• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Laughing Spatula logo

  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • YouTube
  • All Recipes
  • Most Popular
  • Chicken Recipes
  • Healthy Recipes
  • About
Laughing Spatula / Recipe Index / Casseroles / Healthy Mexican Casserole

Healthy Mexican Casserole

By Kathi & Rachel

20788 shares
  • Share
  • Email
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This 30 Minute Healthy Mexican Casserole is full of fresh veggies, lean ground chicken (or turkey), beans and just a bit of cheese to make it irresistible!

healthy mexican casserole in a white dish

When that craving for mexican food hits ya but your waistline is saying no no no!  We are here to say yes yes yes!  Clocking in at only 230 calories for a huge serving you are will love this delicious and filling meal!

This recipe was inspired by one of my childhood favorites  Easy Taco Pie.  But sometimes we need to lighten up!

HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY MEXICAN CASSEROLE

1.) Layer quartered flour tortillas on bottom of 9 x 9 pan.

2.) Spread refried beans on top.

3.) Top with cooked veggies and lean ground chicken (or turkey).

4.) Pour on the enchilada sauce.

Sprinkle with a bit of cheese and in the oven it goes!

15-20 minutes in the oven and you get a super big flavored casserole that won’t break the calorie bank!

I love to serve the leftovers over crisp cold lettuce. ..instant taco salad for my lunch!

Even better? We got a video to help you make this with ease- check it out here! 

More Easy and Healthy Mexican inspired recipes? Here are a few of our faves!

Lazy Day Chicken Enchilada Casserole – Easy on the cook recipe with those big Mexican flavors you crave!

Mexican for breakfast!  Mexican Breakfast Casserole!  This overnight casserole is fabulous!

Or these popular Mexican  Chicken Fajitas!  Everything onto a sheet pan, bake and done!

To Healthy and Easy Meals with tons of Flavor…Mexican style!

Clink!

Kathi

 

 What do you think about this recipe?Have questions?Comment below!Don’t forget to like us on Facebook, and connect with us on Instagram and  tag your @Laughingspatula recipes with #laughingspatula,while you’re at it…We love to see your pics! 

Hey and check out our new YouTube Channel!

healthy mexican casserole in a white dish

Healthy Mexican Casserole

This 30 minute casserole is full of veggies, beans and lean ground chicken (or turkey)!  
4.46 from 55 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
Servings: 6
Author: Kathi & Rachel

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground chicken or turkey we really love ground chicken if you can find it
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 small poblano pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 1 small red pepper, chopped
  • 1/2 cup onion, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 8 inch flour tortillas cut into quarters
  • 1 16 ounce can fat free refried beans
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 1 10 ounce can enchilada sauce we used mild to make it family friendly
  • 1/2 cup corn fresh, frozen or canned
  • 1/2 cup black beans drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 cup grated cheese

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In large skillet heat olive oil.  Brown ground chicken, breaking up into small pieces as you go along.  Drain any excess liquid.
  • Add chopped peppers and onions to browed chicken and cook until softened but not overly cooked.  About 5 minutes.   Add corn, black beans and spices. Heat through.
  • Spray a 9 x 9 inch baking pan with non stick spray.  Line bottom of pan with quartered tortillas.  
  • Put the refried beans in a small bowl and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds.  Stir to soften.  Spread on top of tortillas.
  • Add cooked meat and veggies on top of refried beans. Pour enchilada sauce over the top.
  • Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 15-20 minutes until hot in the middle and bubbling around the edges.
  • Serve with fresh avocado and sour cream.

Notes

NOTES:
7 WW Freestyle points.
Use ground chicken or turkey.
Serve with fresh avocado and sour cream.
Leftovers go great over fresh crisp lettuce for a taco salad!

Nutrition

Calories: 267kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 461mg | Potassium: 618mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 965IU | Vitamin C: 27.4mg | Calcium: 111mg | Iron: 2.5mg

 

20788 shares
  • Share
  • Email

Filed Under: Casseroles, Chicken, Fast and Fresh, Healthy Recipes, Main Course Recipes, Most Popular Recipes

Never miss a Laughing Spatula recipe!

Sign up for free recipes delivered straight your in box ! Sign up Here

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. v says

    January 5, 2025 at 11:10 am

    4 stars
    I found this a bit dry. Either needs salsa or canned tomatoes with some juice added. Otherwise, it’s tasty! 🙂

    Reply
  2. Nicole says

    May 26, 2024 at 2:00 pm

    5 stars
    This recipe is absolutely delicious! I used shredded chicken breast (it’s what I had already thawed out). I also subbed some canned green chilis for poblanos, because I just couldn’t seem to find any poblanos locally and used 2% Mexican style cheese, which I also already had on hand. This was quick and easy, and I’m looking forward to trying it with some ground turkey or beef! Thank you!

    Reply
  3. Tracy says

    May 23, 2024 at 4:12 pm

    5 stars
    An easy and simple casserole for midweek. Delicious!

    Reply
  4. Debby says

    October 28, 2021 at 9:31 pm

    4 stars
    I’ve been looking for heart healthy recipes and this was wonderful, I used ground chicken, and didn’t change anything. We loved it.. thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
  5. Rich Ford says

    June 10, 2021 at 3:23 pm

    This is a fantastic recipe – and extremely simple to make. I served it tonight and it was a complete hit!. My oven runs ‘cooler’ than reading – so I had to turn my oven up. Other than that, I did modify it slightly. I added Rotel Tomato and chilies as well as some taco seasoning.

