Charlie’s Layered Mexican Casserole

By Susan52

Ingredients

• 10 to 12 – 5″ flour or corn tortillas (or large tortillas, quartered or torn into large pieces)
• 1 jar (24 ounces) favorite bottled salsa; I use Safeway Select Garlic Lover’s Salsa
• 1 pound ground hamburger, cooked and crumbled
• 10 grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1 small yellow onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 package (16 ounces) frozen corn or 1 can (15 1/4 ounces) corn, drained
• 1 can (6 ounces) chopped green chilies
• 1 can (15 ounces) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup black olives, sliced
• 9 slices of American cheese
• 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 bunch cilantro, picked from stems (for garnish)
• Sour cream (garnish)
• Additional salsa (garnish)
• Jalapeno (optional – garnish)

Details

Servings 8
Preparation time 20mins
Adapted from tootsweet4two.com

Preparation

Step 1

Saute’ ground beef and onion in frying pan until brown and onions are translucent.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray bottom and sides of 9″ x 13″ glass baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Coat bottom of baking pan with 1 cup of salsa.

Next, layer 5-6 of the tortillas.

Layer the following ingredients: ground beef, corns, beans, another cup of salsa, shredded cheddar cheese, chilies, olives and tomatoes.

Layer American cheese on top.

Cover with remaining 5-6 tortillas.

Pour remaining salsa over all.

Bake for 40 minutes.

Add shredded cheddar cheese and continue baking until melted (about 5 minutes).

Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes.

Cut into 8 squares to serve.

Top with sour cream and cilantro.

Pass additional sour cream, cilantro, salsa and jalapeno.

Notes

You can substitute any type of meat in this dish, such as ground turkey (cooked, drained and crumbled), cooked chicken either diced or shredded OR cooked beef (again, diced or shredded). All options result in a delicious casserole.

You can substitute your choice of canned beans. Use black beans, garbanzo beans or a combination of all three.

This casserole can be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen (leave off shredded cheddar cheese until appropriate time in the cooking process). To reheat from refrigerator, increase baking time to more than an hour, checking casserole by inserting a knife in the center, removing and touching the blade to see if still cold. If baking from a frozen casserole, defrost in the refrigerator (at least overnight) and bake at least an hour, checking progress (again, use the “knife test” to determine doneness).