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TACO BOWL….NOT “BELL”

We love Mexican food! Tacos, refried beans, fajitas, taquitos, are among some of the few that come to mind. I am sure you are all familiar with that famous fast food place. It ends with “bell”, not bowl. I admit, we do go there on occasion to get our fix.

This is my take on a healthier version of tacos. As stated above, they are taco bowls. My husband who is quick with word play came up with the title; “Taco Bowl not Bell”. He loves when I make this. On occasion he will remind me, “we haven’t had taco bowls in a while”. They remind me of a taco sundae……haha!

I am always disappointed when I get the fast food stuff. There is minimal filling and very little flavor. If I am going to eat Mexican I want major flavor and a nice portion. I don’t need added calories and fats though.

One of the ways I keep this healthy is using low-fat, ground, turkey. I also found a taco shell that is fantastic for Weight Watcher followers.  They are only 1 point per taco shell. Not bad! Of course vegies are the biggest part of this recipe. Load them into your bowl and you have a high fiber, high protein, filling meal. I do add a small amount of 2% grated Mexican cheese, and some light sour cream.

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The taco bowls are made in the oven. I have tortilla bowl forms that I bought on line. An upside down muffin tin will also work. (See photos). Either way is fine as long as you end up with a taco bowl. These can also be made in the air fryer if desired. I usually make 4 bowls at a time. The air fryer would make this time-consuming for me. However, air frying would be great if you’re making one bowl for a single serving. It would also be great to re-heat and crisp up left over taco bowls.

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The fillings that I have listed are merely a suggestion. You can use whatever you like, in any combination. I like to prep all the fillings and put them in separate bowls like a buffet. Everybody gets to make their own creation, to their particular taste. Tacos can be a very personal thing in my opinion!

For those of you that are non meat eaters you can omit the turkey. Just used refried beans as a protein. In fact, you can purchase them already prepared. They come in a can and all you have to do is re-heat them. How easy is that????

I keep wondering if anybody out there is trying any of my ideas. I hope so! I am always happy to hear from you and see your photos. I hope you have fun with this one.

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TACO BOWLS

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

INGREDIENTS:

  • Soft tortillas of choice
  • Cooking spray (I use olive oil spray)
  • 1 lb of ground, 97% lean turkey
  • 1/2 chopped onion
  • 2 cloves of garlic, grated with a microplane (can be chopped and minced with a knife)
  • 1  (4oz) can of chopped green chiles
  • 1 packet of taco seasoning
  • 1 tsp dark chili powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/4 C of chicken or turkey broth
  • Kosher salt and pepper to taste
  • Condiments: chopped lettuce, chopped tomatoes, chopped green onions, chopped bell peppers, sliced olives, diced avocado, black bean and corn salsa, 2% Mexican cheese blend, light sour cream, taco sauce (you pick the heat)

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Spray both sides of the tortillas with cooking spray and place in tortilla forms or use the bottom side of a muffin tin (see above photo).
  3. Bake in oven for approximately 15-20 minutes or until browned and crisp. (Watch carefully so they don’t burn) Remove and let cool on a rack while preparing your condiments.
  4. Place all of your chosen condiments in bowls and set aside.
  5. In a large skillet over medium heat, spray the skillet with cooking spray. Add the onion and cook until softened, grate the garlic directly on top of the onions and mix quickly so it doesn’t burn, add the chopped green chiles.
  6. Immediately add the ground turkey and cook, breaking it up until it browns and is no longer pink.
  7. Add the taco seasoning packet, chili powder, and the cumin, stir to mix. Taste for seasonings and add salt and pepper if needed.
  8. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and continue to cook until the liquid is absorbed, approximately 10-15 minutes.  Remove from the heat and place in a serving bowl.
  9. Bring all the ingredients and the taco bowls to the table. I like to use large individual salad bowls to put the taco shells in. This allows you to cut the taco bowls and keep all the goodies from falling all over the place.
  10. Then let the creating and eating begin. OLE’

Til next time,

Ciao xoxo

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