    When we served it, we garnished it with diced lettuce; avocado and tortilla strips. – the added crunch really set it off.

    Thanks for sharing the recipe! Keep up the great work

    Reply
    • Kathi & Rachel says

      June 11, 2021 at 6:56 am

      Hi Rich – Glad you liked the recipe, thanks for the nice note! Knowing the true temp of your oven makes for a good home chef! So many don’t realize that few ovens really run at temp and in fact can vary as much as 50 degrees!

      Reply
  6. Patricia H. says

    May 19, 2021 at 4:36 am

    5 stars
    Made this yesterday. My whole family loved it and they never like the same food! I used pulled chicken ’cause that’s what I had. I think the refried beans make the difference, and they didn’t even realize they were in it.

    Reply
    • Kathi & Rachel says

      May 19, 2021 at 7:03 am

      So glad you and your family liked it! Thank you for the nice note!

      Reply
  7. Erin Barach says

    March 19, 2021 at 6:00 pm

    5 stars
    We tried it with lean ground beef and no black beans. Added a jalapeño for spice. Messy and delicious.

    Reply
    • Kathi & Rachel says

      March 22, 2021 at 4:39 pm

      It is a bit messy isn’t it! Not dry thats for sure. So glad you liked it!

      Reply
  8. Lindae says

    April 30, 2020 at 8:55 am

    Can this be made gluten free?

    Reply
    • Kathi & Rachel says

      April 30, 2020 at 2:17 pm

      You can sub the flour tortilla for corn.

      Reply
  9. Peggy Diederich says

    October 7, 2019 at 5:42 pm

    5 stars
    OMG…This is tasty and easy to make. You won’t be sorry to try this one!

    Reply
  10. Mary says

    June 3, 2019 at 10:36 pm

    4 stars
    I added rice to the ground chicken to make it more filling. It was good.

    Reply
    • Cheshire B says

      July 23, 2019 at 9:18 pm

      How much rice and do you cook it before hand

      Reply
      • LaughingSpatula.com says

        July 24, 2019 at 7:28 am

        There is no rice in this recipe. If you want to add some then I would cook it before hand. 1 cup cooked should be adequate.

  11. Sara says

    February 19, 2019 at 9:37 am

    I want to make this in a 9×13 portion because I have a big family. Usually in a recipe like this I would leave the meat portion the same but double the veggies. I was thinking of only doubling the fresh veggies, not the refried beans, meat or tortillas. The way you prepare it the results seem on the wet side, do you think it would be too dry if I only did the 10oz enchilada sauce or should I go bigger? Thanks for the help!

    Reply
    • LaughingSpatula.com says

      February 19, 2019 at 2:34 pm

      Hi Sara – I don’t find this on the wet side at all so I’d probably increase the enchilada sauce by 5 ounces. Keep in mind I have not tried it! Hope you love it!

      Reply
  12. Reg Burroughs says

    February 10, 2019 at 7:20 pm

    5 stars
    Fast , easy and great flavor. Better and easier weeknight meal than meatloaf! Made in 8 x 12” pan instead of 9×9. Used Sargento four Mexican cheese for topping. (Missing from ingredient list) Has to be the easiest most tasty dish we’ve ever made! Did I say easy? Omg… just try it. Yum!!! ????

    Reply
    • LaughingSpatula.com says

      February 11, 2019 at 9:13 am

      Wow thank you for the rave review Reg! Truly appreciate all the xoxoxo’s!

      Reply
  13. judy says

    January 25, 2019 at 3:10 pm

    5 stars
    Add roasted poblano peppers and you will be in heaven.

    Reply
  14. Karly says

    January 20, 2019 at 9:47 am

    Love this! Super easy and looks delicious!

    Reply
    • LaughingSpatula.com says

      January 21, 2019 at 6:51 am

      Thanks Karly! Hope you get a chance to make it!

      Reply
4.46 from 55 votes (45 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Kathi and Rachel Kirk in a kitchen in floral dresses
Hi! We are Kathi and Rachel, a mother daughter blogging team creating easy to prepare foods made with fresh ingredients that your whole family will love!

FREE RECIPE EBOOK!
Join our free list below and receive our Ebook: TOP 10 EASY DINNER RECIPES! The best of the best all in one little book!

YOUR FAVORITE RECIPES!

Cheesey Au Gratin Potatoes in a red casserole

Cheesy Potatoes Au Gratin

Pineapple bars

Easy Pineapple Bars (with Video)

french onion soup in a beautiful brown bowl

Slow Cooker French Onion Soup

peanut dressing spooned onto thai peanut salad

Crunchy Thai Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing

Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes in a 9 x 13 baking dish

Easy Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

creamy baked chicken breasts in a casserole dish

Creamy Chicken Bake

Footer

As Seen On

Laughing Spatula Featured on Buzzfeed
Laughing Spatula Featured on Fitness Magazine
Laughing Spatula Featured on The Huffington Post
Laughing Spatula Featured on MSN
Laughing Spatula Featured on NBC News
Laughing Spatula Featured on PBS
Laughing Spatula Featured on RedbookMag.com
Laughing Spatula Featured on Country Living

WE LOVE HELPING YOU MAKE FRESH, DELICIOUS AND SIMPLE RECIPES FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY!

  • Main Course Recipes
  • Sheet Pan Recipes
  • Fast and Fresh Recipes
  • Most Popular Recipes
  • Salad & Dressing Recipes
  • Desserts
  • Soup Recipes
  • Side Dish Recipes
  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2025 Laughing Spatula | Contact & Privacy Policy

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.