Tortilla Casserole (Mexican Lasagne)

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 md. onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/4 tsp. cumin, or to taste
1 clove garlic (optional)
2 cans (14 oz. each) Rotel Tomatoes and Green Chiles, lightly drained
1/2 cup salsa
2 cans (16 oz. each) Ranch style black beans, drained
1 can (16 oz.) white shoepeg corn
6 to 8 oz. Monterrey Jack cheese, grated
6 to 8 oz. Cheddar cheese, grated
4 to 6 md. (8-inch each) flour tortillas
Salad, tomatoes, olives, sour cream, and green onions, to garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Brown ground beef in a large skillet; when meat is half-cooked add onion, green pepper and garlic, if desired. Cook until onions are clear. Add Rotel tomatoes, salsa, beans, corn and cumin to taste; bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes or until sauce begins to thicken. Remove from heat.

Layer one-third of meat mixture in a 13x9-inch glass pan. Cover meat mixture with a singe layer of tortillas; layer one-third of the cheeses. Cover with another third of the meat mixture, tortillas, and one third of the cheese. Top casserole with the remaining meat and cheese. Bake until sauce bubbles and cheese on top is melted, about 35 to 45 minutes.

Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Top with salad and desired garnish.

Comments from Jocelyn Craft :

I found a recipe in a Springfield Junior League cookbook and adapted it to my tastes, and ended up with this casserole. I can\'t take it to any potluck anywhere and expect to have leftovers.

The original recipe calls for ground turkey, low-fat cheeses and light sour cream. If you are particularly health-conscious, you may want to try that version.

User Reviews:

Delicious! It still comes out great if you have to substitute chili beans for the black beans or other varieties of diced tomatoes containing spices. You can get creative with this one and it is always wonderful.

submitted by momscookin on December 06, 2007

It was easy and very good.

Submitted by mrockwell on December 02, 2007

I started this recipe and then had to leave it for my boyfriend to finish while I attended a short meeting. He forgot to add the corn, added twice as much of the tomato mixture as needed and only half the black beans. He also added the black olives to the mix instead of using it as a topping. Despite all of this, it still tasted great. We both ate a huge helping and had enough left over for at least three more meals - really. We used ground bison instead of ground beef and that worked well.

submitted by kwalilox on December 02, 2007

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