Taco Night

Posted Wed, 09/22/04

 

While I was growing up, we had tacos every Friday night, conveniently forgetting the "no meat on Fridays" edict of the Catholic Church, which has since been relaxed. Along with Japanese and Irish cuisine, Mexican fare is one of my favorites.

 

Inevitably, we always had leftovers after taco night so my mother would throw together a casserole of sorts, and then freeze it for later consumption. It included layering cooked tortillas with remaining cheese, tomato and onions in a deep Pyrex dish.

 

My parents still have tacos every Friday night, rustling-up corn tortillas with seasoned meat and all the interior fixings. Since Wilbert and I married two years ago, we've had a different type of taco on occasion (shredded beef instead of ground), and although he's Hispanic, my husband is not a great fan of the dish.

 

Reading through the McCormick Kitchen newsletter tonight, I found a variation of the taco casserole:

 

Taco Casserole

1-1/2 LBS lean ground beef or turkey

1 pkg. (1.25 ounces) McCormick Taco Seasoning

2 cans (8 oz. each) or 1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce

1 can (16 oz.) pinto beans, drained & rinsed (optional)

1 can (11 oz.) Mexican corn mixture or whole kernel corn, drained

1 C shredded cheddar cheese

1 C coarsely crushed tortilla chips

 

Preheat oven to 400-degrees F. Brown the meat in a large skillet over medium-high heat; drain. Stir in taco seasoning, beans, tomato sauce and corn. Simmer for five minutes. Spoon mixture into a two-quart baking dish; top with cheese and tortilla chips. Bake until cheese is melted, about five to ten minutes. Serving suggestion: Garnish casserole with sour cream and sliced green onions, and serve with shredded lettuce and chopped tomatoes.

It sounds delicious, but I'd still choose Mum's casserole over any other.

 

Blog Tags: Casseroles

 

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