Taco Tuesday

It's time for another Taco Tuesday. Yum! Today's offerings include Buffalo Turkey Tacos and BLT Ranch Quesadillas. Enjoy!

BARBECUE CHICKEN RANCH TACOS

This is from Old El Paso, and begins, "These Barbecue Chicken Ranch Tacos come together in a flash—and will disappear from your table even faster. They have the perfect tang of BBQ that complements the zestiness of Old El Paso™ Zesty Ranch Sauce. Best of all, the sky is the limit when it comes to fresh toppings. Your family will have a blast loading up their Old El Paso™ Soft Tortilla Bowls with sweet barbecue chicken and all their favorite toppings."

Prep Time: 25 minutes; Total Time: 25 minutes; Makes 8 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.oldelpaso.com/recipes/barbecue-chicken-ranch-tacos.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch strips

1/3 cup water

1 package (1 oz) Old El Paso™ Original Taco Seasoning Mix

1/2 cup barbecue sauce

1 package (8 count) Old El Paso™ Soft Tortilla Bowls, heated as directed on package

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 oz)

1 1/2 cups shredded romaine lettuce

1/2 cup chopped tomatoes

1/4 cup sliced green onions

1/2 cup Old El Paso™ Zesty Ranch Sauce

Lime wedges, if desired

Preparation

In 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, justuntil no longer pink in center. Stir in water and taco seasoning mix; heat to boiling.

Reduce heat; simmer uncovered 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until thickened. Stir in barbecue sauce. Cook until heated.

Divide warmed chicken mixture among heated tortilla bowls. Top with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and green onions. Drizzle with ranch sauce. Serve with lime wedges.

Expert Tips

For best results, pat chicken slices dry before adding to hot skillet.

Swap out lettuce with shredded green cabbage for a delightful crunch.

Get creative with your BBQ Chicken Ranch Tacos. Other varieties of Old El Paso™ Taco Seasoning Mix, such as Hot &Spicy, can add a flavorful kick that's perfect for spice lovers.

Nutrition 8 tacos: 1 Taco: Calories 280 (Calories from Fat 110); Total Fat 12g (Saturated Fat 4.5g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 50mg; Sodium820mg; Total Carbohydrate 25g (Dietary Fiber 1g, Sugars 7g); Protein 18g

% Daily Value: Vitamin A 20%; Vitamin C 2%; Calcium 15%; Iron 10%;

Exchanges: 1/2 Starch, 1 Other Carbohydrate, 2 Very Lean Meat, 1/2 Medium-Fat Meat, 1 1/2 Fat;Carbohydrate Choices: 1.5

BUFFALO TURKEY TACOS

Source: Jennie-O

Recipe Yield: Makes 8 servings

To view this online, go to https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/buffalo-turkey-tacos

Ingredients

1 (16-ounce) package JENNIE-O Lean Ground Turkey

1/3 cup hot pepper wing sauce

8 hard corn taco shells, heated as specified on package

1 cup shredded lettuce

2 tomatoes, diced

1 avocado, sliced

1/2 cup blue cheese dressing

Directions

Cook turkey as specified on package. Always cook to well-done, 165F as measured by a meat thermometer.

Add hot pepper sauce. Stir to combine.

Fill tacos shells with lettuce, turkey mixture, tomatoes and avocado.

Drizzle with blue cheese dressing.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 220; Fat: 13 g; Saturated Fat: 4 g; Fiber: 3 g; Sodium: 260 mg; Cholesterol: 45 mg; Protein: 14 g; Carbohydrates: 13 g; Sugars: 1 g

TURKEY TACOS

This comes from Diabetes Food Hub, and begins, "Lean ground turkey makes a great base for a delicious taco meal. This recipe has a spicy kick that can be adjusted by adding more or less jalapeño."

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Servings: 6; Serving Size: 1 taco

To view this online, go to https://www.diabetesfoodhub.org/recipes/turkey-tacos.html.

