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Easy Mexican Casserole

60-MinutesBakedBeefCasseroleCheesyCrunchyDinnerHeartyHotKid-FriendlyPotluckSavory
Time :50 minutes
Yield :6 servings
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This Easy Mexican Casserole brings bold flavors and comforting ease perfect for settling into a new home.
The first time I made this Easy Mexican Casserole, it was the day we finally unpacked the last box in our new home. My husband and I had just completed a whirlwind move across the country for his job, and our emotions were as scrambled as our furniture. With a kitchen still in chaos, I needed something comforting and easy, using the few pantry staples I could find. Thankfully, I discovered a can of chili beans, a jar of salsa, and some tortilla chips I had stashed away for late-night snacking. This casserole was born from pure necessity, a way to bring our scattered lives together over a cozy meal.
As I browned the ground beef in our new, albeit slightly wobbly, stove, the sizzling sound somehow muted the echo of bare walls. Stirring in the salsa, a splash onto my new apron brought an unexpected grin. I drained the chili beans, a critical step to keep the bottom layer of tortilla chips crispy. Nestling everything into the dish, I layered flavour after flavour, finishing with a blanket of cheddar cheese. Sliding it into the oven, I felt for the first time like this house was truly ours.
The aroma filled the rooms, luring my husband away from assembling yet another bookcase. He emerged, a handful of green onions he’d chopped with enthusiasm and questionable skill. As we savored that first bite, with freshly unpacked forks, it became clear our mismatched lives were meshing perfectly, one colorful layer at a time.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound of lean ground beef
  • 2 cups salsa
  • 1 (16-ounce) can chili beans drained
  • 3 cups tortilla chips crushed
  • 2 cups sour cream
  • 1 (2-ounce) can sliced black olives drained
  • 1/2 cup green onion chopped
  • 1/2 cup fresh tomato chopped
  • 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded

Directions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
  • In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef until it is no longer pink, about 8-10 minutes.
  • Stir in the salsa to the cooked beef.
  • Reduce the heat to low and simmer the beef mixture until the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
  • Stir the beans into the beef mixture and cook until heated through.
  • Spread the crushed tortilla chips in the prepared baking dish.
  • Spoon the beef mixture on top of the crushed chips.
  • Spread the sour cream over the beef mixture.
  • Sprinkle the olives, the green onions, and the tomato on top of the sour cream.
  • Cover everything with the cheddar cheese.
  • Bake until hot and bubbly, about 30 minutes.
  • Serve hot.
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