Frito Chicken and Bean Casserole

Last week when I was meal planning, I had the random desire to make some sort of cheesy casserole with taco seasoning but couldn't find just the right recipe when I tried searching online. So, I decided that since I had a general idea of what I wanted, then I should try make something up. So voila, this is my creation! I must say, this absolutely came out every bit as good as I hoped it would, and is definitely something I plan to make again. Probably frequently. I love how a good casserole is easy to make, satisfying to eat, and less expensive than serving meat by itself (like in this recipe, I only used two large chicken breast halves and the casserole fed us for two days).


Frito Chicken and Bean Casserole

1-1/2 cups crushed corn chips, divided
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup salsa
1/8 cup milk
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 tablespoon taco seasoning
2 cups shredded chicken (fully cooked)
1-1/2 cups or 1 can beans (such as kidney or black), drained
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup onion, chopped

Lightly spray or grease a 2-1/2 quart baking dish. Line the bottom of the pan with 3/4 cup finely crushed corn chips and set pan aside.

In a large bowl, stir or whisk together the sour cream, salsa, milk, soup, and taco seasoning until smooth. Stir in the chicken, beans, cheese, and onion. Gently drop by spoonfuls over the crushed chips in the pan, being careful not to displace the chips. Top with the remaining 3/4 cup of crushed chips. Bake at 375° for 35-40 minutes or until bubbly. Yields 6 to 8 servings.

Black Bean Lasagna

I'm finally getting around to putting up my first recipe from this week, now that the week is over! I guess I got a little bit behind. Anyway, this lasagna was pretty good but not amazing. I think that the Fiesta Lasagna that I made last month was definitely tastier, but this Black Bean Lasagna still has a few things going for it (such as being meatless and less expensive) so I plan to make it again. I had to make several additions and adjustments to the spices in this recipe to kick up the flavor and realized too late that the 2 cans of tomato paste called for was a bit excessive, making the sauce too thick and tomato-y. Next time I'll make it with only one can of paste plus a can of tomato sauce, but since I haven't actually tried that yet I can't guarantee that it will be an improvement (though I'm 99% sure that it will be). I also think this would taste better with cottage cheese instead of ricotta, so will try it like that next time.


Black Bean Lasagna

9 lasagna noodles
1 cup onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon oil
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cans (6 ounces each) tomato paste or 1 can paste plus 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 to 1-1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 carton (15 ounces) ricotta or cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons dry parsley flakes
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided

Cook the noodles according to the package directions. Drain, separate noodles, and set aside. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, cook the onion and garlic in oil tender. Stir in the beans, tomaotes, tomato paste, water, cilantro, pepper, salt, cumin, and chili powder. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Add extra water if necessary to thin out sauce.

In a small bowl, mix together eggs, ricotta or cottage cheese, Parmesan Cheese, parsley, and 1-1/3 cups of shredded cheese. Grease or spray a 13 x 9 baking dish. Spread 1/2 cup of bean sauce mixture into the bottom of pan. Layer with three noodles, half of the cheese mixture, and a third of the remaining bean sauce mixture. Repeat layer once then top with remaining three noodles and the remaining bean sauce mixture. Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining 2/3 cup shredded cheese. Bake for 10-15 minutes longer or until bubbly. Let sit for at least 10 minutes before cutting. Yields about 9 servings.

Recipe adapted from Healthy Cooking October/November 2008.

Fiesta Lasagna

I've made a Mexican-type lasagna before, but it really wasn't anything like traditional lasagna. It was made with flour tortillas instead of noodles, no cottage cheese, and taco sauce out of a jar. So when I came across this Mexican-style lasagna that still used many traditional ingredients, I was very intrigued. The recipe needed some tweaking - for example I reduced the amount of shredded cheese to make it more cost effective - but the end result was fantastic. Afterward I added up the cost and was surprised that it cost me a little over $10 to make. I usually cook for much less but then I realized that since we could get three meals out of it (but didn't since we had company the first night we ate it!), it's still pretty budget friendly at less than $3.50 a night. And it was so, so good that I can't wait to make it again!

(Sorry, no picture... I didn't wait the full 20 minutes to cut into it and it fell apart on our plates. It didn't look very appetizing like that, even though it definitely was.)

Fiesta Lasagna

1 lb. ground beef or turkey
1/4 c. onion, chopped
1 can (16 oz.) refried beans
1 can (15-1/2 oz.) mild chili beans, undrained
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) Mexican stewed tomatoes, drained*
1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chilies*
1 c. salsa
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 tsp. oregano flakes
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
2 c. shredded Cheddar or Mexican blend cheese, divided
1 1/2 c. small-curd cottage cheese
3/4 c. sour cream
9 lasagna noodles, cooked, drained and rinsed

*I was unable to find Mexican stewed tomatoes so instead used two cans (10 ounces each) of Ro-tel in placed of the can of stewed tomatoes and the can of green chilies. Tasted great!

In a skilled, cook meat and onion over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add the refried beans, chili beans, tomatoes, chilies, salsa, taco seasoning, oregano, cumin, and garlic. In a small bowl, combine the 1 cup of shredded cheese, cottage cheese, and sour cream.

Spread 1 cup of meat sauce into the bottom of a greased 9x13 baking dish. Layer with three noodles, half of the cheese mixture, and one-third of the remaining meat sauce mixture (about 2 1/2 cups). Repeat layer, then top with remaining three noodles and remaining meat sauce. Cover and place in oven with a baking sheet underneath dish to catch any sauce that may bubble over. Bake at 350° for 1 hour. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese. Bake for 10 minutes longer or until cheese melted. Let stand for 20 minutes before serving. Yields: 9 servings.

Recipe adapted from Taste of Home December/January 2008 issue.

Favorite Taco Meat

We had this for dinner this week, so I thought I'd share. It's not a from-scratch recipe, but much tastier than the typical from-a-seasoning-packet meat. I make it with ground turkey, but this could be made with any meat.

Favorite Taco Meat

2 lbs. ground meat
2 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
1 cup salsa
1 packet taco seasoning

In a large frying pan, brown meat until no longer pink. Drain grease and return to pan. Add remaining ingredients and simmer on low heat for several minutes to intensify flavors.

Note: I usually half this recipe since 2 pounds is too much for our little family. Sometimes I still use an entire packet of taco seasoning, which makes it pretty strong but still good. Or if I end up following the recipe and only using half a packet, I use some of the extra seasoning and some salsa to mix into cooked rice. It makes a quick and easy side dish!