Mexican Casserole

I sure have been using a lot of Quorn Grounds lately. They are really my favorite ground beef substitute. And here’s another great recipe from Cooking Light magazine! This is another quick and relatively easy recipe to throw together. I was out of chili powder, and was worried that would mess the dish up, but it didn’t. I think the real secret ingredient of this dish is the tiny amount of lime juice! It really adds a special something. To me this taste a little like I remember Nachos Bel Grande tasting at Taco Bell. Really good.

rating: 9

Mexican Casserole
(Cooking Light magazine)

Ingredients:

* 4  teaspoons  olive oil, divided
* 1  cup  chopped onion
* 2  garlic cloves, minced
* 1  jalapeño pepper, minced (I omitted)
* 1  teaspoon  chili powder (I omitted)
* 1/2  teaspoon  ground cumin
* 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
* 1  (12-ounce) package meatless fat-free crumbles (such as Lightlife Smart Ground)- I used 1 bag of Quorn Grounds
* 48  baked tortilla chips
* Cooking spray
* 1  (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
* 1  tablespoon  fresh lime juice
* 2  cups  chopped seeded plum tomato
* 2  tablespoons  minced fresh cilantro (I omitted)
* 1/4  teaspoon  salt
* 1  cup  (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
* 2  tablespoons  fat-free sour cream
* 2  tablespoons  chopped green onions (I omitted)
* 1/4  cup  sliced ripe olives

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion to pan; cook 4 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and jalapeño; cook 1 minute. Stir in chili powder, cumin, black pepper, and crumbles; cook 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Arrange half of tortilla chips in an 11 x 7–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray; top evenly with crumbles mixture.
3. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in skillet over medium heat. Add beans, mashing with the back of a wooden spoon until chunky and thick; cook 2 minutes or until heated, stirring constantly. Stir in lime juice.
4. Combine tomato, cilantro, and salt. Layer beans and tomato mixture over crumbles mixture in dish. Top with remaining tortilla chips, pressing to slightly crush. Sprinkle evenly with cheese. Bake at 375° for 13 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. Cut casserole into 6 equal pieces; top each serving with 1 teaspoon sour cream, 1 teaspoon onions, and 2 teaspoons olives.

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