I came up with this idea after making a meal for a friend who recently had a baby. I made her a Mexican casserole, but after looking in my cabinets I decided I'd make a Chili Casserole with chili beans. This meal is simple and quick, great for nights when the natives are restless and you don't want to think about dinner.
The Recipe: Chili Casserole
What you need:
1 can of chili beans
1 can of light kidney beans
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 can of red enchilada sauce
1 can of water
12-16 corn tortillas
1 green pepper (green chile, anaheim, pablano, etc)
1/2 medium onion
1-2 cups of cheese
2 heaping tbsp HOT chili seasoning
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp cumin
Place all ingredients except corn tortillas in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Allow to simmer until onions are translucent, stirring occasionally. Dip tortillas, one at a time, into mixture. Then place tortillas in a 9 x 13 inch pan. Layer 6 tortillas side by side in the bottom of the pan (they'll overlap), pour about 1/2 cup of the bean mixture over the tortillas, spreading it out with a spoon. Sprinkle cheese over the layer and repeat the process with remaining tortillas. Top with a layer of cheese. Bake at 350˚ for 20 minutes.
Serve with sour cream and slices of avocado.
I was excited about this meal. The Farmer was skeptical (and I'll admit it looks a bit odd), but he ended up loving it. It's a hearty meal for a cooler night. We added a few roasted peppers to the top of the casserole and they gave it much needed spice. While somewhat high in sodium (depending on the enchilada sauce and chili seasoning), this meal is very high in fiber. It may not be the healthiest meal on the block (and I hate using all those canned goods...will use frozen tomatoes from the garden next time), but it's a good, quick option for fall meals.
