Mexican Casserole

Plan Z Phase: This is a Z3.5 (ZReboot 3.5) recipe. I was shocked. I have made this casserole so many times in so many variations — I had no idea I had never typed it up to share with all of you! I am going to give you one version here but I’ll also editorialize a bit and give you other options to experiment. This recipe is so easy it comes together in under 15 minutes and then you just bake to heat it. A novice can handle this one for sure…and a busy parent can get a kid-friendly recipe on the table fast.

Servings: Serves 4-6 depending on portion size.

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tbl of olive oil
  • olive oil spray
  • 1-1/2 burrito-sized tortillas (about 8” in diameter)
  • 1 lb of ground beef. You decide how lean you want it.
  • ½ cup of chopped onion
  • 1 cup of diced veggies. I used red and orange bell peppers.
  • ½ tsp of ground cumin
  • ½ tsp of ground chili powder (or to taste)
  • ¾ cup of enchilada sauce (I used medium. You choose your heat level.)
  • 1 cup of chili beans in sauce (I use Bush’s brand)
  • 2 Tbl of chopped green chilies (I get the ones in the little can. They are pretty mild.)
  • 2 cups of shredded cheese (I use the Mexican blend but you can choose your favorite.)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. You’ll need a 9” x 9” oven proof pan or a 6” x 10” works too.

Take out your pan. Spray with olive oil. Put in your tortilla so it runs up the side a bit and then put the other half to cover the rest of the bottom and up the side a bit. Spraying the pan will allow your tortilla to crisp up when it’s in the oven. You don’t need a lot of carbs. This is plenty.

In a large saute pan add the other olive oil and put in your meat. Begin to break it up and brown it until no pink remains. When the beef is half done you can add your onions and the spices. I left my pepper bits raw but if you want less crunch in the finished product you can add the pepper bits when you add the onions and cook them down a bit. Now stir in your enchilada sauce.

All that’s left is assembly. Put half of your meat mixture in the ovenproof pan on top of the tortillas. Then sprinkle on half of the cheese. Add the bean layer and the raw bits of veggie if you didn’t cook them. Scatter on the green chilies. Put on the next layer of meat mixture. Top with the final cup of shredded cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 – 30 minutes to heat it through and make the cheese all melty. Let sit about 10 minutes out of the oven for the casserole to firm up and make it easier to eat without burning your mouth.

To serve take a sharp knife to cut through the tortillas and make uniform slices. Serve in bowls or on plates.

Optional sides and toppings:

  • Sour cream (I love a good dollup of cold sour cream to balance off the hot casserole)
  • Salsa (find a nice one with no sugar)
  • Hot sauce (my hubby loves Tabasco on this)
  • Fritos (A single, small handful is plenty. I only eat about six. You can eat them on the side for crunch or chop them up and sprinkle on top of your casserole piece.)

For a bigger crowd: Everything in the recipes doubles except the tortillas. In a 9” x 13” pan you’ll likely only need two tortillas to cover the whole pan bottom and up the sides a bit. You can likely get away with 1-1/2 pound of beef too. Don’t really need a full 2 pounds.

Freeze leftover tortillas if you think you’d be tempted to start eating the extras too often. I serve a dish like this maybe once every 2 or 3 weeks. Don’t want to overdo the carbs. And to think we used to be afraid of the fat!

Save the leftovers of the sauce, the beans and the veggies to use in an omelet!

Enjoy!

Cheers,