Mexican Casserole

Ever have one of those days when you just don’t know what to make for dinner? To be honest, I’ve had more than one of those days. I find myself gazing into my cupboard waiting for some magic cupboard elves in there to pop out and say, “Here make this.” Instead I take inventory to see what I have and I find I have almost all the ingredients to make a tamale pie. Almost being the operative word. So instead, I decided to compromise and this recipe was born. I’m calling it a Mexican casserole for lack of a better name. (Almost tamale pie? Nah…)

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1 small red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small red bell pepper, diced
1 can black beans (15 ounce)
1 cup corn kernels
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 can (10 ounce) Ro-Tel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves (plus additional tablespoon for garnish)
4 corn tortillas (6-8 inch)
1 can (16 ounce) refried beans
1 can (10 ounce) mild red enchilada sauce; or your favorite taco sauce
2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese (Colby and Monterey Jack cheese)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly coat a 9 X 13 baking dish with cooking spray.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. When oil ripples, add ground beef.

Add onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Stirring frequently, cook until meat is browned and vegetables are tender. About 3-4 minutes. Stir in black beans, corn, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Add can of Ro-Tel diced tomatoes and chiles along with cilantro and stir. Set aside.