Mexican Layered Beef and Bean Casserole

Kittencalskitchen's Note:

This is delicious creamy ground beef, bean and corn mixture layered between crushed tortilla chips and cheddar cheese then topped off with more cheese, tomatoes and green onions, if you like extreme spice then add in some cayenne pepper and use spicy salsa as well as the jalapeno peppers :)

• Total Time: 1 hrs 5 mins
• Prep Time: 25 mins
• Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 -2 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 -2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped (optional)
• 1 -2 tablespoon taco seasoning mix (or to taste, can use chili powder in place of taco seasoning mix I use Kittencal's Taco Seasoning Mix)
• salt and black pepper
• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 (8 ounce) cans whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
• 2 cups salsa (medium or mild)
• 6 cups crushed plain tortilla chips
• 3 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese (can use more or less cheese if desired) or 3 cups cheddar cheese (can use more or less cheese if desired)
• 2 plum tomatoes, finely chopped
• 3 -4 green onions, chopped

Directions:

1. Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
2. In a skillet over medium heat brown the ground beef with garlic, onion, green bell pepper and jalapenos (if using) drain fat then add in taco seasoning, salt and black pepper to taste; heat stirring for 1-2 minutes; transfer the mixture into a large mixing bowl.
3. Add in black beans, corn, sour cream and salsa; mix until well combined.
4. Spoon 1/3 of the ground beef mixture or enough to cover the bottom of the dish.
5. Arrange HALF (3 cups) of the crushed tortillas on top of the ground beef mixture, then sprinkle about 1 cup shredded cheese.
6. Spoon another 1/3 of meat mixture on top of the cheese.
7. Cover with remaining half (3 cups) of crushed chips then sprinkle with 1 cup shredded cheese.
8. Spread the final layer of meat mixture on top then sprinkle with 1 cup cheese.
9. Top the casserole with green onions and then chopped tomatoes.
10. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes.
11. Let sit for 15-20 minutes before slicing and serving.

Reviews

[Posiespocketbook]

Very good. I made a half recipe of this hot dish. Instead of adding the chips we ate this on corn tortillas . I mixed everything together and topped it with shredded pepperjack cheese.

[The Portugarians]

I didn't realize until now (after we finished eating) that this was a Kittencal recipe, but I'm not surprised! It was very very tasty and really easy to make.
I only had about 2 cups of chips, so I cut up some corn tortillas, sprayed them with olive oil and sprinkled kosher salt, then baked them at 400 for a few minutes - voila! chips! So I only ended up with 4 cups, but I think it was plenty.
I also reduced the sour cream by half, partly because of another reviewer's recommendation and partly because one of my son's doesn't care too much for it. The rest of us had some on the side to make up for it.
I had two small red peppers which I used in place of the green, and I didn't use the jalapenos. I used 1 cup of mild and 1 cup of medium salsa. I didn't have a green onion or a tomato in the house, and I didn't want to go out in the icy weather with 3 small kids, so I just left those out too.
We ate this with warm flour tortillas. Some of the kids wrapped it up like a burrito, and others used pieces to scoop up the casserole.
I will definitely be making this one again, probably for the super bowl next month!

[Aric Ross]

Fiesta time! Great recipe for that south-of-the-border occassion. I used sharp cheddar cheese and 1.5 pounds of beef. Super way to use up those end of the bag tortilla chip pieces. This recipe makes enough for a family meal. Thanks for sharing.