James' Favorite Meal of the Month

One night I was thinking of way to get rid of the rest of our whole wheat penne pasta and our can of organic vegetarian refried beans. I ended up making a dish that James LOVED and now requests quite often. Of course its Mexican. Its a very healthy Mexican pasta casserole. Here's the recipe.

1. 1 package of whole wheat penne pasta
2. 1 can organic corn, drained.
3. 1 can low fat refried beans
4. couple hand fulls of shredded veggie pepper jack cheese
5. diced tomatoes and green chilies
6. 1/2 package of taco seasoning (medium to spicy)
7. salsa to add on top (after baking)

So basically you cook the pasta then add in the corn, tomatoes, chilies, seasoning,and little bit of cheese. Spread over a casserole dish then spread the refried beans on top and then the rest of the cheese on top. Bake until cheese is melted and corners are browned a little. Maybe 20-30 minutes max at 350 degrees. I just kept checking to see if the dish had set and the cheese wasn't over cooked. Also, you can add in black beans and chicken/lean beef for extra protein and spinach for a little immunity boost! This is a great dish to make in bulk and to snack on through the week. Its light but with the right amount of carbs and protein. Just go easy on the cheese or switch to veggie cheese if you are trying to keep race weight.
Let me know if anyone tries it out!
LCotter