Tangy Tortilla Casserole
A cheesy-easy main course!
Servings: 8
Equipment
- a greased 3-quart baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef, crumbled (see note below)
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
- 10 oz. can red enchilada sauce
- 2 1/4 oz. can sliced black olives with liquid
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 8 corn tortillas
- 1 cup small curd cottage cheese
- 1 egg
- 1/2 lb. Jack cheese, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup finely crushed packaged tortilla chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brown the ground beef and onion in a large skillet. Blend in the tomatoes, enchilada sauce, olives with liquid, salt, garlic powder and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, wrap the tortillas in damp paper towels (or a damp terry cloth), and then heat them in the microwave oven until soft -- 30-45 seconds. Cut the tortillas in half. Whisk together the cottage cheese and egg.
- Spread one-third of the meat sauce in a greased 3 quart casserole. Top with one-half of the Jack cheese, one-half of the cottage cheese mixture, and one-half of the tortilla halves, arranging each in an even layer. Repeat layering, using one-third more of the meat sauce, and the remaining Jack cheese, cottage cheese mixture, and tortilla halves. Spread with the remaining meat sauce, top with Cheddar cheese and border with the crushed chips.
- Bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven until the cheese melts -- approximately 30 minutes.
Notes
To make this dish vegetarian friendly, substitute bulk, vegan "Beyond Beef" for the ground meat component.
Recipe adjustments for a 9x13 baking dish:
Make only two layers with the meat sauce, OR just make three very thin layers
Increase the cottage cheese to 2 cups (no need to increase the egg)
Increase the Jack cheese to 3/4 lb.; increase the grated Cheddar to 1 or even 1 1/2 cups