Healthier Dorito Casserole

In a recent poll for recipe requests, one amazing reader suggested a low carb take on the classic Dorito pie. My eyes lit up as I stumbled across their suggestion, as Dorito casserole was one of my favorite childhood memories. Taking on the challenge was a no-brainer.

The average Dorito pie recipe has around 3,600 calories, 200+ grams of fat, 300+ grams of carbs, and fewer than 100 grams of protein. Yuck.

I managed to make this version with around 2,000 calories in the entire recipe. And that comes with 182 grams of protein and half the carbs of a normal Dorito pie.

But more importantly, it’s delicious. According to the hanging judge, my girlfriend, this is the best tasting recipe to date. Boom.

https://youtu.be/2-q3oUaKXEE

Low Carb Dorito Casserole Ingredients

We’ll be using low-carb Doritos fauxritos in this recipe. Don’t worry, these things are super easy to make and only requires one ingredient and a bit of seasoning.

The one special ingredient is something called cheddar powder, which is essentially dehydrated cheese similar to powdered peanut butter.

I buy cheddar powder in bulk and use it for all kinds of stuff like mac and cheese muffins, nacho fries, or taco pinwheels. I went as far to dedicate an entire article to its goodness.

Okay, you get the point, it’s a solid investment. You may be able to find alternatives in your grocery store like Knorr cheese sauce mix or even nutritional yeast. 

Protein Options for Dorito Casserole

The recipe calls for 93/7 ground beef, but you could use all kinds of proteins. Keep in mind, rinsing and draining your meat during cooking can reduce fat by up to 50%. If you can’t find a good deal on lower fat ground meat, go with an 85/15 and drain the fat during cooking.

If you wanted an even lower fat option, you could use cooked chicken or even shredded rotisserie chicken. Here are a few of my favorite chicken recipes that you could cook for your Dorito casserole filling:

• chipotle ranch pan fried chicken tenders
• pineapple chipotle crockpot chicken
• fajita chicken and peppers

That’s about it for ingredient notes. You could serve this dish with reduced fat sour cream, avocado slices, or hot sauce and salsa. Just be mindful of your additional calories from toppings. If reheated, I’ve found 60 seconds to be about right in the microwave.

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Healthier Dorito Casserole

Yield: 8 slices

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

A lower calorie alternative to classic Dorito Pie. 

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Ingredients

• 1 lb Ground Turkey, Beef, or Chicken, Macros for 93/7 ground beef
• 1 packet Taco Seasoning
• 1 roll Reduced-Fat Crescent Rolls

Cream Sauce

• 1/2 C (113g) Plain Fat-Free Greek Yogurt
• 4 oz Fat-Free Cream Cheese
• 1/2 C (120g) Salsa

Fauxritos

• 1 C (112g) Shredded Parmesan
• 2 Tbsp (16g) Cheddar Powder
• 1-2 tsp Paprika

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
2. Mix parmesan cheese, cheddar powder, and spices of your choice in a bowl. (I added a bit of cayenne pepper for a little kick.)
3. Line baking sheet with cheese mixture as flat as possible. If you were making these individually you could put them in small circles. Since we'll be using it in a lattice-ish manner, I made one big sheet.
4. Bake for 4-5 minutes or until brown around the edges. Remove to cool.
5. Brown ground meat and add taco seasoning as you normally would for taco prep.
6. Mix the Greek yogurt, cream cheese, and salsa together until smooth. 
7. Line a pie dish with crescent rolls. Make sure there are no openings or holes in your crust.
8. Start your layers with half of your fauxritos on top of the crescent roll crust. Next, add the taco meat, followed by the cream sauce. Add the second half of your fauxritos on top. If your fauxritos are crispy enough, you can crumble them. I broke mine into small pieces and covered as much as possible. (Optional: add 1/4 C fat-free cheddar cheese on top to fully cover)
9. Spray the top of your pie with low-cal cooking spray and bake for 20 minutes at 400. Let the pie fully cool if possible.

Notes

Each slice has 5 Smart Points.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1 slice
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 257Total Fat: 10gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 23g

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