Tasty Tuesday: Hungry Chick’ Bell Pepper Nachos

I am all about the Nachos but tend to stay away from them since they are usually REALLY high in points. Here is a yummy recipe from Hungry Girl I am going to make on my next football watching Sunday..

1/4th of recipe (6 loaded nachos): 152 calories, 4.5g total fat (2g sat fat), 299mg sodium, 10.5g carbs, 2g fiber, 6g sugars, 17g protein.  Freestyle™ SmartPoints® value 2*

Prep: 10 minutes     Cook: 40 minutes     MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Ingredients:

8 oz. raw boneless skinless chicken breast cutlets
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/8 tsp. salt
Dash black pepper
12 sweet mini bell peppers (each about 2 1/2 inches long)
1/4 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup shredded reduced-fat Mexican-blend cheese
1/3 cup salsa
1/4 cup light sour cream
2 tbsp. chopped jalapeño pepper
1 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lay a large piece of heavy-duty foil on a baking sheet, and spray with nonstick spray.
2. Place chicken on the center of the foil, and sprinkle with seasonings. Cover with another large piece of foil. Fold together and seal all four edges of the foil pieces, forming a well-sealed packet.
3. Bake for 25 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
4. Meanwhile, slice off and discard the stem ends of the bell peppers. Remove and discard seeds. Slice peppers in half lengthwise.
5. Remove foil pack from the sheet, and spray sheet with nonstick spray. Raise oven temperature to 400 degrees.
6. Lay pepper halves on the sheet, cut sides down. Bake for 5 minutes.
7. Flip bell pepper halves. Bake until soft, about 5 more minutes.
8. Meanwhile, cut foil packet to release hot steam before opening entirely. Transfer chicken to a medium bowl. Shred with two forks.
9. Thoroughly blot excess moisture from bell pepper halves. Arrange them on the center of the sheet. Top with shredded chicken, beans, and cheese.
10. Bake until cheese has melted, about 3 minutes.
11. Top with salsa, sour cream, jalapeño, and cilantro.

Want to take this yummy treat to your next tailgating party?  Try Thirty One’s Perfect Party Set…The Perfect Party Set expands to hold two 9” x 13” casserole pans inside 2 interior water-resistant thermal compartments. Handle grips make it easy to carry, while the exterior zipper pocket can keep additional items like utensils, baking instructions and additional ingredients secure during transport. It’s the most convenient way to take your favorite casseroles, desserts, appetizers and more to your next family picnic, neighborhood cookout, celebration or camping trip!

Hope you have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Tasty Tuesday: Carb-Slashed No-Chip Nachos!

I LOVE Mexican food.  The hotter and spicier the better.  Since living with candida flare ups, I need to not only stay away from gluten but also from corn which makes it difficult to enjoy one of my favorites – nachos.

Thank you Hungry Girl for suggesting this AWESOME recipe.  I have been known to eat my bell pepper pieces with salsa, so when I saw this recipe using them to create nachos I was thrilled!

It is easy, so flavorful, and way healthier than downing a plate of smothered fried tortillas…

Prep: 15 minutes      Cook: 15 minutes     MAKES 4 SERVINGS

1/4th of recipe (6 loaded nachos): 150 calories, 5g total fat (2.5g sat fat), 370mg sodium, 10g carbs, 2g fiber, 5.5g sugars, 15.5g protein.   SmartPoints® value 3*

Ingredients:

12 sweet mini bell peppers (each about 2 1/2 inches long)
8 oz. raw extra-lean ground beef (4% fat or less) or ground turkey
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. each salt and black pepper
1/4 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup shredded reduced-fat Mexican-blend cheese
2 tbsp. seeded and chopped jalapeño pepper
1/4 cup salsa
3 tbsp. light sour cream (optional)
2 tbsp. chopped scallions
Optional topping: sliced black olives

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.
• Slice off and discard the stem end of each pepper. Remove and discard seeds. Slice each pepper in half lengthwise, and lay them on the baking sheet, cut sides down.
• Bake for 5 minutes. Flip pepper halves. Bake until soft, about 5 more minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring a skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat. Add beef (or ground turkey), and sprinkle with seasonings. Cook and crumble for about 5 minutes, until fully cooked.
• Thoroughly blot excess moisture from pepper halves. Arrange them in the center of the sheet. Top with beef, beans, cheese, and jalapeño pepper.
• Bake until cheese has melted, about 3 minutes.
• Top with salsa, sour cream, and scallions.

Doesn’t this sound YUMMY!  I’m sure there won’t be any leftovers for lunch the next day.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!