Taco Casserole Ole – Say hello to my little friend!

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Last night I had some taco meat that I wanted to finish off yet I didn’t feel like making the standard left-over recipes I typically do:  gonzo pie, chili, burritos, or taco salad.  So, I decided to go off the reservation and make something I have thought about making for a while. 

Say hello to my little friend!  Meet my  Mexican version of the Shepherd’s Pie but with a few twists.  Unfortunately, we inhaled this last night before I could get a pretty picture of it in the pan or on a plate.  This is actually a lunch today – leftovers.   So – apologies for the quality of the shot and the fact that it leaves a little something to be desired!

That said, not every idea I have for a recipe works as well on the plate or palate as I think it will in my head.  This recipe, though, will become a standard in our house.  It was delicious! 

I liked it just as much for lunch as I did for supper last night.  I may have enjoyed it a little more since the flavors were a little more pronounced in the lunch serving!  The Rotel makes this a little on the spicy side but if you like things hot, feel free to add some Cholula, which is our all-time, hands-down favorite hot sauce.  All that said, I know a recipe is a keeper when we finish the meal in a day or two.  This is definitely one of those in our family.

All you need is taco meat and some  pantry staples to have this meal on the table in 30 to 40 minutes max.

Taco Casserole Ole

• 2 to 4 C leftover Taco meat (or fresh)
• 1 can Pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can green beans, drained
• 1 can Rotel, original flavor (or whatever you have on hand)
• 1 small can green chilies, diced
• 2 C cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 pouch Idahoan Roasted Garlic mashed potatoes, prepared (or 2 to 4 cups of leftover/fresh mashed potatoes)

Preheat oven to 375.  Spray a 9×9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray along the sides.  Set aside.

Make the instant mashed potatoes to package directions and set aside.

In a large bowl combine the taco meat, beans, Rotel, and chilies until well mixed.  Pour into prepared 9×9 pan.  Top with cheddar cheese.  Spread mashed potatoes across the top evenly.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes (or more, e.g., 40 to 45, if you want the potatoes to brown up a bit).  Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Mexican Cornbread Casserole

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There are nights when I just want to slap dinner together and have it be terrific.  Tonight is one of those nights!  For most of the day we had sunshine and blue skies with a temperature of about 60 degrees.  Fabulous!

Well, by the time I was driving home from work, the rain was moving in and in full swing by the time I finished my 15 minute commute home.  I thought about just serving leftovers but I wasn’t really in the mood for those.  So, I put on my thinking cap as I browsed the pantry and the frig.  Dangerous, right?!

Here’s the basic premise:  cornbread mix, leftover taco meat, salsa, and other stuff mixed together and dumped into a greased 9×13 pan.  It smelled divine while cooking and tasted great too!  Garnish like you would a taco – yum! 

Easy-Peasy-Mexi-Dinner.  Yeah – not as good as Guy Fieri’s ‘winner, winner chicken dinner’!  =D  But it sure is an easy, delicious meal!!!

Mexican Cornbread Casserole

• 1 pouch Marie Callendar’s Cornbread Mix
• 1 small can of mild diced green chilies
• 1 small can of minced black olives
• 2 C shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 C water
• 1 C Pace mild picante sauce
• 3 C leftover taco meat or chopped cooked chicken
• Garnishes
• Chopped tomatoes
• Chopped onions
• Shredded Cheddar
• Sour Cream, Guacamole, Salsa, etc.

Preheat oven to 375.  Spray a 9×13 pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl combine the cornbread mix, water, and picante sauce until well mixed.  Add the chilies, black olives, and cheese mixing well.  If the mixture is too thick, use salsa or water to make it less dense.  Taste for seasonings and adjust.  (I added some garlic powder – can’t help it—I love that garlic flavor!)

Bake at 375 for 35 to 45 minutes.  Garnish like you would Tacos or my Gonzo Pie!