Ingredients

2 tsp olive oil

1/2 red onion, diced

2 tbsp finely diced jalapeño pepper

16 oz. lean ground turkey

1 clove garlic (minced)

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tbsp chili powder

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

2 tbsp water

6 6-inch corn tortillas

1 large avocado (diced)

6 tbsp plain nonfat Greek yogurt

6 tbsp no-salt-added pico de gallo

Directions

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.

Add the onion and jalapeño to the skillet and cook for 2 minutes. Add the turkey and cook until the meat is browned and the vegetables are cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin and cook for 30 seconds.

Lower the heat and add the chili powder, paprika, and water, and mix thoroughly.

Fill each tortilla with ½ cup of the turkey mixture, plus about 2 Tbsp diced avocado, 1 Tbsp yogurt, and 1 Tbsp pico de gall.

Nutrition per serving (1 taco): Calories: 260; Total Fat: 12 g; Sat. Fat: 2.5 g; Trans Fat: 0 g; Cholesterol: 60 mg; Sodium: 80 mg; Total Carbohydrate: 19 g; Dietary Fiber: 4 g; Total Sugars: 2 g; Protein: 19 g; Potassium: 460 mg; Phosphorus: 280 mg

Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 Nonstarchy vegetable, 2 lean protein, 1 Fat

CARNITAS MINI TACO BOWLS

This is from Old El Paso, and begins, "This Carnitas Mini Taco Bowl recipe brings warm, spicy flavor with a hassle-free approach. Simmer pulled pork in Old El Paso™ Original Taco Seasoning, then serve up in our Old El Paso™ Soft Mini Tortilla Bowls with queso fresco cheese, and then spice it up with jalapeño chiles and radish slices. Easy to make, and customizable to anyone's taste, these mini pulled pork taco bowls make any taco night delicious."

Prep Time: 40 minutes; Total Time: 3 hours 50 minutes; Makes 12 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.oldelpaso.com/recipes/mini-carnitas-taco-bowls.

Ingredient

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 package (1 oz) Old El Paso™ original taco seasoning mix

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon salt

3- to 4-lb boneless pork shoulder, trimmed, cut in 2- to 3-inch pieces

2 cups chopped yellow onions

6 cloves garlic, peeled

2 cups water

1/4 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 packages (5.1 oz each) Old El Paso™ soft tortilla mini bowls, heated as directed on package

1 1/2 cups crumbled queso fresco

1 cup sliced radishes

2 medium jalapeño chiles, thinly sliced

Lime wedges

Preparation

In large bowl, mix vegetable oil, taco seasoning mix, cumin, coriander and salt. Add pork, and toss to coat; pour into 5-quart Dutch oven. Place onions and garlic on top of pork. Add water, orange juice and lime juice. Heat to boiling over high heat. Stir; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer uncovered 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally, until pork is tender.

Increase heat to medium; cook 3 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently and pressing on pork with spatula to shred meat, until sauce thickens and pork is coated in cooking liquid.

Divide pork mixture among heated mini bowls; top with queso fresco, radishes and jalapeño chiles. Serve with lime wedges.

Expert Tips

Remove as much fat as possible from the pork to avoid a fatty sauce.

Nutrition: 2 Mini Taco Bowls: Calories 400 (Calories from Fat 220); Total Fat 24g (Saturated Fat 8g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 80mg; Sodium 660mg; Total Carbohydrate 19g (Dietary Fiber 1g, Sugars 2g); Protein 28g

% Daily Value: Vitamin A 4%; Vitamin C 8%; Calcium 10%; Iron 10%;

Exchanges: 1 Starch, 1/2 Other Carbohydrate, 3 Lean Meat, 1/2 High-Fat Meat, 2 Fat

Carbohydrate Choice: 1

EASY GREEN CHILE CHICKEN TACOS

This taco recipe is from Kaleigh McMordie, MCN, RDN, who not only posts recipes on VeryWell Fit, but has her own food site, called Lively Table.

