Eating Fit is an essential part of “feeling fit”. However, it is sometimes a challenge to eat healthy on a budget. This Enchilada Casserole Recipe kicks off Feeling Fit’s new series on Eating Fit on a Budget. Our first in the series is also a contributed guest recipe from Registered Dietitian Allison Stowell at Guiding Stars!
Nutritionist Allison Stowell at Guiding Stars, a nutrition guidance program, provided a list of 7 recipes that are rated high on their nutrition scale and do not break the bank.
About Guiding Stars:
Guiding Stars is a nutritional guidance program that rates the nutritional quality of food using information from the Nutrition Facts Panel and the ingredients list. Foods are rated and receive a score based on the assignment of credits and debits:
- One Guiding Star indicates good nutritional value
- Two Guiding Stars indicate better nutritional value
- Three Guiding Stars indicate the best nutritional value
Guiding Stars is not intended to tell you what to buy but rather point you toward foods that have more vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, whole grains – and less fats, cholesterol, sugar, and sodium.
Enchilada Casserole Recipe
Editors Note: I love that this recipe is full of inexpensive, easy to find ingredients. It yields enough to feed a family or to have delicious leftovers! The protein is primarily from beans, so it is an excellent option if you are a vegetarian or just enjoy a meat-free meal. Tip — Even if you are not a vegetarian, one or two weekly meat-free dinners saves grocery expense while still providing great health benefits! –Sam
Ingredients
- 1 T. olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 c. plain, no salt added tomato sauce
- To taste: cumin, chili powder, oregano, garlic
- 1 can no salt added black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 can low-sodium refried beans
- 10-12 corn tortillas
- 1 sm. can of diced green chiles
- 1/2 to 2 large diced jalapeños
- 1 c. mushrooms, quartered
- 2 c. fresh spinach
- 1 c. corn
- 1 c. part-skim cheese, shredded
- 1 avocado, sliced
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute the diced onion until it starts to soften.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and add the tomato sauce, spices to taste, black beans and refried beans.
- Add the rest of the vegetables to the sauce and bring to a simmer.
- Layer the casserole in a 9×13 baking pan. Start by adding a thin layer of the sauce to the bottom. Next add a layer of tortillas. Alternate sauce and tortillas until there’s about 1/4″ of space left.
- Sprinkle the cheese on top and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 Degrees
- Fahrenheit for 40 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake until cheese browns. Garnish with avocado.
Thank you Guiding Stars for contributing this recipe. The recipe was originally published on Guiding Stars Affordable Nutrition for the New Year. The article features seven recipes that are designed to be healthy and affordable!
About Allison Stowell
As a Registered Dietitian, Allison enables individuals to make positive, sustainable changes in their eating habits by stressing conscious eating, improving relationships with food and offering a non-diet approach for reaching and maintaining ideal body weight.
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