Chicken or Black Bean Barley Casserole

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This is a dish that cooks in your oven for an hour.  I like to throw everything in a Dutch oven and have a one-dish meal.  I love the clean-up on that too!  Typically, this is the whole supper.  On occasion, I’ll garlic bread.

Monk has been known to wrap this up in a tortilla, top with Cholula and cheese, and eat it that way.  For me,  I like it in a bowl topped with hot sauce and cheese!  Sometimes I cut the chicken up into bite-sized pieces and let it cook in the pot without browning it.  I don’t mind poached chicken but if you do feel free to brown up the chicken first.

The black beans are totally optional.  Even if I’m not using chicken, though, I use the beans.  Sometimes I don’t make this with chicken and use a vegetable broth.  If you prefer salsa or picante sauce to the Ro-Tel tomatoes feel free to use a cup or two instead of the Ro-Tel.

Chicken or Black Bean Barley Casserole

• 1/2 lb turkey bacon, chopped, fried crisp
• 1 package chicken tenders, cut into bite-sized pieces
• Omit if making this a vegetarian meal
• 1/2 bag frozen OreIda chopped onions
• 1 C frozen bell peppers, rough chopped
• 1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed or grated
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 C barley
• 3 C chicken broth
• Use vegetable broth if making this a vegetarian meal

Preheat oven to 350.

Fry chopped bacon in a large Dutch oven that has a lid.  Remove the bacon and drain on paper towels.

Add the barley, onion, garlic, and bell peppers and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until veggies are looking a little toasty.  Add the Ro-Tel, black beans, chicken broth, cumin and chili powder stirring to well combine.  Taste for seasonings and adjust as needed.

Cover the Dutch oven and bake for an hour at 350.  I usually stir at 30 minutes to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom and again before serving.

Creamy Cheese Enchiladas

I love Mexican food but typically my family isn’t a big fan.  I have been successful, though, at getting this into the meal rotation but it usually sees the light of day only once or twice a year.

Creamy Cheese Enchiladas

• 1 package of corn tortillas (12 in a pack)
• 1 medium onion, chopped – almost minced
• 4 C cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup (mushroom is fine too)
• 8 oz of sour cream
• 4 oz can of green mild green chiles, diced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Preheat oven to 375.  Spray a 9×13 pan with non-stick cooking spray.  Set aside.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine soup, sour cream, salt, pepper, and garlic powder stirring occasionally until it’s hot.  In a medium mixing bowl, combine cheese and onion.

Warm corn tortilla in microwave for 15 to 20 seconds.  Spoon 2 to 3 Tbsp of cheese and onion into middle of corn tortilla and top with 3 Tbsp hot soup mixture.  Roll up and place seam side down in the prepared 9×13 pan.  Repeat until all tortillas are used and the 9×13 pan is full.

Evenly spread remaining hot soup mixture over top of the enchiladas.  Evenly spread remaining cheese and onion mixture over top of the soup.

Bake at 375 for 25 to 30 minutes until hot, bubbly, with the cheese melted.  Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

My family likes this with a simple green salad with the home-made Hidden Valley Ranch dressing and a Mexican rice pilaf or refried beans.

Quick Bean Burritos

There are nights when I just don’t feel like cooking and I want to get food into the family as quickly as possible with as little fuss and muss as possible.  This is a recipe my little sister gave me in the mid-80’s.  Shoot – she may not even remember this one!  In any case, in my family, we still use it today!

Quick Bean Burritos

• 1 package flour tortillas
• 1 15-oz can of refried beans
• 1 C Pace Picante sauce (more or less as you want the beans to be creamy)
• 2 C shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 Tbsp sour cream
• diced onion

Combine refried beans and picante sauce in a medium mixing bowl that can go into the microwave.  Heat on high for 2 to 3 minutes.  Stir and heat further to get it hot.  Moisten 2 paper towels and put a flour tortilla between it.  Microwave for 20 seconds – just to warm it. 

Put 1/4 C (more or less) in the center of the warmed tortilla, top with onion, sour cream, and cheese.  Wrap up like a burrito and serve.  Repeat until you have all that you need to feed your family.