California Casserole
NOTE: This recipe has not been checked or tested by The Canadian Living Test Kitchen.
This recipe makes 12 servings
- Preparation time: 1 and half hours
- Cook time : 30 min.
- Total time : PT30M
- Portion size: 12
This is a terrific Tex-Mex casserole.
Ingredients
- 4 lbs 4lbsground beef
- 2 large 2largeoniononions
- 2 2cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup 1/4cupchili powder
- 6 cups 6cupstomato sauce
- 1 tsp 1tspsugar
- 1-1/2 tbsp 1-1/2tbspsalt
- 2 cups 2cupsslice black oliveblack olives
- 2 4 oz cans 24 oz cansdiced green chiligreen chilies
- 24 24corn tortillas, and oil
- 4 cups 4cupssmall curd cottage cheese
- 2 2eggeggs
- 1 lb 1lbthinly sliced Monterey Jack cheese
- 2 cups 2cupsgrated Cheddar cheese
- 1 1chopped green oniongreen onions, (garnish)
- 1 cup 1cupsour cream, (garnish)
Preparation
Brown meat in batches in large heavy frying pan or Dutch oven. (Do not put too much meat into the pan at once; it will cause pan temperature to drop and meat will turn gray instead of brown)
Saute onions and garlic with last batch of meat. Return all meat to pan. Sprinkle chili powder over meat and mix well. Add tomato sauce, sugar, salt, half the olives and all the diced green chilies. Simmer over very low heat l5 min.
While sauce cooks, fry tortillas in hot oil one at a time. Do not allow tortillas to brown. (This only takes about a few seconds on each side) Drain on paper towels and cut into quarters. Beat cottage cheese and eggs together and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread 1/3 of meat tomato sauce mixture in the bottom of a 6 quart casserole. Cover with half the Jack cheese, half cottage cheese-egg mixture and half tortillas. Repeat, finishing with final layer of meat.
Top with grated cheddar and back uncovered for 30 min. or until casserole is thoroughly heated and cheese is melted. Serve with chopped green onions, sour cream and olives. (I like to make the casserole a day ahead and refrigerate and then bake the next day) Allow to return to room temperature before baking. TERRIFIC!
Source : Alice Tomchuk
