Turkey and Bean Taco Pie

What to do with leftover mashed potatoes and spaghetti sauce? Spice things up with taco seasoning and make it Mexican!

I had some turkey pasta sauce left over from last night as well as some mashed potatoes from the day before. I hate to throw perfectly good food away, so I adapted an on-line recipe for a simple taco pie by adding a can of mixed beans and corn niblets to the meat sauce and adding taco seasoning to both the sauce and the mashed potatoes. I used the mashed potato mixture to line a quiche dish creating a 'crust' then filled the pie with the spicy meat and bean filling. The result was delicious and so very satisfying!

This recipe is so incredibly easy and really chocked full of protein with the beans and turkey - you even get your dose of fresh veggies and its relatively low in fat, even with the grated cheese on top!

Turkey and Bean Taco Pie

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups mashed potatoes

1 pound ground turkey

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 package Taco seasoning mix (I used Trader Joe's taco mix)

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup salsa

1 can mixed beans, rinsed and drained

2/3 cup frozen corn niblets, thawed

1-1/2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce

1 medium tomato, chopped

2 cups Tex-Mex cheese, shredded

1/2 small bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

2/3 cup sour cream

2 Tbsp milk

1 tsp ground cumin

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Add half the taco seasoning to the mashed potatoes. Press mixture into the bottom of a greased 10-inch quiche dish, spring-form pan or pie plate.

2. Bake for 10 minutes until it starts to turn golden brown.

3. In a medium skillet, heat oil and cook turkey and onions until turkey is browned and cooked through. Drain. Add beans, corn, salsa and remaining taco seasoning. Cook until bubbly, about 10 minutes. (Add a small amount of water if filling gets too dry).

4. Pour into crust. Bake for 15 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.

5. In the meantime mix sour cream with milk and cumin; set aside.

6. Top pie with shredded cheese and return to oven for another 5 minutes, or until cheese is just melted. Let cool for 5 minutes. Top with lettuce, tomatoes and cilantro. Cut and serve with sour cream.

Serves 4