Recipe - Mexican Tortilla Casserole

 As a celebration of getting my refrigerator fixed, I decided to make some comfort food for dinner this week. Being American with no true cuisine classification, our family has comfort dishes from all over the map, literally. But I had extra tortillas (rare occurring situation in Shanghai) and needed to get rid of them. So of course we chose an old favorite, Mexican Tortilla Casserole. This recipe is not light by any means! Though this version is lighter on a few ingredients than the original.

This recipe was actually one of the first recipes I ever learned by taking a cooking class. That had to be 12 years ago? The class was specifically targeted at "casseroles". But not the French "take all day to prepare and cook a dish that is filled with delicate flavors". More of the American "make a recipe that can be turned into mass produced dishes that will go into the freezer". Since Tom and I never seemed to have time to actually cook a meal once we got home, I though this would be a good way for us to have a home cooked meal once in a while. So, about once a quarter on a Sunday, you could find me preparing two or three different casseroles for future eating! I have just recently started doing that here in Shanghai. Freezer space is usually a premium. But since I cleaned everything out, I now have plenty of space.

The recipe can be doubled or tripled. I like to use aluminum pans for freezing casseroles. Reduces the mess and usually takes up less space in the freezer. The downside is the expansion of your green footprint! Either way, make sure you wrap the casserole well. I use a cut piece of waxed paper over the top layer. Keeps the cheese from getting freezer burnt if you can eliminate as much air from your container as possible! When you are ready to cook the frozen casserole, I usually take out of freezer and put into the fridge for the day. Then put into the oven 35-40 minutes before dinner. IF you forget, I have found you can still cook by reducing the heat to 325 and extending the cooking time to closer to 60 minutes. Oh, and I have used this recipe as an appetizer served with tortilla chips!

Enjoy!

ingredients:

2 TBLS Butter, unsalted

2 TBLS Flour

1 cup Chicken Stock

1 cup Milk

1 Tbls Chili Powder

1 tsp Kosher or Sea Salt

1 tsp Cumin (ground)

1 tsp Oregano

½ tsp Garlic powder

½ tsp Black Pepper

½ tsp Paprika

¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper

8 oz Tomato Sauce

2 cans Green Chiles, chopped

1 Pound Ground Chuck

1 Cup Mushrooms (Portabella’s), sliced

1 large Onion, diced

12 Small Corn or Flour Tortillas (personal preference)

1 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese , shredded

1 cup Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded

preparation:

Preheat oven to 375

In heavy bottomed saucepan, melt butter and add flour, stirring to make a roux. Cook for 2 minutes, making sure not to brown the mixture. Slowly add chicken stock and milk, whisking rapidly to avoid lumps. Allow mixture to come to a simmer. Add seasoning, tomato sauce, and chiles, and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently.

In large skillet, cook onions until soft, 7-10 minutes. Add mushrooms, cook for 3-5 more minutes. Add ground chuck and cook thoroughly. Drain any liquid.

Add meat mixture to the sauce. Mix well and simmer for 2-3 minutes.

Spray a 9x9 inch baking dish and spoon a small amount of the beef and sauce mixture into the bottom of the dish. Top with 4 small tortillas. Spoon more mixture on the tortillas, top with a mix of Cheddar and Monterey.. Repeat layering until all ingredients are used up, ending up with a layer of cheese.

Bake in oven for 35-40 minutes or until bubbly. Note that the top will get browned a bit crunch on top if you bake uncovered. You can also use a lid and then remove for the last 5 minutes or so if you would rather have the top a bit smoother!