Mexican Casserole with Ground Beef and Corn Tortillas

For out Friday card night, I like to make meals that are quickly cooked or can cook while we play and this one was the latter.  It also met three other criteria – gluten free, Mexican that we all like, and from one of my favorite meal sources.  The recipe for Mexican Casserole with GroundBeef and Corn Tortillas came from Chef Lea Ann on her “Cooking On The Ranch” blog.  I made it per the recipe except as shown in ( ).

Mexican Casserole with Ground Beef and Corn Tortillas – Adapted from Cooking On The Ranch

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 medium onion chopped

1 c. frozen corn (had none so we used canned hominy that I chopped a little)

1-15 oz. black beans canned, drained and rinsed

2-3 tbsp. taco seasoning from Spend With Pennies (https://www.spendwithpennies.com/taco-seasoning-recipe/)

½ – 1 c. water start with ½ cup. See note below.

12 yellow corn tortillas

2-15 oz. cans chopped tomatoes, drained

8 green chile peppers (2 - 4oz. cans)

S&P to taste

1 c. sour cream

1 c. Pepper Jack Cheese (shredded cheddar)

Sliced jalapeno peppers, chopped tomatoes and chopped cilantro for garnish

Note: If the mixture is too watery, this will cause the corn tortillas to become soggy during baking. Different taco seasoning mixes may contain different amounts of corn starch (for the thickening agent) This is why I say start with 1/2 cup and add a little more at a time. You want the mixture a little soupy but not watery.

Instructions:

1. Get all of the ingredients ready to cook.

2. In a large fry pan, brown ground beef. When the pink is starting to fade, add onions and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. S&P to taste.

3. Add corn, beans, tomatoes, chiles and taco seasoning, mix well and simmer for 10 minutes.  S&P to taste.

4. Add water if needed (1/2 cup for me).

5. Spray 9 x 13  (or 12x12) baking dish with cooking spray.

6. Place 1 cup of ground beef mixture on the bottom of the pan. Place half of the tortillas on top of the ground beef, overlapping and placing them so they come about 1/2 inch up the side of the casserole dish.

7. Spoon half of the remaining beef mixture on top of the tortillas and spread the sour cream over the beef. Layer the rest of the corn tortillas and then the rest of the beef mixture. 

8. Top with the grated cheese.

9. Place in heated 350 F. oven and bake for 25 minutes. 

10. Garnish with sliced jalapenos, chopped fresh tomatoes and chopped cilantro. Let stand for 5 minutes and serve.

This is my plate and we ate just the casserole with no sides, except for my second helping of the casserole.

The Verdict:

We all thought is was very good, even though I let the cheese cook too long.  I know better than to cook the cheese that long, especially the pre-shredded kind from the store - Kathy loved the crispy cheese around the edge. We all liked the hominy in the dish and it could definitely be tasted.

As expected, the casserole worked well for breakfast even though I broke one of the eggs.  I hate when I do that - fortunately it is a rare event.

Photos can be enlarged by clicking on them and the blue words are links.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

01/20/23 meal date