Cheesy Mexican Casserole

         One of those great casseroles that you likely have all the ingredients for in your pantry. This is a perfect meal for Mexican night at home. Loaded with the flavors that make you want to visit a mexican restaurant. Based on brown rice, beans and lean ground beef, this will become the healthy meal that no one realizes is healthy. Today is an old school throwback. I wanted something with the original Southwest flair. What do you do when you want a classic Mexican taste without eating something you have already eaten. If you are me, you take certain aspects from some of your favorites and turn it into a new dish.

            This is what I happened to come up with. It is truly delicious, I will not lie about that. This is a combination from the top two, Mexican Chicken Casserole and the classic Seven layer dip.

We cannot treat this like a common casserole, because it isn’t! We are going to make this into layers and still call it a casserole. You could serve this with chips and use it as a dip. You could put it into a taco shell bowl.

You could even make this into a burrito. How about spreading the toppings onto a tortilla and making it into a quesadilla? Doesn’t that sound phenomenal?

Frequently Asked Questions:

            Do I have to use Brown rice?

You can use long grain wild rice that is white.

            Can I leave the meat out?

You can make this vegan by leaving the meat out and using extra beans, or use a meatless meat crumble.

            Can I make it gluten free?

It already is gluten free! Congratulations for finding the perfect recipe!

            Can I use chicken instead?

Of course you can! Chicken will make this dish taste spectacular! No matter what meat you decide to use, you will be pleasantly surprised.

            How do I store this?

Put this into an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

What do you need to make Cheesy Mexican Casserole

            1 pound lean ground beef

            ½ cup fresh chopped tomato

            2 cups of salsa

            1 can chili beans, drained

            2 cups sour cream

            1 can, 2 ounces, sliced black olives

            ½ cup green onion chopped

            ½ cup fresh tomato, chopped

            3 cups tortilla chips, crushed

            2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

How to make Cheesy Mexican Casserole

FIRST STEP:

Preheat the oven to 350*

In a large skillet, crumble and brown the hamburger to cook it thoroughly.

SECOND STEP:

Stir in the salsa, reduce the heat to a simmer and let simmer for 20 minutes

When the liquid has been absorbed, stir in the beans and heat through

a)

b)

c)

THIRD STEP:

Lightly spray a 9×13 baking pan

Spread the crushed chips in an even layer

FOURTH STEP:

Spoon the beef mixture over the top

Spread the sour cream over the beef

FIFTH STEP:

Sprinkle the olives, green onions and fresh chopped tomatoes over the top

Sprinkle the top completely with shredded cheddar cheese

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly

Serve and enjoy!