Southwestern Casserole

I saw this Southwestern casserole recipe on My Recipes and decided to make it for dinner. I adapted it a bit by adding more spices, more green chiles, cilantro, and avocado. This recipe was easy to make with very little clean-up, and it was delicious, hearty, and filling without all the guilt.  This delicious Mexican casserole paired nicely with a Mexican wedge salad and some tortilla chips & salsa. The leftovers were wrapped in a flour tortilla for my husband’s lunch the following day, and he loved it.

Southwestern Casserole:

Ingredients:

• 2 (7-oz) can of whole green chiles, drained
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb ground beef, chicken, or turkey
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1½ tsp chili powder
• 1½ tsp paprika
• 1½ tsp onion powder
• 1½ tsp garlic powder
• 1½ tsp cumin
• 1½ tsp oregano
• 1½ tsp coriander
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp of fresh cilantro, chopped (plus more for garnish)
• 1 (14-oz) can of diced tomatoes
• 2 cups frozen corn, thawed
• 1 (14-oz) can of refried beans
• 1½ cups of sharp cheddar, shredded

Serving:

• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 2 green onions, diced
• 1 avocado, diced
• Sour cream
• Hot sauce
• Salsa

How to Make a Southwestern Casserole

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Coat a large baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange the green chilies in a single layer on the bottom of the baking dish. Side Note: You can also use 1 can of green chilies and cut them in half lengthwise if you don’t want a strong green chile flavor.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion, ground meat, and seasonings. Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring often to break up the meat into crumbles. Add the minced garlic and diced tomatoes. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.

Pour the meat mixture over the green chilies. Next, add the corn.

Carefully spread the refried beans on top of the corn, followed by the cheese.

Place into the oven and bake for 30 minutes.

Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes, then top with diced tomato, avocado, green onion, and cilantro.

Serve with sour cream, hot sauce, and salsa if desired. Enjoy.