Mexican Casserole

This super versatile crowd pleaser is ideal for a Taco Tuesday.

Straightforward and easy to make, this Mexican casserole can be made with a variety of proteins then served however you’d like. As a bonus, you’re almost certainly guaranteed leftovers.

What you’ll need:

• 1 can corn, drained

• 1 can black beans, drained

• 1 can diced green chiles

• 1 red bell pepper, diced

• Onion, diced

• 1 taco seasoning packet

• 2 7oz cans Herdez Salsa Ranchera

• 1 bag instant Mexican rice, cooked to package instructions

• 1 cup (approximately) carnitas/shredded chicken breast/ground beef or turkey

• 1 full chorizo, diced then browned

• Cheddar cheese to top

• Baking dish

For serving:

• Sour cream

• Sliced avocado

• Taco sauce

• Tortilla chips

How to make it:

First you’ll need to pick a protein. It’ll be delicious no matter what.

SHREDDED CHICKEN: Cut two chicken breasts into strips and rub ½ packet of taco seasoning with 2 tbsp EVOO all over the chicken. Cook in a skillet with a little more EVOO, four to five minutes a side. Midway through, sprinkle the remaining taco seasoning onto the chicken. Once cooked through, remove from the pan and shred with two forks. Set aside to add back into the skillet in cooking step three.

GROUND BEEF OR TURKEY: Brown the ground meat in a pan with taco seasoning. No oil needed; it’ll release plenty. When cooked, remove from the pan and set aside to add back into the skillet in cooking step three.

CARNITAS: Our full carnitas recipe can be found here. If you go this route, simply brown the carnitas in lieu of cooking your protein in cooking step one. Once browned, set aside to add back into the skillet in cooking step three.

CHORIZO: Chorizo pairs perfectly with any of the above proteins. Brown it in a pan on its own, after cooking your other proteins, and set aside before cooking your peppers and onions.

Cooking Process:

1. Cook chosen proteins, found above (excluding carnitas, which you should save for step three)

2. Take out protein and set aside. Add onions and bell pepper to pan, sauté

3. Add chicken/carnitas/ground meat and chorizo back into pan

4. Add 2 cans of salsa ranchera

5. Add 1 can diced green chiles, stir

6. Add in bag of rice

7. In colander, strain black beans and corn

8. Mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl, then transfer to baking/casserole dish

9. Top with shredded cheddar, bake at 375 for 10 minutes, then broil on high until cheese is bubbling (1-2 minutes)