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WW Recipe of the Day: Healthy Southwest Taco Skillet Freezer Meal
I started making healthy freezer meals for convenience when we were camping. Now I find myself using these make-ahead recipes more and more at home.
Being budget-conscious, this is a terrific way to take advantage of sales. When I find a meat bargain, I buy it in bulk. Then I prep several different freezer meals for later—like this Southwest Taco Skillet.
It’s really not much more work beyond portioning out the meat to freeze in smaller quantities.
Spending a little time up front preparing these meals saves me in the long run. Knowing that I have meals that will come together quickly has kept me from grabbing fast food on several occasions.
They are also easy for my husband to prepare. A one pan meal that cooks in 30 minutes or less is right up his alley.
How Many Calories and WW Points in this Taco Skillet?
According to my calculations, each serving has 178 calories and
5 *SmartPoints (Green plan)
4 *SmartPoints (Blue plan)
4 *SmartPoints (Purple plan)
4 *PointsPlus (Old plan)
To see your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, Click here!
How to Assemble Southwest Taco Skillet Freezer Meal Step by Step
Gather all your ingredients, washing and prepping (shredding, chopping, etc.) them as necessary.
For this One-Pot Southwest Taco Stir-Fry, wash the zucchini and use a grater to shred 1/2 cup. Wash the jalapeño pepper, slice in half and remove the seeds and finely chop.
Open the can of beans and put them in a strainer (affiliate link) to drain and rinse them off.
Tossing together this freezer meal is super simple. Grab a Quart-size freezer bag and magic marker (or use some paper and tape) for labeling the bag. You’ll find it to be much easier labeling your freezer meal bag while it’s empty and can lay flat! Be sure to add the date it was prepared too.
This is how I wrote my label:
Southwest Taco
- Thaw
- Add to skillet, med/hi
- Cook until meat is done
- Serve with tortillas, taco shells, in bowl, with greens
Add the turkey to bag first so it takes up the bottom, then add the salt, pepper, simmer sauce, pinto beans, zucchini and jalapeño.
Squeeze out as much air from the bag as you can and seal the bag. This cuts down on the formation of ice crystals and possibility of freezer burn.
Place the bag flat in your freezer (at least until hardened) with label facing up (which is much more convenient once you get a freezer full of meals).
Recipe Notes
The Simply Organic line of simmer sauces (affiliate link) can be found in most grocery stores.
If you don’t have the packaged sauce, no problem. Simply combine an 8 ounce can of tomato sauce, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and mix well.
If you want to spice it up even more, use 1 chipotle pepper in adobo (diced) along with 1 teaspoon of the adobo sauce.
Remember to thaw your freezer meal bag for 24 hours prior to cooking.
How to Cook One-Pot Taco Skillet Step by Step
Once your bag is completely thawed, empty it into a skillet over medium/high heat.
Cook for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the meat is cooked and no longer pink. When the internal temperature of the turkey reaches 165F degrees, you’ll know it is cooked through.
Alternatively, you can cook this in your crock pot. When the bag is thawed, empty the contents into a 4-Quart slow cooker (affiliate link). Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours, or until done.
Serving Suggestions
- Use it as a filling to make flavorful hard or soft tacos.
- Use it to top a bed of salad greens, add tomato, salsa, avocado slices and a few crushed tortilla chips for a tasty taco salad.
- Use as a filling for burritos or enchiladas.
- Serve with brown or white rice and sautéed squash.
- Scoop it onto a baked potato.
- Or keep it low carb by serving with riced cauliflower or zoodles.
Ideas for Using Up Leftovers
- Make a zesty southwestern soup by adding chicken broth and salsa. Top with sliced avocado and fresh cilantro.
- Top with fried eggs for easy huevos rancheros.
- Make Southwestern burgers by adding breadcrumbs and a beaten egg. Mix well and form into patties. Cook in a skillet, or grill, and serve on a bun or with lettuce wraps.
- Mix with rice and use it to make Stuffed Southwest Bell Peppers.
- Add to melted cheese for a quick queso dip.
Get creative with your leftovers. Do it your way and then share your leftover recipe with us in the comments below.
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Southwest Taco Skillet Freezer Meal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 packet (8 ounces) Southwest Taco Simmer Sauce (mine was from Simply Organic)
- 1 can (about 15 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup shredded zucchini
- 1 jalapeño, chopped
Instructions
Prepare the taco skillet freezer meal:
- Label a quart-size freezer bag using a marker, paper and tape, or whatever you have available.
- Add turkey to the labeled freezer bag.
- Add remaining ingredients in the order listed above (salt, pepper, simmer sauce, beans, zucchini, and jalapeño).
- Remove as much air as possible (to help prevent ice crystals from forming) and seal the bag. Lay it flat in your freezer (at least until hardened).
- Remove bag the night before using and thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
When you're read to cook:
- Add contents of the thawed bag to the skillet.
- Cook on medium/high heat for 20-25 minutes until meat is done.
Slow Cooker Instructions:
- Ideal slow cooker size: 4-Quart.
- Add contents of the thawed bag to the slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours, or until meat is cooked.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
A note about WW Points
If you're following Weight Watchers, all the recipes here on Simple Nourished Living have been updated for the new WW program, with points displayed in the recipe card. The Check the WW Points link in the recipe card takes you to the Weight Watchers App where you can edit it using the WW recipe builder or add it to your day.
(Must be logged into WW account on a mobile device, such as smartphone or tablet).
If you like this One-Pot Southwestern Taco Skillet, you might also like:
- Cheeseburger Pasta Skillet
- Caribbean Jerk Turkey Freezer Meal
- One-Pot Vegetable Curry
- Skillet Cauliflower Rice & Beans
Brenda is a licensed esthetician and former small business owner after completing over 15 years of service with the United States military.
She is an essential oil enthusiast and avid home cooking for her husband and their two dogs.
Brenda and her family spend most of their time in the American Southwest, but they also love hitting the road for adventure.
One of her new passions is creating easy, healthy family-friendly freezer meals which can be prepared at home and frozen, and then cooked while traveling the country in their travel trailer.
She looks forward to sharing everything she learns with you here on Simple Nourished Living.
I am looking for a recipe to use lentils during lent. Does anyone have a WW recipe for me to try? thanks
Hi Patty,
Here are a few of my favorites:
https://simple-nourished-living.com/ww-slow-cooker-vegetarian-lentil-chili-recipe-0-freestyle-smartpoints/
https://simple-nourished-living.com/simple-lentil-salad/
https://simple-nourished-living.com/salmon-with-warm-lentil-and-mixed-green-salad/
https://simple-nourished-living.com/weight-watchers-lentil-salad-with-mint-and-goat-cheese/
https://simple-nourished-living.com/38-power-foods-weight-watchers-lentil-and-swiss-chard-soup/
https://simple-nourished-living.com/spicy-red-lentil-soup-with-lemon-recipe-5-weight-watchers-smartpoints/
https://simple-nourished-living.com/lemony-lentil-quinoa-salad/