Thursday, September 4, 2008

Tex-Mex Casserole

I am officially back to cooking it seems. Though I've been starting out slowly. Last night I tried to recall a casserole from my early college years that one of my friend's mom's (I miss you Judy) taught me to make. I didn't quite nail it last night, but it was still very good. I think I should have used another can of corn and full fat cheese. The recipe below reflects those changes. This literally takes 15-20 minutes to get to the table (plus the cooking rice time) and it's very hearty.
Tex Mex Casserole

Makes 4-6 entree servings
Ingredients:
3 cups cooked rice (I used brown)
7 oz can green chiles
16 0z can chili beans with sauce
2 cans corn drained
1/2-3/4 cup sliced black olives
2 green onions chopped
14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes drained
1 tsp salt
2 tsp garlic powder
3 tsp chili powder
8 oz grated cheese (I recommend chedder or jack, I used light cheddar and it just doesn't melt up too well)
1 1/2 cups crushed tortilla chips
handful of parsley chopped (optional)
1 cup grilled chicken (also optional, I just had some leftover I needed to use)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Stir all ingredients in a large bowl, adding spices last (except cheese and chips) until mixed well.
Empty contents into a 9x13 casserole and sprinkle with tortilla chips and cheese. Bake for 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted and heated through.
Finish under the broiler if you like your cheese brown and crispy. Garnish with sour cream if desired.

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7 comments:

Melanie Busbee said...

I bet Mark is thrilled with your re-entry into cooking!

Jeni said...

He's a happy camper either way, but yes he likes the home cooking. I think he enjoyed pampering me too!

Unknown said...

Oooh. I bet you'd love the hubbie's grandma's recipe for Taglarini. I'll have to root around and sent it to you. I remember: beef, chili powder, egg noodles, corn, tomatoes, cheese, and Parmesan cheese... oh, and black olives. I just can't remember the proportions, and I'm sure I've forgotten something. Yummy Portuguese-American cooking, and great to make in large batches for freezing!

Anonymous said...

This looks so yummy! It will be going on the menu for this weekend. Bonus for me is that it looks like a good the next day lunch type food.

Jeni said...

I have to admit I'm intrigued by corn and egg noodles. Anything with black olives starts out a winner in my book! I love cooking things in mass and freezing for later. Oh and it did make a great lunch yesterday!

Unknown said...

Taglarini (or Tagliarini)
(makes appx (6) 8x8 dishes)*

1 lb. pkg wide egg noodles
2 lb. ground beef
1 large onion (roughly diced)
3 cloves garlic
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin (I omit)
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 sm. can tomato paste (optional)
2 ~15 oz. cans tomato puree
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 cans creamed corn
2 cans whole kernel corn (use juice)
1 can black olives (use juice)
1/4 c. grated (real) parmesan cheese

Boil & drain noodles, divide among baking dishes.
In *HUGE* skillet, saute' onions, garlic, beef. Drain. Add spices & all other ingredients except cheese until warmed through. Divide mixture among baking dishes (making sure you don't have any dry pockets between the noodles). Cover all the way to the edges with cheese. Bake at 350F for about 40 minutes until bubbly.

*CAN BE SCALED

Jeni said...

Thanks for the recipe! It looks easy and I will definitely try it (I'll scale it back quite a bit since there are only 2 of us and our freezer is pretty packed) and I'll let you know. It looks tasty and hearty!

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