Is it Mexican Night?

YAY!  Another casserole dish meal!  Can't beat that for a weeknight.  This time we're changing it up a bit and going Mexican!

Doesn't that look good?  It's simple too.

Start with grilling the onion and garlic (really, this is how all good recipes start).  The more the better!

Add in a can of tomatoes, re fried beans, black beans, corn, and seasoning.  You can play it loose here.  Throw in whatever you think would be good, browned ground beef, spinach, jalapeno peppers (ooooh I should have thrown in peppers!), whateva!

Now start layering in your casserole dish.  First place corn tortillas on the bottom then add your bean mixture.

Toss on some cheddar cheese, then layer more tortillas, bean mixture and cheese.

Pop in a preheated 400 degree oven and bake for 20 minutes.  Grab a glass of wine and enjoy until casserole is ready.

This is a simple, quick and delicious meal and bonus that it makes great leftovers too!

A big THANK YOU to Alec who was STARVIN' and just got home from school and was NOT in the mood to cook but still made this recipe while I took pictures!  Way to power through kiddo!

















As always, here's the cut and paste recipe format.

Mexican Tortilla Casserole

Adapted from Three Many Cooks and The Mom 100 Cookbook

You’ll need:

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 medium garlic clove, minced

1 large yellow or white onion, chopped

1 1/2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 14-ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes, drained, 1/3 cup of juice reserved

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn

2 15.5 oz cans black or pinto beans (or a mix), drained

3 cups coarsely chopped regular or baby spinach

kosher salt and ground black pepper

8 corn tortillas

2 cups Monterey Jack, cheddar cheese or both

Optional toppings: chopped fresh cilantro, chopped fresh jalapeño, sour cream, salsa

Preheat the oven to 400F and lightly grease a casserole dish (approximately 8×11 inches or 9×9 inches) with cooking spray.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat and the garlic, onion, chili powder and cumin. Stir for 3-5 minutes, or until the onions are soft. Stir in the tomatoes, reserved juice, tomato paste, corn, beans and spinach. Cook for another 1-2 minutes, stirring, until the spinach has wilted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Place two corn tortillas in the bottom of the casserole dish and top with 1/4 of the bean and vegetable mixture, spreading evenly. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of cheese on top. Repeat the layering process with the remaining ingredients, finishing with cheese.

Bake for approximately 20 minutes, until the casserole has cooked through. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with the optional garnishes, if using.