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Cooking at Home - Tex-Mex Skillet

© iStock - Rawpixel

Makes: 8 Servings

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

This dish is packed with lean protein in the forms of black bean and lean ground beef. Chili powder, cumin, and fresh salsa add bold flavor to this Mexican-inspired recipe. 

Ingredients

  • 1/2 medium head lettuce
  • 1 medium green bell pepper
  • 1 large tomato
  • 1 small jalapeno pepper
  • 1 medium red onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 ounces low-fat cheddar cheese
  • 15 1/2 ounces can of black beans (no salt added)
  • 1 pound lean ground beef (turkey or chicken)
  • 2 2/3 cups frozen corn
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 3/4 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 8 whole wheat flour tortillas (6 inch)
  • dash ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Rinse lettuce, bell pepper, tomato, and jalapeño. Rinse and peel onion. Peel garlic.
  2. Chop or shred lettuce into bite size pieces. Mince garlic. Halve the jalapeño and bell peppers. Remove seeds with the tip of a knife. Dice peppers.
  3. Over a small bowl, grate tomato and onion using the coarse side of a box grater. Collect all pulp and juices.
  4. Grate cheddar cheese.
  5. In a colander, drain and rinse beans.
  6. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook meat, bell pepper, and garlic, until meat is lightly browned. Drain to remove fat.
  7. Stir in frozen corn, beans, water, and spices. Bring mixture to a boil. Lower heat and cover. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until most liquid is gone.
  8. While meat mixture is simmering, make a salsa. Add jalapeño and a pinch of salt to the grated tomato and onion. Stir and set aside.
  9. Divide the meat mixture evenly among the 8 tortillas. Top each with grated cheese, salsa, and lettuce. Roll up and serve.

Notes

  • Use any type of cooked beans in place of the black beans.
  • For a vegetarian option, use an extra can of drained and rinsed beans in place of the meat.
  • To increase heat, leave a few seeds from the jalapeño in the salsa. Or, season with an extra pinch of cayenne pepper.
  • Top with rinsed and chopped tomatoes, green onions, low-fat sour cream, or low-fat plain yogurt, if you like.

Source: Meeting Your MyPlate Goals on a Budget Toolkit by MyPlate National Strategic Partners.

Nutrition Information

Nutrients

Amount

Total Calories

250

Total Fat

5 g

Saturated Fat

1 g

Cholesterol

30 mg

Sodium

410 mg

Carbohydrates

31 g

Dietary Fiber

12 g

Total Sugars

3 g

Added Sugars included

0 g

Protein

20 g

Vitamin D

0 mcg

Calcium

60 mg

Iron

2 mg

Potassium

872 mg