Vegetable Nachos Grande

Sam and I (well, mostly I) have decided that 2012 should be our healthiest year ever.  There are lots of reasons for this, but the biggest one is right here:

I don't want her to struggle with food / activity like I have, so I've made a commitment to work on both fronts, and hopefully by the time she is old enough to really know what's happening we'll be good role models and can help her lay the foundation for a healthy lifestyle from the get go.

That means joining Weight Watchers again and digging out the old cookbooks.  I love that all of the nutritional info I need is there, so I can use the old books with the new plan.  We've already made several great meals, and I thought I'd document them so that when the lingering dumb baby brain strikes while I'm meal planning I'll have a few go-tos already documented.

Note: Those green things are zucchini.  Do not freak out, even Sam thought it was delicious.

Vegetable Nachos Grande

adapted from Best One-Dish Dinners (Fall 2010)

8 Points+

Serving size: 1/6 of casserole

1 (16oz) can fat-free refried beans                        4oz sliced mushrooms (my addition) 

1/2 cup salsa                                                          1/4 cup sliced black olives

2t canola oil                                                           1 cup shredded reduced fat Mexican blend cheese

Cooking spray                                                                   (I used fat free cheddar)

2 cups diced zucchini (I used 1.5 small)                 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (I used way more)

1/2 cup chopped red onion                                     Optional toppings: fat free sour cream, salsa

1 garlic clove, minced

1 cup frozen corn (thawed) (I used canned)

1/4 cup water

2T less-sodium taco seasoning

5 cups baked tortilla chips (I used about 3 cups of the scoops, crushed a bit)

• Preheat oven to 350
• Combine beans and salsa in a small/medium bowl; set aside.
• Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add zucchini, onion, and garlic; saute 5 minutes until veggies are crisp-tender.  Add corn, water, and taco seasoning; cook until zucchini is tender and water evaporates (about 5 minutes).
• Coat a 13x9-in baking dish (this seemed too big to me, so I used an 11x7) with cooking spray and layer chips, bean mix and then zucchini mixture.  Top with olives and cheese.  Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.  Sprinkle with cilantro and optional toppings if desired and serve immediately.

Notes: You get 1/6 of this bad boy, which is a ton of gooey nacho deliciousness.  And seriously, I love tex-mex more than just about anyone and the zucchini just seems meaty and delicious, not weird at all, which really surprised me.  Also, we saved the leftovers for lunch the next day, and while the chips were a bit soggy, it was still awesome.