Makeover Taco Soup

Yield: 7 cups

1 lb. lean ground turkey
1/2 medium red onion, diced
8 oz. no-salt added-tomato sauce
1 (14 1/2 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (15 1/2 oz) can no-salt-added or low-sodium whole kernel corn, undrained
1 (15 1/2 oz) can no-salt-added or low-sodium kidney beans, undrained
3 1/2 Tbs. Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix
1-2 cups water

Garnishes:
Shredded cheese
Fritos
Light or fat free sour cream OR plain, fat-free Greek yogurt

Brown turkey and onion; drain.  Add tomato sauce, tomatoes, corn, beans, taco seasoning, and water.  Cover and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Nutrition Facts:
1 cup (no garnishes) = 225 calories, 5.32 g fat (1.2 g saturated fat), 37 mg cholesterol, 304 mg sodium, 25.2 g carbohydrates, 7.3 g dietary fiber, 9 g sugar, 19 g protein

Notes:
- The nutrition facts listed use no-salt-added corn and reduced sodium kidney beans.  Amounts will actually vary by brand.

Chicken Fajita Salad Wraps

From the Betty Crocker 2010 calendar.

Prep: 30 min / Cook: 0 min
Yield: 8 wraps

These were super easy and quite delicious!  Perfect for a hot summer night when you don't feel like cooking--or any other night, for that matter.

Chipotle-Lime Dressing
1/2 cup Ranch dressing
1/2 Tbs. finely chopped chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
2 Tbs. chopped cilantro
Juice and zest from 1 lime

Wraps
3 cups chopped cold deli rotisserie chicken (from 2-2 1/2 lb chicken)
2 cups thinly sliced romaine lettuce
1 (11 oz) can southwestern style corn
1 small tomato, seeded and chopped
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Flour tortillas
Salsa, if desired
Sour cream, if desired

In a small bowl, mix the dressing ingredients; set aside.

In a large bowl, stir together chicken, lettuce, corn, and tomato.  Add dressing and toss to coat.

To assemble each wrap, spoon 1/8 of chicken mixture down center of each tortilla; top with cheese, salsa, and sour cream.  Roll up.

Notes:
- This is my modified version of the recipe; click the link under the title if you want the original.
- I used chicken from the Baked Slow Cooker Chicken recipe instead of buying a rotisserie chicken.
- Because we didn't plan to eat all 8 servings in one sitting, we decided to mix the dressing into the filling  as we ate it.  This kept it from getting all soggy.
- We ate this in freshly cooked Tortilla Land Uncooked Flour Tortillas, which we bought at Costco.  So delicious.  Regular tortillas will never be the same.
- Meatless Version: Replace chicken with black beans, kidney beans, or pinto peans.

Black Bean Chicken with Rice

From Healthy Cooking (Feb./March 2010), page 58.

Prep/Total: 25-30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

3 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 oz. each)
2 tsp. canola oil
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen corn or 1/2 can corn
1 cup salsa
2 cups cooked brown rice

Combine the chili powder, cumin, pepper, and salt; rub over chicken.  In a large nonstick skillet, brown chicken in oil on both sides.  Stir in the beans, corn, and salsa.  Cover and cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 170F.

Slice chicken; serve with rice and bean mixture.

Notes:
- I'm not sure you really need to measure the rice unless you're really trying to get the nutrition facts exact.
- This came from an issue of Healthy Cooking, so it included the nutrition facts.

Nutrition Facts:
1 chicken breast half with 3/4 cup bean mixture and 1/2 cup rice = 400 calories, 7 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 63 mg cholesterol, 670 mg sodium, 52 g carbohydrate, 8 g fiber, 32 g protein

Taco Soup

From Mom Larsen.

Serves: 4-6

1 lb. hamburger, browned and drained
1 onion, chopped and browned with hamburger
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
1 14½-oz. can cut-up tomatoes, undrained (Mexican style is best)
1 15½-oz. can whole-kernel corn, undrained
1 15½-oz. can kidney beans, undrained
1 package taco seasoning (try using Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix)

Garnishes:
Shredded cheese, Fritos, sour cream or fat-free Greek yogurt

Put first 7 ingredients into a large saucepan and simmer for 20 minutes. You will probably want to add 1-2 cups of water for a mores soupy consistency. To serve, put soup in individual serving bowls and sprinkle with cheese and Fritos. Add a dab of sour cream.

Notes
- We recently used fire-roasted diced tomatoes (I think the brand was Dole).  So delicious!  The tomatoes were softer and added a sweeter flavor to the soup.
- Next time we make this, we're going to try it with black beans instead of kidney beans.

Cheesy Chicken Casserole

From Mom Larsen.

Serves 6.

2/3 cup Miracle Whip or mayonnaise
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese (reserve ½ cup)
1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 1/2 cup (4 oz.) rotini pasta (cook and drain)
2 cups mixed frozen vegetables
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp. dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients except 1/2 cup reserved cheese. Spoon into a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with reserved cheese. Bake at 350˚F for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Notes:
- This is one of those recipes that I kind of just estimate.  Do you like more chicken?  Add some more.  Do you have extra vegetables that you really don't want to stick back in the freezer?  Use them all!  Want to finish up the ends of a couple different bags of pasta?  No problem!  Just make sure you've got enough sauce.  Oh, and I always like a little extra cheese.
- To make meatless, omit chicken and increase the amount vegetables.

Chicken Ole

From Quick Cooking (July/August 1999), page 49.

Yield: 4 servings.

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into ½ inch cubes
1 Tbs. canola oil
1 can (15 ¼ ounce) whole kernel corn, drained
1 can (15 ounce) tomato sauce
1 can (4 ounce) chopped green chilies
1 ½ tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. onion powder (may use dehydrated onion instead)
Tortilla chips or hot cooked rice
Shredded cheddar cheese

In a large skillet, cook chicken in oil for 5-6 minutes or until no longer pink. Add corn, tomato sauce, chilies, chili powder, and onion powder; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve over tortilla chips or rice and sprinkle with cheese.

Notes:
- Make it Healthier: Use no-salt-added or reduced sodium vegetables.  Use reduced fat cheese.

Nutrition Facts:
1 serving (without rice, chips, or cheese) = 274 calories, 7 g fat (0 g saturated fat), 63 mg cholesterol, 1024 mg sodium, 28 g carbohydrate, 0 g fiber, 27 g protein.