Cheesy Mexican Buckwheat Casserole

For those of you looking for a twist on your Mexican dishes and one that's healthier, give this a try. Buckwheat is a good source of vitamin b, zinc, and iron.

• Ready In: 1 hr 25 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 4  cups  cooked cream of buckwheat
• 1 1⁄2 cups  of chopped onions
• 1⁄8 cup butter
• 1  cup sour cream
• 1  cup cottage cheese
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper
• 2  cups  shredded  mexican cheese
• 8  ounces green chilies, chopped
• 16  ounces  refried beans
• 1  lb ground beef or 1  lb  shredded chicken, cooked and seasoned
• 2 1⁄2 teaspoons cumin
• 1  tablespoon  hot sauce
• 2  garlic cloves
• 1  cup  of chopped green pepper

Directions

1. Prepare cream of buckwheat using either milk, water, or broth.
2. Sauté onion, green pepper, garlic, butter and ground beef (or chicken) in pan along with a taco seasoning.
3. Combine buckwheat, sour cream, cottage cheese, refried beans, hot sauce, cumin, salt, and pepper.
4. In at least a 3 quart casserole dish, layer buckwheat mixture, meat and vegetable mixture, shredded cheese, and green chillies then repeat layers.
5. Bake uncovered at 375° for approximately 60 minutes or until bubbly and golden.
6. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving dish.