Your next Taco Tuesday recipe is here! Warm, bubbly Mexican Skillet packs in veggies and beans for a complete, vegetarian, one-pan meal. If you choose gluten-free enchilada sauce, you’ll also make this meal naturally gluten free.
Who says kids need bland food? A lot of kids go wild for Taco Tuesday. We love helping kids learn to love international cuisines, in all their bold and spiced glory. In our experience, Mexican-inspired food gets the thumbs up from kids and their parents alike. And a dinner everyone can agree on is priceless, especially on a hectic weeknight.
This Easy Weeknight Mexican Skillet meal satisfies your biggest enchilada craving, without the fuss of rolling up the filling inside tortillas. Make it in less than 30 minutes!
Great Nutrition for Taco-Loving Kids
Pat yourself on the back when you serve this meal: you’re getting a plethora of healthy ingredients into your kiddos.
Fresh veggies like bell peppers, tomatoes, corn, cilantro, and avocados add color, flavor, texture, and vitamins. Even if you think your kids might balk at this variety, try to avoid catering to their tastes by leaving veggies out. It’s not harsh: it’s how kids learn to become more adventurous in their eating habits.
Most corn tortillas are considered whole grain. (Gluten-free families can also rejoice! No gluten here.) Shredded cheese adds protein and fat that kids need.
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And let’s not forget the beans. Our love affair with beans knows no bounds. Beans have more fiber than just about any other food. Just 1/2 cup of black beans supplies a third of kids’ daily recommended amount of fiber! The skins also boast impressive levels of antioxidants (just like the skins of other plant foods, like grapes and apples.) Beans also get a healthy dose of protein into kids’ bodies–especially important for kids who are still learning to like meat.
Mexican Skillet: a 30-Minute, One-Pan Wonder
Dinners you can truly make in 30 minutes– truly truly— are not as easy to find as we might like. But you can get this one to the table SO FAST, especially thanks to shortcuts like canned beans and pre-shredded cheese. Which is to say: preheat that oven first, because you’re going to be ready to pop that skillet in to the bubbly-cheese-maker in 15 minutes flat. (If you’ve prepped your veggies ahead of time, you can cut that time in half.)
To make this Mexican Skillet dinner, toss your chopped veggies into a big, oven-safe skillet. Let them soften for a few minutes, then transfer 3/4 of the mixture into a bowl. Then cut the heat and start layering. If your kids are big enough to stand safely near the hot pan, let them layer on the tortillas, cheese, and remaining veggie mixture. Then in it goes! Fast, simple, and so yummy.
Keep up with serving your kids exciting international flavors!
