I’ve been making this dish for many years, but I don’t really know what to call it. I like to think that I am a pretty creative person, but not today. So let’s just call this one Mexican Turkey Bake. Cuz, you know, it has mexican flavors, and turkey, and stuff… ANYWAY, I like it because you can just throw it all together pretty quickly and it’s a good protein-packed meal with the black beans and turkey and it will fill you up fast! The great thing about this recipe is that you can change up the ingredients really easily depending on your personal tastes. I used ground turkey, but you could also use ground meat or ground chicken. And because I am trying to stay away from heavy starches, I used quinoa, but you could totally use white or brown rice! And of course, I had to have a glass on Skinnygirl Margarita with it!

Mexican Turkey Bake

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

– 1 cup uncooked quinoa (or rice)

– 2 cups water

– 1/2 tsp. black pepper

– 1/2 tsp. sea salt

– 1 package taco seasoning

– 1 lb. ground turkey (or chicken or beef)

– 1/2 cup finely diced onion

– 2 tbs. extra virgin olive oil

– 2 cans seasoned black beans, drained and rinsed

– 2 cans diced tomatoes, drained

– 1 cup reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese

– Optional Toppings: sour cream, green onion, and cilantro

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan, cook quinoa or rice in 2 cups of water until liquid is absorbed. Add salt and pepper. Set aside. In a sauté pan, heat olive oil and add onions. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Add meat. Sprinkle with some salt and pepper and cook for 8 minutes. Prepare taco seasoning according to package instructions. Add to meat and cook until liquid is absorbed.

2. Add diced tomatoes, black beans, and meat to quinoa and mix. Add mixture to a 9 x 13 baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese, cover with foil and bake for 10 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 5 minutes until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and scoop into bowls. Top with toppings of your choice and serve!

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