Stacked Sweet Corn Bean and Beef Casserole

I love it when a plan comes together.  Only this time, the plan didn't exactly come together.  You see, I bought all the ingredients to make this amazing-sounding stacked tortilla dish. The original recipe, straight from Better Homes and Gardens magazine, recommended using a spring form pan to layer the 9" tortillas and filling into, which would serve to hold it all together during assembly and baking.  The vision I had was of popping away the sides of the pan after baking, resulting in a gorgeous presentation fit for a blog post.

Problem was, my tortillas were too small.  They were closer to 7" diameter and so they were completely lost in the spring form pan.  Oh well.  No biggie.  I just substituted an oval casserole and tore the tortillas to fit.  The end result was the same.  This casserole was delicious and all my little (and big) people wanted second helpings.  I'll be making it again very soon.

This was my first time trying chorizo sausage.  I asked Abby if I could substitute some other sausage, say Italian, and she practically laughed at the suggestion.  It appears that chorizo is a staple in Mexican food and can't be substituted without sacrificing authentic flavor.  I'm glad I listened to her.  It's spicy, but not terribly hot.  Not going to burn your mouth out or anything like that.  Mixing the beef with the chorizo is perfect.

This recipe isn't one I'd place in the super quick and easy category, but it's a great one to try if you have a few extra minutes. It really doesn't take that long to put together and it tastes so fresh.  I loved the addition of the corn right off the cob.  It takes a minute to cut it off the cob, but the extra couple minutes are worth it.  I would have used a yellow pepper if I could have gotten my mitts on one.  I was at Aldi, and they had green peppers, so I made do.  Just know that yellow pepper would have been prettier!

I suggest you try this if your family likes Mexican food.  Just be sure to buy the right size tortillas, hear?

  

Brown the beef and chorizo.

Here is the chorizo you're looking for.
This came from Aldi, but all the groceries carry it.
You'll need to squeeze it out of its casing.

Work that corn.

Throw in the drained beans.

Saute' the onions, peppers, and garlic in another pan.

Add the salsa, corn, and spices.

Layer two tortillas.

Layer meat/beans and some cheese.

Another tortilla.

Layer another tortilla, then the veggies, and more cheese. 

Finish with a tortilla on top and wrap the whole 

thing in foil to seal before baking.

Stacked Sweet Corn, Bean, and Beef Casserole

• 2 ears fresh corn
• 8 oz. ground beef
• 7 oz. uncooked chorizo sausage
• 1 15oz can pinto beans rinsed and drained
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion-chopped
• 1 large yellow sweet pepper-chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup chunky salsa
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 4  8-9" flour tortillas
• 1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese

• chopped tomatoes and cilantro and sour cream for garnishes

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cut corn from cob.  Grease 9 " spring form pan. 

Cook beef and chorizo-- drain.  Add beans.

In another skillet heat oil.  Add onion, pepper, and garlic.  Cook 10 minutes.  Add corn, salsa, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne.  Cook 5 minutes.

Place two tortillas in greased pan.  Top with meat.  Reserve 1/4 cup cheese.  Divide remaining 1 1/4 cups cheese in half.  Sprinkle one half on meat.  Add another tortilla, veggies, and other half of cheese.  Add final tortilla.  Cover loosely with foil.  

Bake 10 minutes.  Uncover and sprinkle with 1/4 cup of cheese.  

Bake 10 minutes more.  Let stand 10 minutes.  Remove sides from pan.

Top with sour cream, tomatoes, and cilantro, if desired.

Six servings.

If you want to see a good photo of what this was supposed to look like click here...  Someone obviously read the ingredient list more closely that I did.

Love,