Taco Seasoning & Turkey, Corn and Black Bean Nachos

Summer is here and school is out! Terry and I teach summer school every year, but when art wasn't offered this summer due to budget cuts we both decided to take a well deserved break. Sorry that I haven't posted in so long but all of that is about to change with all of my new found free time. This summer is going to be all about home projects, painting, playing with puppies and cooking. As I have mentioned many times before we love avacados around here, especially in the form of Terry's guacamole. I decided to try something new and remembered an old Cooking Light thread dedicated to Taco Seasoning mixtures. We tried the one from Allrecipes.com posted by Lindrusso and it was a hit. We used it to make Turkey, Corn and Black Bean Nachos.

Taco Seasoning
Allrecipes.com

1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

In a small bowl, mix together chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Store in an airtight container.

Turkey, Corn and Black Bean Nachos
Heather's Recipe

1 Pound Turkey
1 batch Allrecipes.com's Taco Seasoning
1/4 cup water
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed
1 bag reduced fat corn chips
1 to 2 cups 2% Mexican cheese blend
Any additional toppings that you desire (lettuce, tomato, onion, salsa, guacamole, sour cream etc.)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Brown turkey and drain any excess liquid. Add taco seasoning and 1/4 cup water to the browned turkey. Stir, bring to a boil and reduce heat. Add corn and black beans to the turkey mixture and stir until heated through.

Meanwhile, cover a baking sheet with tin foil and then spread out the desired amount of corn chips in a even layer onto the baking sheet.

Spoon the turkey mixture over the chips and top with cheese.

Bake for 8 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

Remove from oven and serve immediately with desired sides.

Ingredients needed for the Taco Seasoning.

In a small bowl, add all ingredients.

Combine with a whisk, this may be stored in an airtight container for later use.

Thaw 1 cup of frozen corn and rinse 1 cup of canned black beans.

Cover a baking sheet with tin foil for easy clean up.

Spread the desired amount of chips onto the baking sheet.

Brown the ground turkey and drain away the excess liquid.

Add the Taco Seasoning and 1/4 cup of water to the pan, stir, bring to a boil and lower heat.

Add black beans and corn to the turkey mixture.

Mix in the corn and black beans until heated through.

Spoon turkey mixture over corn chips.

Sprinkle cheese over the turkey mixture.

Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 8 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Remove from oven, serve immediately.

Enjoy with desired toppings.

Prepackaged taco seasoning is now a thing of the past in our house. Making it myself was easy, and I really like that I can control the sodium level. Allrecipes.com's Taco Seasoning was excellent used in my Turkey, Corn and Black Bean Nachos. The flavors of the spices blended beautifully together and the addition of the corn and black beans enhanced the texture of the dish. The corn gave the meat mixture a crunch while the beans created a creaminess that was wonderful. Terry topped his nachos with the guacamole he made, some diced onions and fresh salsa. I went all out and used the same toppings that Terry chose, as well as lettuce, tomato and sour cream. We used a little over half of the meat mixture, which means we will be making grilled burritos with the leftovers tomorrow for lunch, I can't wait!!

-Heather