Something Sweet Something Salty

How many of you are ready for tank tops and shorts, and heaven forbid bathing suits?…NOT ME! I am going to attempt to make one or two lower fat recipes every week.  Not only do I want to offer a variety of recipes for my wonderful followers but I would really love feel comfortable in my summer clothes.  Now people who know me know I’m not the diet type because I LOVE food way too much.  So my diets consist of trying to make some better choices and adding some fun exercise in when I get the chance.  This recipe came from my sister’s collection and quickly became a staple in our house.  Not only do my hubby and I like it but the kids devour it.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey breast (ground beef is also yummy in the “not so low-fat” version :))

1 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped onion (red, white or yellow)

1 cup long grain white rice

1-14 1/2 oz can stewed tomatoes, undrained

1/2 cup sliced olives

1-4 oz can diced chili’s, drained

1 and 1/2 tsp beef base

1 and 1/4 cups water (feel free to use 1 and 1/4 cups beef broth in place of water and beef base)

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp pepper

1 cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese (of course it’s always better with regular cheddar but low-fat does the trick)

fat-free or low-fat sour cream if desired for serving

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In an oven-safe skillet, brown ground turkey (or beef) with celery and onion.  Drain fat if there is any.  Add rice, tomatoes, olives, green chiles, beef base, water, chili powder, Worcestershire and pepper (everything except the cheese and sour cream). Bring to a boil.  Cover and bake for one hour.  Remove from oven and top with cheese.  Cover and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.