Enchilada Pie (Casserole!)

Okay, this is a great kid and hearty eater pleaser. It is also pretty darn easy. Add a salad and you have done your bit to feed the fam. or friends both a tasty and on-a-budget meal.

(You can vegan it up by substituting sautéed veg. or black beans instead of the meat.)

Basic Busy Day Enchilada Pie

Ingredients:

1 pound of ground beef (try ground bison for a nice flavorful change!)

2 T. oil

1 C. chopped onion

1-2 cloves of chopped garlic 

1 t. chile powder (a bit more if the powder isn’t of the strong variety...you want some zing!  I add up to 1 T.)

1 jar of chopped olives (8-12 oz.) Green or ripe olives work

1 12 oz. jar of Pico de Gallo* (different from salsa but salsa could work here)

6 tortillas (I lightly spray mine with a butter spray)

RESERVED: 8 oz or more shredded Mexican cheese (or cheddar as some places may not have the shredded packaged Mexican cheese)

Instructions:

Brown the meat in the oil. If you have a cast iron skillet you can usually just salt the HOT skillet and brown the meat that way.

Add onion

Once these are cooked, add chile powder, and olives

DRAIN the Pico de gallo AND reserve the liquid.

Lightly spray tortillas with a butter or oil spray on both sides. Some people fry them in the skillet for a couple of minutes. I prefer them not fried, though.

Spray a casserole dish with the butter spray (easier clean-up, don’t you know!) I use a standard sized 12 X 9 X 2 inch.

Now place a layer of tortillas then meat, then tortillas, then meat.

You have drained the Pico de gallo RESERVING THE LIQUID and spread the Pico evenly on top of the casserole

Is the dish dry? If so, use the liquid from the Pico de gallo to moisten…only use up to ½ C. of the liquid reserved from the Pico de gallo as you don't want a dish that runs with water when you are finished

Pile on the shredded packaged Mexican Cheese.

Cover the casserole (lid or foil okay) and bake at 400 degrees until cheese is melted and bubbly. This takes about 30 minutes.

*Pico de gallo is a fresh uncooked condiment made from chopped tomato, white onion, and MILD chiles (if any chiles in some households!!) and fresh squeezed lime. It is never hot like a salsa can be. It is more about that fresh tomato and chile taste.

Want more info on pico de gallo? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pico_de_gallo