I really want to like them.........

Refried beans that is. I quite like the flavour of beans, but the consistency/smell of refried beans does me in. I think it is eerily similar to the smell of the dog food we used to feed my childhood dog.

Refried beans aside, I came across the In Good Taste blog some time ago and she had a recipe posted for a turkey tortilla stack, adapted from a Weight Watchers recipe. Since I am trying to get myself into the mindset of eating healthier come September so I can start training for the half marathon, I bookmarked the recipe. (fyi, this means I will be cooking, and therefore blogging a lot more next month....my summer cooking has definitely left something to be desired......)

The prep work was pretty easy for this dish and the smell while it was baking was amazing! The smell while spreading the refried beans onto the tortillas on the other hand.......GAG.


Turkey Tortilla Bake (Adapted from Weight Watchers' Simply The Best and In Good Taste blog)

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons canola oil
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 pound ground skinless turkey breast
1-14.5 ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 heaping cup fat-free refried beans
1 4 ounce can chopped green chiles, rinsed and drained
10-6 inch corn tortillas, halved
2/3 cup salsa
1/2 cup reduced-fat freshly grated/shredded Monterey Jack (or sharp cheddar) cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.

2. In a large, non-stick skillet, heat the oil. Ad the pepper and onion; cook, stirring as needed until softened, about 5 minutes.

3. Add the turkey and cook, stirring as needed until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and chiles, bring to a boil. (NOTE: If mixture is too thick, add 1/2 cup plain tomato sauce). Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring frequently, until mixture is slightly thickened (about 5 minutes).

4. On the bottom of a 10x6 baking pan (I used a 9x13 for a smaller, thicker casserole), spoon half of salsa and top with four tortillas. Cover tortillas with a layer of refried beans, a layer of turkey mixture and a layer of salsa. Repeat the layering once more, finishing with the final two tortillas. Sprinkle top evenly with the cheese.

5. Bake covered for approximately 20 minutes or until heated through. Remove cove r and bake an additional ten minutes, or until cheese has turned golden.