For this recipe, Kaleigh wrote, “Instead of making the same old tacos this week, why not change things up with delicious and healthy green chile chicken tacos?

“This chicken taco recipe is super easy to make. Just boil the chicken in a bit of broth, shred, and add diced green chiles. It's a simple nutritious meal that the whole family will love.

“Corn tortillas are naturally whole grain, so they make a great choice for these tacos. Top with a bit of shredded red cabbage, creamy avocado, and fresh cilantro to make a weeknight meal.”

Total Time: 35 minutes; Prep Time: 5 minutes; CookTime: 30 minutes; Servings: 4 (2 tacos each)

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast

2 cloves garlic

1 fresh jalapeno

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

Water

1 can (7-ounce) diced green chiles

8 warm corn tortillas

1 small avocado, sliced

1 cup red cabbage, shredded

Fresh cilantro, to taste

Preparation

In a medium saucepan, add chicken, garlic, jalapeno, and broth. Add water to cover the chicken. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove chicken and shred using two forks. Discard garlic and jalapeno, reserving cooking liquid.

In a skillet, add green chiles and shredded chicken. Cook over low heat, stirring until warmed through and sauce is thickened. Add reserved cooking liquid as needed to keep the chicken moist.

Serve with warmed corn tortillas, avocado, cabbage, and cilantro.

Ingredient Variations and Substitutions

Use any type of tortilla that you like. Look for whole grain options, if possible.

You can also leave out the tortillas and serve the chicken on top of lettuce to make a taco salad or with brown rice and beans to make taco bowls.

Canned green chiles are usually found in the Mexican food aisle at the grocery store. They come in two varieties, spicy and mild. Choose the kind that best suits your taste.

Cooking and Serving Tips

Serve tacos with a side of low-sodium canned black beans for a quick and easy meal.

Add any toppings you like, such as your favorite salsa, tomatoes, or a dollop of plain Greek yogurt.

BLT RANCH QUESADILLAS

This is from Old El Paso, and begins, "Now you can enjoy your favorite BLT sandwich as a quesadilla! The Old El Paso™ Zesty Ranch sauce makes this one extra delicious!"

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 25 minutes; Makes 4 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.oldelpaso.com/recipes/blt-ranch-quesadillas.

Ingredients

4 Old El Paso™ Flour Tortillas for burritos, 8 inch (from 11-oz package)

1 1/3 cups Old El Paso™ Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

1/2 cup chopped cooked bacon

3/4 cup chopped baby spinach

1/3 cup chopped tomato

1/4 cup Old El Paso™ Zesty Ranch sauce

Preparation

On one half of each tortilla, spread 1/3 cup cheese, 2 tablespoons bacon and 2 tablespoons spinach; fold tortilla over filling.

Heat 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Place 2 quesadillas in skillet at a time. Cook 2 to 4 minutes, turning once, until tortilla is golden brown and crisp and cheese is melted. Repeat with remaining quesadillas.

Top quesadillas with remaining spinach and tomato; drizzle with sauce. To serve, cut into wedges.

Expert Tips

Use fresh pico de gallo in place of tomato to add a bit of additional flavor and heat.

After cooking each quesadilla, cover it to keep it warm while you cook the remaining quesadillas. When cooking second batch of quesadillas, watch tortillas carefully since skillet will already be hot.

Cheddar and Mexican 4 cheese are great substitutes for the Monterey Jack.

Serve the sauce alongside the quesadillas for dipping rather than drizzling on top, if desired.

Nutrition: 4 servings (1 quesadilla each): 1 Serving Calories 340 (Calories from Fat 180); Total Fat 20g (Saturated Fat 10g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 50mg; Sodium 740mg; Total Carbohydrate 27g (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 2g); Protein 14g

% Daily Value: Vitamin A 15%; Vitamin C 4%; Calcium 30%; Iron 10%

Exchanges: 1 Starch, 1/2 Other Carbohydrate, 1 Vegetable, 1 High-Fat Meat, 2 1/2 Fat; Carbohydrate Choice: 2