Enchilada Casserole

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I saw this recipe in the paper, and thought it had potential as yummy comfort food that is also healthy. It's so hard to find casseroles that don't use "Cream of ..." soups...and I just don't eat those. Not even the "low fat" soups.

This one is definitely a winner for us. I added way more spice to the meat than it called for - more cumin, and I also added dried chipotle powder and ancho powder. A little red pepper flakes for good measure. We like it hot!

It called for 3 overlapping tortillas in both layers...I didn't really like that. So I did this...


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I was low on sour cream, but it didn't really matter. For the second layer, I smeared the sour cream on the tortillas before adding the meat mixture. That worked better than this...


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This is the finished casserole...

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Then we added lettuce, tomato, and cilantro. Very, very good! I froze one, so I'll see how that turns out in a few weeks.

Enchilada Casserole

02:00 PM CDT on Sunday, May 17, 2009

1 pound lean ground beef

1 large yellow onion, chopped

2 cups salsa

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

¼ cup reduced-fat Italian salad dressing

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium taco seasoning

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

6 (8-inch) flour tortillas

¾ cup reduced-fat sour cream

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend

1 cup shredded lettuce

1 medium tomato, chopped

¼ cup minced fresh cilantro
[Click image for a larger version] LARRY CROWE/The Associated Press
LARRY CROWE/The Associated Press

Preheat oven to 400 F. Coat a 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the beef and onion until the meat is no longer pink. Drain the meat, then stir in the salsa, beans, salad dressing, taco seasoning and cumin.

Arrange 3 tortillas in the prepared baking dish. Spread half of the meat mixture over the tortillas, then top with half each of the sour cream and cheese. Top with the remaining tortillas, then repeat the layering with remaining meat, sour cream and cheese.

Cover and bake for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until heated through. Let stand for 5 minutes before topping with lettuce, tomato and cilantro.

Makes 8 servings.

PER SERVING: Calories 357 Fat 12 g (5 g sat)

Cholesterol 45 mg Sodium 864 mg Fiber 3 g

Carbohydrates 37 g Protein 23 g

SOURCE: The Associated Press/March 2009 Taste of Home Healthy Cooking