Do you have your back to school dinner plans yet? (And I don’t mean at CPK or takeout!)
As summer is winding down, you may be thinking, “Uh oh I have to get serious again about cooking dinner.” Days of al fresco dining will soon be ending.
Back to school usually means that meals are now based on your kids’ schedule; putting it all together between picking them up from soccer practice and helping with homework. It all comes with a certain amount of stress and a lot of clean up.
Here’s what I like to call a “one-pot wonder” – Mexican Taco Stew. It’s quick (about 30 minutes to prepare), nutritious and delicious!
Ingredients
- 1lb. 85% lean ground beef (we want a little fat) or ground turkey
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp taco seasoning
- 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 zucchini, cut into cubes
- 1 – 15 oz. can no-salt black beans
- 1 small can of diced tomatoes OR 2 roma tomatoes, chopped
- 1 cup corn kernels – either frozen or boil 2 ears
- 1 cup salsa.
Directions
Brown meat in a large pan over medium to high heat. Drain, remove and set aside in bowl.
In the same pot, saute onion and garlic in a tablespoon of vegetable oil until onion is translucent. Add meat back to pot and sprinkle with taco seasoning to blend. Add broth, zucchini, black beans, tomatoes and corn. Simmer covered for about 15-20 minutes.
Kids love this meal!
Serve with…
You can serve this with corn or whole wheat tortillas. And, you can serve over rice, if you want another pot to wash. Instead of always making white rice, introduce your kids to something more nutritious – brown rice. A good way to get them into brown rice is to make both and mix together. Remember to take into consideration that the cooking time of brown rice is double the cooking time of white rice.
Other “One Pot Wonder” Ideas:
Other “one pot wonder” ideas include
What are the perks to “one pot wonders”?
(1) They can include the 3 part meal (starch, protein and vegetable) all in one pot. (2) The clean up is so much easier. (3) They can be doubled with no extra brain cells needed. (4) The leftovers can be easily frozen. (5) If your child has a microwave available at school, get out that tupperware and voila…there’s lunch the next day!
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