Mexican Chicken Bake

Difficulty | Serves 6 | Book 6

Ingredients
Nutrition

1½ cups macaroni pasta
500g skinless chicken breasts small dice
cooking spray
1 teaspoon crushed garlic (in jar)
1 cup red capsicum diced
1 cup celery diced
1 cup onion diced
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons reduced-salt taco seasoning
¼ teaspoon chilli powder or to taste
pepper
3 tablespoons no-added-salt tomato paste
1 x 400g can no-added-salt crushed tomatoes
1 x 420g can Mexican chilli beans
2 tablespoons cornflour
½ cup water
1 cup (100g) 30% reduced fat tasty cheese freshly grated

Per serve
Fat	Total	7.5g
	Saturated	3.3g
Fibre		7.3g
Protein		34.1g
Carbs	Total	48.5g
	Sugar	7.3g
Sodium		557mg
Kilojoules		1650 (cals 394)
GI Rating		Low

Method

Preheat oven 180ºC fan forced.

Cook pasta as instructed on packet. Leave to one side.
Brown chicken pieces in a large frypan that has been generously coated with cooking spray.
Add garlic and all the vegetables and sauté for 5 minutes.
Add all spices and pepper to taste, combining with vegetables.
Add tomato paste, tomatoes, Mexican chilli beans and fold in with ingredients.
Combine cornflour with water then add to pan and stir in well.
Once mixture has boiled add pasta and stir in well so pasta is covered with ingredients.
Pour into a large lasagne dish then flatten top. Sprinkle grated cheese evenly over top and bake 40-45 minutes or until cheese has browned on top.

Suitable to be frozen.

Note from Annette: Mexican food is so popular here in Australia, but it can be very high in fat and sodium, so I am excited to have this fantastic recipe for you to enjoy. I love the concept of bakes such as this one with meat, vegetables and pasta all in one dish. Got to love that!

Dietitian's tip

Adding vegetables, including low-GI beans, decreases the amount of animal protein and fat in the nutritious meal and provides loads of fibre. Ideal for the health of your gastrointestinal tracts. This meal will be satisfying making you feel full for hours.