Potatoes Rancheros Casserole

Crunchy tortilla chips, taco-flavored cheese and seasoned ground beef bring the flavors of the Southwest to your table. Do-Ahead Tip: If you're really a planner, consider cooking up several pounds of beef ahead of time and freezing it in resealable plastic bags in 1/2-pound (1-cup) batches. Then you’ll have it on hand for yummy dishes like this! Serve With: If your family loves salsa, serve it with this Mexican-style casserole. Variation: Replace taco-seasoned cheese with pizza-seasoned cheese and use crushed crisp breadsticks instead of the tortilla chips. Sprinkle hot casserole with sliced ripe olives, and you have Pizza Potatoes Casserole!

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 5

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 lb lean ground beef
• 1 (5ounce) box  Betty Crocker au gratin potatoes
• 2 1⁄4 cups boiling water
• 2⁄3 cup milk
• 1  cup  shredded  taco-seasoned cheddar cheese (4 oz) or 1  cup cheddar cheese (4 oz)
• 1  cup  coarsely crushed tortilla chips

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400ºF.
2. Cook beef in 10-inch skillet over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until brown; drain. Stir together Potatoes, Sauce Mix, boiling water and milk in ungreased 2-quart casserole. Stir in beef and 1/2 cup of the cheese.
3. Bake uncovered about 30 minutes or until top is light golden brown. Sprinkle chips over casserole; sprinkle remaining cheese over chips. Bake 3 to 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand 2 minutes before serving.
4. High Altitude (3500-6500 ft) Increase first bake time to about 35 minutes.