With our busy lifestyles that range from college, careers, and raising families, we often rely on quick and simple recipes. Today, media allows us through various resources to expand our options of altering recipes at the click of a button, along with grandmas written methods stashed in our cookbooks that best suit a family and friend’s tastes and lifestyle expectation. With that said, I will share how-to prepare, cook, and serve a quick and easy Mexican casserole in only 20-35 minutes total. Although my mother passed down this recipe, this recipe in particular was found on a popular website known as Pinterest. Furthermore, this recipe is an example that offers many alternatives that allow changes in the original recipe to fit the taste and the meal sizes that one may want to prepare. This recipe makes a delicious dish whether for a family or for a large event, such as a potluck or a barbeque event. Below you will find step-by-step instructions in detail with optional substitutes that may be customized to your liking. Enjoy! First, carefully read all ingredient options and instructions, then gather all of the required ingredients and desired substitutes to make this your personalized Mexican Casserole. I will begin with the general ingredients needed and follow with additional options that best suit your taste. This flavorful recipe requires, one 10 ½ ounce bag of corn or tortilla chips, one 15 ounce can of mild-diced tomatoes with green chilies, one small envelope of taco seasoning, 1 pound of ground beef, and 2 cups of finely or thickly shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese. In addition, one 10 ¾ ounce can of cream of chicken or mushroom soup, one large-sized freshly chopped white or yellow onion, one finely chopped bell pepper (any color), one 15 ounce can of whole kernel corn, and finally your choice of additional seasoning for the meat, found and used from your spice cabinet are needed.
Above, were the general ingredients needed to make a Mexican Casserole, however, this is where the fun begins, and the recipe becomes your own creation through substitutes and additional fixings of choice and are as follows. First, ground beef can be replaced with ground turkey or even chopped or thinly slices skinless/boneless chicken. Moreover, for an extremely spicy casserole, replace the taco seasoning with one package of mild or hot chili mix, at your discretion added thinly sliced jalapenos, and substitute the can of original diced tomatoes with green chili with a can of hot-diced tomatoes with green chilies. In addition, by adding precooked or leftover rice of choice, or even canned pinto or chili beans to taste and increase the serving size. Lastly, unlike the above ingredients required for the basic casserole where cheese is the simple topping. To garnish for a more festive and fun option, spread a thin coat of picante sauce or chunky salsa on the finished casserole just before serving, followed by a small spoonful of sour-cream, a small amount of finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves and finished off with chilled diced tomatoes.
Furthermore, once you have acquired all the ingredients, it is now time to gather the necessary cooking utensils. Keep in mind that the pot and skillet size needed may vary depending on how much you are making and whether you are layering ingredients. For a small serving size of four, use a medium pot and large pot for a larger serving of six or more. Secondly, a 2-quart or 8”x8” casserole dish will yield four serving (when the recipe is cut in half) and a 3-quart or 9”x13” casserole dish that serves approximately eight-plus servings, depending on the size of the portions cut for the basic recipe. Both glass and metal casserole dishes are acceptable, however, using a metal casserole dish will require cooking spray oil, unlike the glass requires no use of cooking spray oil. Additional utensils needed, include a can opener, mincer if available, a large metal or wooden spoon,