Southwestern Casserole

I saw this Cooking Light recipe on Myrecipes and decided to make it for dinner. I adapted it a bit by adding more spices, more green chiles, cilantro, and avocado. This recipe was simple to make with very little clean up. It was delicious, hearty, and filling without all the guilt - I love that. If I wasn't cooking for my kids, I would add some jalapeño to the meat mixture for a bit of a kick. The leftovers were wrapped in a flour tortilla for my husband's lunch the following day.

Southwestern Casserole:

Adapted recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

Original recipe by Myrecipes ~ Cooking Light 2002

• 2 7 oz can of whole green chiles, drained
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 lb lean ground turkey
• 1 sweet yellow onion, diced
• 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1 1/2 tsp coriander
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp of fresh cilantro, chopped (plus more for garnish)
• 1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes
• 2 cups frozen corn, thawed
• 1 14 oz can of refried beans
• 1 1/2 cups of sharp cheddar, shredded
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 2 green onions, diced
• 1 avocado, diced
• Sour cream (optional)
• Hot sauce (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Coat a large baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange the whole green chilies in a single layer on the bottom of the baking dish. You can also use 1 can of green chiles and cut them in half lengthwise if you don't want a strong green chile flavor.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion, ground turkey, and seasonings. Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring often to break up the meat into crumbles. Add the minced garlic and diced tomatoes. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.

Pour the meat mixture on top of the green chiles; next add the corn. Carefully spread the refried beans on top of the corn followed by the cheese.

Place into the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes then top with diced tomato, avocado, green onion, and cilantro. Serve with sour cream and hot sauce if desired. Enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net