Tracy Carr, 29, created La Bamba Casserole while she was in graduate school at Mississippi State University. "My friends and I gathered weekly at my house to watch television on Monday nights. One night, I just threw some ingredients together that I had on hand, and La Bamba Casserole was born," she says.

Tracy's mother used to make a variation of this recipe with beef, and Tracy wanted to lighten it with turkey or chicken. "I've been on a quest for dishes that combine my two favorite things -- poultry and beans," she explains. "And if you have beans, you must have tomatoes. And tomatoes love corn, and then cheese should probably get involved somewhere. So that's how it really started."

Tracy likes to serve her casserole with Mexican corn bread and a green salad. She says the dish is perfect for hearty and picky eaters alike, and it's easy to adapt. She often grinds chicken breasts in her food processor for the casserole. "Don't have turkey? Use chicken. Dislike chiles? Don't use them," she says. "I hate it when there's a good-sounding recipe that has some scary ingredient in it, and I worry that if I omit it, it will ruin the result."

Tracy, who now lives in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, says her recipe's best quality is that it's fairly easy. "I am more of a fan of eating food than I am of preparing it, and even I can do this one," she says. "It's a totally flavorful and interesting dish -- plus, it's pretty to look at. No one likes eating ugly food!"

To the Rescue. Do you have a favorite recipe that needs a healthy makeover? Maybe we can lighten it up. Send it to us, along with your reasons for wanting a healthier version and any interesting stories or traditions about the recipe. Include your name, address, and daytime phone number with the recipe, and send it to CL_Web@timeinc.com with "Lighten Up" in the subject line. We can't lighten every recipe we receive, but if we adapt yours, we'll send you a Cooking Light cookbook. We reserve the right to edit all recipes. All recipes submitted become the property of Cooking Light.