California Casserole

By Alice Tomchuk

NOTE: This recipe has not been checked or tested by The Canadian Living Test Kitchen.

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California CasseroleThis is a terrific Tex-Mex casserole.3 out of5based on2 ratings.

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This recipe makes 12 servings

Preparation time: 1 and half hours
Cook time : 30 min.
Total time : PT30M

This is a terrific Tex-Mex casserole.

Ingredients

4 lbs ground beef 4 4lbs lbsground beef
2 large onions 2 2large largeoniononions
2 cloves garlic 2 2cloves garlic
1/4 cup chili powder 1/4 1/4cup cupchili powder
6 cups tomato sauce 6 6cups cupstomato sauce
1 tsp sugar 1 1tsp tspsugar
1-1/2 tbsp salt 1-1/2 1-1/2tbsp tbspsalt
2 cups slice black olives 2 2cups cupsslice black oliveblack olives
2 4 oz cans diced green chilies 2 24 oz cans 4 oz cansdiced green chiligreen chilies
24 corn tortillas , and oil24 24corn tortillas, and oil
4 cups small curd cottage cheese 4 4cups cupssmall curd cottage cheese
2 eggs 2 2eggeggs
1 lb thinly sliced Monterey Jack cheese 1 1lb lbthinly sliced Monterey jack cheese
2 cups grated Cheddar cheese 2 2cups cupsgrated Cheddar cheese
1 chopped green onion , (garnish)1 1chopped green oniongreen onions, (garnish)
1 cup sour cream , (garnish)1 1cup cupsour 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