Mission Year Meals: Wednesday

Denise cooked on Wednesday! It was a yummy black bean dish. Denise likes to cook with black beans. She also makes a tasty black bean burger that we have had a couple of times due to popular demand. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients: (Serving size 6-8)

• 1 lb. ground extra lean turkey 
• 1/2 chopped onion
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeds and ribs removed, diced
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp ground red pepper flakes
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 2/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 3 (15 oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1-2 chopped seeded tomatoes
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey and a handful of the onions to the pan, sauteing until meat is browned. Remove turkey and set aside.
3. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion, pepper, and jalapeno, sauteing for 4 minutes and stirring occasionally. Add salt, cumin, red pepper, and garlic. Saute for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
4. Stir in broth and black beans. Bring mixture to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Mash beans to desired consistency.
5. Spoon mixture into an 9x13 (or to another extra pan if you do not want it thick) baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with turkey, bacon, tomato, and cheese. Bake at 425F for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Top with green onions and let cool for at least 10 minutes (otherwise it will be too runny).
6. Serve with sour cream, tortilla chips, on tacos, on a salad, or just eat it plain!

Cost Breakdown:

Ground Turkey (a luxury item that we get occasionally) $3.59

1 Jalapeno $0.28

1 Red Pepper $1.00

3 cans Black Beans $1.77

Roma Tomatoes $2.23 (but some of these were used for salad and sandwiches)

Mozzarella Cheese block (instead of Monterrey Jack) $1.99

Ingredients we had on hand: Onion, fresh garlic, spices, chicken broth

COST: $10.00

Sometimes it's nice to have a vegetarian meal (or at least the option for one), so Denise made one pan with ground turkey and one small pan without it. She served it with a fresh salad. Since we all keep salads as an option for our meals, that's a cost that comes out of our general/breakfast/lunch budget of about $50.00.