Lightened-Up Taco Casserole

This lightened-up taco casserole mixes things up from the standard fare! It’s the delicious answer to Taco Tuesday fatigue.

I’m pretty sure Taco Tuesday is a nationwide thing. Who doesn’t love tacos? Whether served in a hard shell, beef, or chicken, they’re easy to make and serve dinner for millions of busy families. Restaurants have gotten on board, too, and menus are brimming with specials and options. However, sometimes it’s fun to mix things up.

This lightened-up taco casserole is a tasty twist on your favorite weekday classic. It can be made in advance and kept in the fridge. And if you happen to have leftovers, I think it’s just as good when eaten on day two. I changed up the ingredients in this recipe to make it healthier, but definitely not skimpier on taste. 

My Healthier Substitutions

Ground Turkey – most taco recipes call for ground beef, but I used ground turkey in this recipe instead. It cooks cleanly and I don’t have to drain off fat. Plus, it’s a white meat alternative that’s not chicken.
Homemade Taco Seasoning – sure, you can use the yellow packet in the store, but this homemade taco seasoning is super easy to whip together with no extra salt or weird preservatives.
Plain Greek Nonfat Yogurt – this is a healthy staple in our house and I use it to replace sour cream. I love the fact that it’s still super creamy without extra fat. And hey. it has good for your gut probiotics to boot!
1/3 Less Fat Cream Cheese – Instead of the full-fat variety, I always grab this one instead. The consistency is a little softer so I don’t have to bring it to room temperature first. Plus, it packs the same amount of cream cheese flavor. Whatever you do, though, do NOT use the fat-free kind. It does not work in this recipe at all due to its glue-ish consistency and lack of natural taste.

This recipe also calls for noodles, and I’m happy to say you can use whatever floats your boat, from homemade to gluten-free to veggie-based, to plain old spaghetti noodles. Just be sure to cook the noodles according to the instructions on your package.

Taco Casserole Ingredients

• 1 16-ounce package of noodles
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 4 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning OR 1 packet of store-bought
• 1 can Rotel (mild, regular, or hot)
• A jar of spaghetti sauce – I love local varieties like Dei Fratelli
• 1 cup cottage cheese 
• 1 8 ounce package of 1/3 less fat cream cheese
• 1/4 cup of Greek plain nonfat yogurt
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 cups Mexican cheese

How to Make Lightened-Up Taco Casserole

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
• Cook your noodles then drain and set them aside.
• While the noodles are cooking, brown the ground turkey in a pan lightly coated in olive oil. See notes. Next, stir in the seasonings, Rotel, and spaghetti sauce. Set aside.

• In a medium bowl, combine the cottage cheese, cream cheese, Greek yogurt, parsley, and garlic powder.

• Coat a 9×13 baking dish with oil or spray and place half of the cooked noodles in the bottom of it. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the noodles. Top with the remaining noodles. Finally, pour the meat sauce over the noodles and top with Mexican cheese.
• Bake uncovered for 35-45 minutes. Allow to cool 5-10 minutes before serving. 

Notes

• Ground turkey has less fat, but it does tend to stick to the pan while you’re cooking it. That’s why I recommended a light coating of olive oil. It makes all the difference when it comes to cleanup!
• If you can’t abide cottage cheese, you can use ricotta instead.
• You can totally pre-make this recipe and keep it in your fridge until you’re ready to bake it. Just add an extra 5 minutes of cooking time.

As always, I’d love to hear from you if you make this recipe. Let me know what you think in the comments!