Get ready for your next Taco Tuesday! This warm, bubbly Mexican skillet dinner is loaded with vegetables and beans for a complete, vegetarian one-pan meal. If you opt for a gluten-free enchilada sauce, it becomes naturally free of gluten too.
Who says kids need boring food? Many children go crazy for Taco Tuesday. We enjoy helping kids discover international cuisines with all their bold, seasoned goodness. From our experience, Mexican-inspired dishes earn approval from both kids and parents. And a meal everyone agrees on is invaluable, especially during a busy weeknight.
This Easy Weeknight Mexican Skillet satisfies your biggest enchilada cravings without the hassle of rolling fillings inside tortillas. It’s ready in under half an hour!
Fantastic Nutrition for Taco-Loving Kids
Feel great when you serve this dish: you’re packing a wealth of healthy ingredients into your children’s meals.
Fresh vegetables like bell peppers, tomatoes, corn, cilantro, and avocados add color, taste, texture, and essential vitamins. Even if you think your kids might resist this variety, try not to cater to their preferences by leaving out veggies. It’s not harsh—it’s how children learn to become more adventurous eaters.
Most corn tortillas are considered whole grains. (Gluten-free families can also celebrate—no gluten here.) Shredded cheese supplies protein and fat that kids need.
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And let’s not overlook the beans. Our love for beans has no limits. Beans contain more fiber than almost any other food. Just half a cup of black beans provides one-third of the daily recommended fiber for kids! Their skins also offer impressive antioxidant levels (similar to the skins of other plant foods like grapes and apples). Beans also deliver a healthy dose of protein to children’s bodies—especially important for kids still learning to enjoy meat.
Mexican Skillet: A 30-Minute, One-Pan Marvel
Dinners you can truly make in 30 minutes—honestly—are harder to find than we might think. But this one comes together SO FAST, especially with shortcuts like canned beans and pre-shredded cheese. That means: preheat your oven first, because you’ll be ready to pop that skillet into the bubbly-cheese-maker in just 15 minutes. (If you’ve prepped your veggies ahead, you can cut that time in half.)
To make this Mexican Skillet dinner, toss your chopped veggies into a large, oven-safe skillet. Let them soften for a few minutes, then transfer three-quarters of the mixture to a bowl. Turn off 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 into the oven it goes! Fast, simple, and so delicious.
Keep serving your kids exciting international flavors!
