Skinny Taco Casserole

4.30 from 10 votes

Enjoy a comforting, gooey, family favorite without the guilt!

Comfort food. Party food. You know the kind of dish we’re talking about. The big, messy casserole dish full of crowd-pleasing, guilty pleasure ingredients that you can’t wait to stick a fork into. Taco casserole is one of our favorite scrumptious, decadent dishes, and we’ve made it easy for you to enjoy its spicy, cheesy, meat and tortilla goodness, without consuming a lifetime’s worth of cholesterol, calories, and fat. No pre-packaged taco seasoning or fatty ground beef here. Just lean, clean ingredients that somehow taste like your favorite dish from childhood.

Start your casserole with ground turkey. Unlike ground beef or pork, it provides lean protein that is lower in fat and cholesterol than red meat. Saute in extra virgin olive oil, renowned for its healthy fats. Then, load on the veggies and spices! Salsa, onions, cumin, and cayenne all contain antioxidants and anti-inflammatories that your body needs. Add your turkey, low-fat cheddar cheese, and whole wheat tortilla chips, and top with a healthy treat like avocado, Greek yogurt, or extra tomato. You have an easy, filling, and nutritious meal, masquerading as messy, gooey party food!

Serve this taco casserole at the next pot luck you attend, for the family on a weeknight, or on a rainy weekend that calls out for comfort food! It’s just as much of a crowd-pleaser as the less healthy original, with zero guilt!

4.30 from 10 votes

Skinny Taco Casserole

This casserole is full of skinny ingredients that combine to create a scrumptious crowd-pleasing dish.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Yield 6 people
Serving Size 1 slice
Course Dinner
Cuisine Mexican, Tex-Mex

Ingredients

  • 1 pound lean ground turkey
  • 12 ounces salsa
  • 1 onion medium, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese reduced-fat
  • 3 whole-wheat tortillas 8 inch, cut into small pieces
  • 1 avocado diced (for topping, optional)
  • 1 tomato large, diced (for topping, optional)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Over medium heat sautè the turkey until cooked through. Drain any fat and combine with salsa, onion, cumin, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and salt.
  • Using a 9 x 13 inch casserole pan, add the meat mixture, evenly place tortilla pieces on top, and sprinkle cheese on last. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 5 minutes.
  • If desired, serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt, avocado, tomatoes or shredded lettuce.

Notes

Nutrition facts for a smaller sized slice (1/8 of casserole) Yields: 8 servings | Serving Size: 1 slice (1/6 of casserole) | Calories: 250 | Previous Points: 6 | Points Plus: 7 | Total Fat: 17 g | Saturated Fat: 6 g | Trans Fat: 0 g | Cholesterol: 54 mg | Sodium: 145 mg | Carbohydrates: 7 g | Dietary Fiber: 3 g | Sugars: 3 g | Protein: 18 g | SmartPoints (Freestyle): 8
Nutrition facts below are for a large slice (1/6 of casserole)

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 333kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 155mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g |
SmartPoints (Freestyle): 10
Keywords Kid-Friendly, Low-Carb

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Craving for More Taco Recipes? Here are Some Delicious Ones:
Skinny Chicken Tacos with Guacamole
Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos
Soft Shrimp Tacos
Roasted Corn and Black Bean Tacos
Slow Cooker Clean Eating Pork Tacos with Cilantro-Lime ‘Slaw

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Rowena Dumlao-Giardina

Rowena is a recipe developer and food & travel writer/photographer from Italy with Asian roots. Creating healthy dishes in her own kitchen is priority. She believes there is nothing more satisfying than knowing that her family is eating natural & nutritious meals.

More by Rowena

9 Comments

  1. Confused on the tortillas, are they cut up?? I used Ezekiel brand sprouted gain and cut them up. Or was it supposed to be tortilla chips crushed up? Thanks!

  2. I followed the recipe exactly as is but the kids still thought it was too spicy. I used a mild salsa so maybe next time cut down on the cayenne? Or do you have a rec on the most mild salsa out there? It was still delicious!

    1. Hi Emily, Pace is a good choice as this brand has many varieties, including mild and “no added sugar”.

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