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Black Bean Casserole

This casserole is a fall favorite. It is hearty and can be served as an appetizer or a meal. I served it with blue corn tortilla chips; however, it could also be served in a wrap, a taco shell or a taco bowl.

What you need:

-1/2 pound of lean ground turkey
-3 chopped tomatoes (without seeds)
-1 chopped onion
-1 chopped red pepper (without seeds)
-1 chopped jalapeño (without seeds, chop 2 jalapeños for extra spice)

-4 chopped garlic cloves
-2 15-ounce cans of black beans (If you are going down the non-preservative route, make sure the can says so).
-2/3 cup of low-sodium chicken broth (Again, the package should say, “no MSG”).
-1 package of shredded Mexican blend cheese
-1/4 cup of thinly sliced green onion
-1/2 teaspoon of salt
-1/4 teaspoon of ground red pepper
-1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin

How to do it:

1. First, cut everything up that needs to be chopped so that it is ready.
2. Next, preheat over to 425 degrees and begin browning the turkey in a pan with half of the onion that you chopped up.
3. Once the turkey is browned, it can be set aside. Grab a new skillet (one that is deeper) and sauté the rest of the chopped onion, jalapeño and red pepper.
4. After 5 minutes, add the cumin, ground red pepper, garlic and salt.
5. After another 2-3 minutes, add the chicken broth and black beans. I drained the black beans so that any extra liquid wasn’t added. Bring this mixture to a boil and keep on stove for 5 minutes more.
6. Add this mixture into a casserole or baking dish that has been coated with cooking spray. Whatever size you have around the kitchen will work—it’ll just make the casserole either thinner or thicker.
7. Add chopped tomatoes, turkey and cheese.
8. Cook in oven for 25-30 minutes and then remove. Add chopped green onions and let it sit for 5-10 minutes so that some of the liquid can be absorbed.
9. Serve however you like. I added extra cheese and hot sauce to my serving because I personally feel that more cheese is never a bad idea and hot sauce makes everything better.

In the end, you have enough to serve you and four to five others—with a potential for even more to eat later on.