Sick of Mexican food yet? Me neither. This delectable dish has been rehashed in many different forms. You could call it taco casserole, enchilada casserole or mexican lasagna – my preferred choice. It’s a crossover between enchiladas and tex-mex, prepared in a classic and convenient casserole fashion. I’ve made similar dishes before (see “Related Entries” below) but this is yet another delicious twist on my favorite cuisine. This dish was adapted from Reeni’s version to include beans and incorporate some healthy changes. If you’ve got all the ingredients handy, it will only take 1 hour to get it on the table and it will feed you for weeks, so freezing is recommended.
1 lb lean ground beef or turkey
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 large jar salsa (red or green)
6 corn tortillas (or 4 (8″) whole wheat tortillas)
1 (15oz) can black olives, sliced
3 cups (12oz) nonfat shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups prepared beans
1/4 cup chopped green onions (optional)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (optional)
nonfat sour cream, for serving
taco seasoning (cumin, chili powder, paprika, (garlic) salt and cayenne pepper)
Directions:
1. Preheat a skillet to medium-high. Spray with cooking spray and add the ground meat and onion. Add taco seasoning, either from a store-bought packet or to taste using the ingredients above (they are listed in decreasing order of amounts, e.g. most amount of cumin, least amount of cayenne). Break up the meat while cooking and cook for about 5 minutes, or until meat is fully cooked.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. Line with half of the tortillas, breaking them as necessary to cover the bottom. Top with half of the meat and onion mixture, half of the salsa, beans, olives, green onions and cheese. Top with the remaining tortillas, followed by the rest of the ingredients, using the cheese and cilantro last. Alternatively, you can put the cilantro on after baking for a better presentation.
3. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until cheese is melted and the sides are bubbling. Slice and serve like a lasagna, with sour cream on the side.