Enchilada Casserole*

Last night was “Kid’s Choice” – and since hot dogs wrapped in refrigerated biscuits don’t need a recipe, I’m reaching back into the files of the Tried and True Recipes, and finding my Enchilada Casserole to share. It’s pretty flexible – you can use turkey (I’ve used leftover from Thanksgiving and deli), chicken, or a pound of ground beef – whatever you happen to have.

And so, here is the list of ingredients:

* 1 can (16 ounces) tomato sauce
* 1 can (4 ounces) chopped mild green chilies, drained
* 1 garlic clove, crushed (or, like me, the equivalent in dried or powder form)
* 1 tablespoon chili powder
* 2 teaspoons ground cumin
* 1 teaspoon dried oregano
* ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
* about 8 ounces cooked turkey or chicken, cubed – I usually add more than 8 ounces but that’s enough if it’s all you have. OR brown ½ to 1 pound hamburger and use that.
* 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced (I hope you have better luck finding them than I have been lately – the last 2 weeks, the store hasn’t had any. None. Not even an empty space where they belong. What’s up with that?)
* 9 corn tortillas, cut in half
* 2 ½ cups grated cheddar cheese

Once you have everything together, here’s what you do with it all:

Preheat oven to 375. Combine tomato sauce, green chilies, garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano and pepper. Line bottom of deep dish pizza sized pan with 6 tortilla halves. Spread a third of the sauce mixture over the tortillas. Cover with half the meat and half the onions. Sprinkle with 1 cup cheese. Top with 6 more tortilla halves, half the remaining sauce and all the remaining meat and onions. Sprinkle with 1 cup of remaining cheese. Top with the rest of the tortilla halves, the remaining sauce, and the last of the cheese. Bake 25 minutes. Let stand about 5 minutes before cutting into it. Serve with corn and/or corn bread.

The DH likes it best with ground beef. I think I do too, but it’s good with both turkey and chicken as well. It’s a little too spicy for my little one, but she’s happy if I leave out some of the meat for her and give her some corn to go with it.

*adapted from Pampered Chef's Busy Mom's Cookbook