I live in good ol’ south Texas where food portions are large and in charge, and Tex-Mex is the food of our people. That said, I will be the first to admit that many of my recipes are not for the faint of heart– I use butter, shortening, cheese, etc. and all of those kinds of things that are yummy but also generous in calories. 🙂 I think that is just common, dare I say necessary, in Southern food.
That said, this is one of those Tex-Mex meals that can easily be modified to trim down said calories. Best of all, it is one of those quick and thrifty meals that I can easily whip up within 20 minutes or less…and yes, my bug loves it so I’m going to say that it is kid-approved!
Ingredients:
(Yields 2 Servings)
- 1 cup of cooked Rice (feel free to substitute with Brown Rice or Quinoa)
- 1/2 pound of Ground Turkey (feel free to substitute with Ground Chicken or Beef if preferred, or omit altogether and substitute with veggie crumbles for a vegetarian/vegan alternative)
- 1 cup of canned Black Beans (feel free to substitute with Pinto or Re-fried if preferred)
- 1 cup of canned Corn
- 1/2 cup of Salsa (Red or Green is fine, but I typically use Green Salsa because it is my favorite)
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- Optional Toppings:
- Sliced Avocado or Guacamole
- Shredded Cheese
- Sour Cream
- Tortilla Chips
- Pickled Jalapenos
Instructions:
- Begin cooking Rice according to package instructions.
- On a separate burner, saute Ground Turkey in a skillet over medium-high heat until fully cooked. Season with Salt & Pepper and set aside.
- Heat Beans and Corn in separate containers according to package instructions (I normally just toss them into the microwave to heat them up).
- When all ingredients are fully cooked/heated, begin assembly of bowls– beginning with 1/2 cup of rice for the bottom layer, followed by a layer of 1/2 cup of Beans, 1/2 cup of Corn, and 1/4 pound (1/2 cup) of Ground Turkey on top.
- Top with 1/4 cup of Salsa.
- Stop here and enjoy, OR join the Dark Side and top with additional ingredients as desired 😀
As pictured above, I’ve topped my bowl with Tortilla Chips, Avocado, Shredded Cheese, and a dollop of Sour Cream. I also may or may not have added some extra Green Salsa after the picture was taken. 😀 What can I say? I love spicy food!
Aside from the fact that this dish tastes yummy, I love this dish because it is so versatile– I’ve made at least a dozen different variations of this dish using a variety of ingredients (including leftover ingredients) that I’ve had on hand, and each time it comes out just a satisfying as the last.
Until next time– I’d love to hear from you! What variations would you recommend?
