Friday, January 9, 2009

Lighter Nacho Cups

Like everyone else, I'm trying to lighten up. (I was especially off track this holiday season!)

This month's BakeSpace Challenge was to lighten up a favorite "oh so bad for you" recipe.

I knew right away I'd be using this recipe. Because I toggle back and forth between the naughty version and the healthy version, depending on my mood!

So here are the Lighter Nacho Cups!

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Lighter Nacho Cups

This just builds one hearty portion

1 oz Baked Tostitos Scoops (approx 14 chips)
4 oz extra lean ground turkey
your favorite taco seasonings
1/4 C Refried Beans
(green chilies & lime juice)
1/4 C Sargento Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese
2 TBLS Salsa
1 TBLS light sour cream
5 or 6 Jalapeno Slices
a few good shakes Chipotle Tabasco

Cook turkey w/taco seasonings. Heat beans with green chilies & lime juice.
Place chips on a plate (for microwave) or pan (for oven). Fill chip cups with 4 oz seasoned ground turkey.
Add beans to each chip cup.
Sprinkle evenly with shredded cheese.
Pop into the microwave or oven until cheese is melty.
Top with salsa, jalapenos, light sour cream and some Chipotle Tabasco!

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Cook turkey w/taco seasonings.
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Heat beans with green chilies & lime juice.
mmmmm.... so creamy!!
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Place chips on a plate.
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Fill chip cups with 4 oz seasoned ground turkey.
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Add beans to each chip cup.
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Sprinkle evenly with shredded cheese.
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Pop into the microwave or oven until cheese is melty.
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They don't get gooey melty, like full fat cheese. They totally will melt and stick together though!

Top with salsa, jalapenos, and some Chipotle Tabasco!
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Mmmmm..... Smoky Chipotle Tabasco!! I LOVE this stuff!!!!
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YUM! Ready to eat!!! (yeah... I got half way through them before I realized I forgot the light sour cream... not to worry, I added it! There's just not pic)
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You can also add whatever nacho veggies you like... would you prefer fresh diced tomato & onion & lettuce... maybe some black olives? A tablespoon or two of guacamole (hey... that's good fat)

Ok.... so.... if I had made these with lean ground beef (instead of XL ground turkey), full fat cheese & sour cream they would have come in at:
707 calories
44 g fat
19 g saturated fat
39 g carbs
37 g protein

My super yummy still super satisfying version comes in at:
400 calories
12 g fat
5 g saturated fat
34 g carbs
40 g protein

Savings?
307 calories
32 g fat
14 g saturated fat
5 g carbs
PLUS 3 g protein

I could have gone FF on the refried beans... but they don't have much fat per serving anyway... and the FF refried beans have more carbs... so I'll take a smidgey of fat over extra carbs =)

I saved enough calories to have a margarita!!!!

5 comments:

Michele said...

They are so cute! I wish I had one now! I'm sick of pea soup!

Bob said...

Nice, those look wicked good. I bet with all those flavors going on you don't even miss the extra fat.

Anonymous said...

Brilliant idea! Nachos are one of my favorite snacks, but I feel bad eating them for dinner b/c they're so bad for you. These are actually pretty healthy...healthy enough that I will definitely be making them for dinner sometime soon!

Melissa said...

Yum! I love making bad food good!


I've tagged you over at my blog;

http://www.ofsoupandlove.com/2009/01/food-poison-tastic.html

So come play, if you like. :)

Maris said...

Great idea! I love that these are perfect for portion control - if you can stop at just a few!