Slow Cooker Taco Casserole Recipe

Happy Hump Day all!  Today has been a pretty fantastic day.  I continued working towards my September Goals and LOST ANOTHER 2.2 lbs.  As TJ would say ~ it’s ok to call me a “LOSER” :D  Total Month to Date ~ 8.4 lbs!

Breakfast was just that ~ FAST!  1 cup Trader Joe’s 0% Greek Yogurt with Super Nutty Granola & Agave (5 pts)

Bell Pepper Crunchies (0 pts)

Break-FAST of champions on the go!

Mid morning snackage ~ A super cool looking Organic Fuji Apple & String Cheese (2 pts)

Last night I KNEW I wanted to have Flat Out Amazing Pizza again so I whipped up lunch while dinner cooked.

Deliciously simple salad with Heirloom Tomatoes, Parmesan & Mixed Greens (0 pts)

Flat Out Amazing Turkey Pepperoni Pizza (5 pts)

All packed up an ready to go with Newman’s Light Lime Vinaigrette (I used 1/2 of it for 1 pt)

Before I jump into dinner (which was AMAZING), I just have to give you all a little disclaimer.  I am completely OBESSED with these Trader Joe’s Soy & Flaxseed Tortilla Chips.

I mean, if you are going to eat chips, you might as well have them as “chips with benefits” 😀

Stat-wise, they are pretty good (2 pts), but, 7 chips really IS enough.

Simple ingredient list you can recognize <3!

I really bought these chips so I could use them to dip in the AWESOME Wholly Salsa I received from the Wholly Guacamole peeps.

I LOVE this medium salsa because it’s ACTUALLY HOT, the kind of HOT that sticks with you as all the flavors touch your taste buds….it rocks!

When they say natural, they definitely mean with ingredients just like you’d make it in your kitchen. 

Phew ~ Now that I’ve completely justified why I NEEDED to have more of their chips, we can move on to how dinner tonight came about.  😉

As you all know, I have an ever so slight recipe addiction.  In addition to my cookbooks, magazines and browsing recipes online, I get a few Daily Recipe newsletters.  I saw the words SLOW COOKER TACO CASSEROLE in a Recipe Lion Newsletter and it totally reminded me of my mom.

Taco Casserole totally reminds me of what my MOM used to make us as kids that I LOVED.  She would layer taco meat that had beans with cheese, nacho cheese tortilla chips and corn in several layers and bake it.  It really is as AMAZING as it sounds.

As much as I’d LOVE to have the real deal, I figured, why not put a healthy spin on it and throw it in the crockpot.  Now, I hadn’t gone to the grocery store at all so I made due with what I had on hand.

Ready to see my RANDOM SLOW COOKER TACO CASSEROLE???

I started out whipping up a “Turkey Taco Meat”.

In the mix ~ it seems like a lot but really I just dumped it all in a pan.:

Brown:

1.25 lbs Lean Ground Turkey

2 cloves Garlic

1 of my funky new bell peppers, chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 summer squash, quartered and diced

Then stir in:

1 15 oz can Organic Diced Tomatoes

1 7 oz can El Pato Mexican Style Tomato Sauce

2 Tsp Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime Seasoning

1 Tsp Chile Powder

1/4 Tsp Paprika

Freshly Ground Black Pepper and Sea Salt to taste

My “taco meat” became LAYER #1.

LAYER #2: 4 quartered Chile Lime Corn Tortillas

LAYER #2.5: Random decision to toss in a few crumbled tortilla chips 😀

LAYER #3: 15 oz can Black Beans

Layer #4: 15 oz can Amy’s Spicy Chili

LAYER #5: a Few Trader Joe’s Soy & Flaxseed Tortilla Chips, crumbled

LAYER #6: LIte Mexican & Mozzarella (because I ran out) Cheese

Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.  Serve over some deliciously crisp organic romaine with your favorite toppings.

Like WHOLLY GUACAMOLE & WHOLLY SALSA!

Plus a side of MORE TJ’s Chips for more CRUNCH!  They are excellent crumbled or dipped in the casserole to make it like NACHOS!!

I added a little tomato & cilantro for good measure!  This turned out to be really good ~ The Husband and my friend LOVED it….there are so many different layers of flavor with the turkey, the veggies, the beans, the tortillas, the chips, the cheese and the spice cooled off with the salad and guacamole.  Definitely a recipe to keep and make again!

Here is the quick version of the recipe above.

SLOW COOKER TACO CASSEROLE

Brown:

1.25 lbs Lean Ground Turkey

2 cloves Garlic

1 of my funky new bell peppers, chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 summer squash, quartered and diced

Then stir in:

1 15 oz can Organic Diced Tomatoes

1 7 oz can El Pato Mexican Style Tomato Sauce

2 Tsp Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime Seasoning

1 Tsp Chile Powder

1/4 Tsp Paprika

Freshly Ground Black Pepper and Sea Salt to taste

LAYER IT UP ~ starting with the taco meat & finishing with the cheese:

4 Corn Tortillas

1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can Amy’s Spicy Chili

21 Trader Joe’s Soy & Flaxseed Tortilla Chips

1 cup Lite Mexican Cheese

Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Serve with your favorite toppings ~ salsa, guacamole, sour cream, olives, tomatoes, cilantro ~ anything you can think of :

Makes 6 LARGE Servings, 7 points each

Nutritional Information Per Serving:

 

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Night all!