber, 632mg sodium, 6g sugar
Find more delicious recipes on Nancy Fox’s website, Skinny Kitchen
Nancy Fox
Nancy Fox is no stranger to the food industry. She founded Mrs. Beasley's, a gift-basket company featuring baskets full of decadent baked goods. It became the "hot" gift to give among the Hollywood community. Nancy later opened 2 low fat restaurants called Nancy’s Healthy Kitchen. Her line of reduced-fat cookies were featured on "Oprah's Favorites" gift show. Continuing her passion for cooking and baking Nancy created a recipe website called Skinny Kitchen. Each week she shares skinny recipes, cooking and kitchen tips, food finds and the healthy benefits of many recipes. There’s also nutritional facts and Weight Watchers POINTS on each recipe.
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