Layered Fiesta Casserole

This casserole has been in our recipe repertoire for quite a few years and never disappoints.  I honestly don't even know where this recipe came from.  But that doesn't matter now, does it?  Not since I decided to share it with you!  

We love mexican cuisine... we usually have at least one dinner a week that is in the cuisine and this is one of our favorites.  Normally we use ground turkey for our casseroles just to save on some fat/calories, but it certainly doesn't take away from flavor.

Layered Fiesta Casserole

1lb ground meat
1 onion, chopped
1 green and red pepper, chopped
1 jar salsa
1 can (14.5oz) diced tomatoes
1 pkg frozen corn
12 corn tortillas
1 1/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Brown meat with onions & peppers in a large skillet. Drain. Return to stove. Stir in salsa, tomatoes, & corn. Bring to a boil.

Spoon 1 cup of meat mixture into a 13x9 dish. Top with 6 tortillas, overlapping if necessary. Cover with 1/2 of the remaining mixture. Top with cheese. Add remaining 6 tortillas, cover with meat and top with cheese.

Bake 25-30 min. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. 

To accompany this dish, I made Skinnytaste's Cilantro Lime Rice which was the first time that we made it and it was really delicious.

Fajitas

When we make fajitas, we make the whole sha-bang.  Marinated meat to rice and beans plus all the garnishes makes for delicious and well-balanced meal.  

Marinade

1lb. of steak

Juice of 3 limes

2 gloves of garlic, minced or finely chopped

1/4 c. cilantro, washed & chopped

1tbsp. ground cumin

2tsp. ground chili powder

Salt & Pepper to taste

Marinate the steak or chicken for at least 1 hour or up to 5 hours. Broil steak in toaster oven for about 30 minutes- less for a more rare piece of steak & longer for a more well done piece.. This marinade is also great for chicken.  Once the meat is cook, slice into strips.

Onions & Peppers

Slice onions and peppers and place in a skillet with 1 tbsp of EVOO on medium-high heat.  Sprinkle with Creole seasoning.  If Creole seasoning is not in your pantry, dash with salt, pepper, garlic powder, ground cayenne pepper & ground paprika.  Cook onions and peppers until translucent. 

Rice & Beans

2 c. basmati rice

32oz. chicken stock

2 tsp. Adobo seasoning (or more to taste)

15oz. can of Red Kidney beans

1 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped

Cook rice according to directions.  Sub chicken stock for water and add adobo seasoning and a can of kidney beans. 

Warm tortillas in the microwave by stacking on a microwaveable plate and alternate with a damp paper towel between each tortilla.  Microwave for approximately 45 seconds.  

Assemble fajitas and add garnishes of your choice. Some of our favorites are Crystal hot sauce, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and avocado.