Mom on the Make

Finding fun amidst the chaos of Motherhood

Easy Mexican Casserole

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Tonight, Imagineer and I put together this “Easy Mexican Casserole” recipe we found on AllRecipes.  This is definitely a winner. Here’s the details…..

Easy Mexican Casserole
 
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Recipe type: Dinner
Cuisine: Casserole
Ingredients
  • 1 pound lean ground beef or ground turkey
  • 2 cups fresh 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
  • ½ cup chopped green onion
  • 1 cup chopped fresh tomato
  • 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (we used a block and cheddar and shred it - its so much better fresh)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground beef or turkey until no longer pink.
  3. Stir in salsa, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed.
  4. Stir in beans, and heat through.
  5. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
  6. Spread crushed tortilla chips in dish, and then spoon beef/turkey mixture over chips. Spread sour cream over beef/turkey, and sprinkle olives, green onion, and tomato over the sour cream.
  7. Top with Cheddar cheese.
  8. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
  9. YUM.

Chicken Tortilla Casserole

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I wanted to make my Mom’s recipe for Chicken Tortilla Casserole tonight, so I brought up my blog’s recipe category.  Much to my surprise, the recipe was not there!

This is one of my favorite go-to casseroles that I have been enjoying for decades, and am shocked I have not shared this one with you all.

So, for a Valentine’s Day treat, you will now have access to the world’s best Chicken Tortilla Casserole recipe.  🙂

This casserole is what I was making yesterday when I mentioned my kitchen time in the lego post yesterday.

The layers of corn tortillas, fresh baked chicken, cream of chicken and mushroom soups mixed with fresh salsa, and fresh grated cheddar cheese is the perfect comfort food and a great family dinner.

One of the keys to this recipe is squeezing lots of lemon juice onto the chicken breasts and wrapping in aluminum foil before baking in a 400 degree oven for one hour.  The lemon juice really makes the chicken moist.  I know this is the best way, because I have tried to use shortcuts like boiling the chicken.  Definitely not as good.  Make time for the one hour baking time – its worth it!

baked chicken

Chopped Baked Chicken……

chopped baked chicken

Start layering tortillas, chicken, soup mix, grated cheddar cheese, then repeat.

chicken tortilla casserole

 

chicken tortilla casserole recipe

Top off the second layer with tortillas, then grated cheese on top.  This is such a great touch.  Its like mini cheese crisps on top of your casserole.

chicken tortilla casserole recipe

chicken tortilla casserole

chicken tortilla casserole

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Chicken Tortilla Casserole
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Dinner
Ingredients
  • 12 Tortillas
  • 1½ pounds chicken breasts
  • 1 can cream of chicken soup
  • 1 can cream of mushroom soup
  • 2 cups fresh mild salsa
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2-3 cups grated cheddar cheese or mexican mix cheese
Instructions
  1. Squeeze fresh lemon juice on chicken breasts.
  2. Wrap chicken breasts in aluminum foil and bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 1 hour.
  3. Cut baked chicken into bite size pieces.
  4. Put cooking spray on a 9x13 pan.
  5. Mix the soups, milk and salsa in a medium bowl.
  6. Cut tortillas into 4 sections, creating triangles.
  7. Place a layer of tortilla triangles on sprayed dish for first layer.
  8. Place half of chopped chicken onto tortillas.
  9. Cover chicken with half of soup mix.
  10. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on soup mix.
  11. Repeat Layer.
  12. Place extra layer of tortilla triangles on top layer and sprinkle cheese on tortillas for mini cheese crisps.

You are going to love this one!  ENJOY!!

Delicious and Easy to Make Tamale Pie

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Tamale Pie cornmeal on top

Tamale Pie

One of my favorite “go to” dinners to make for my family is my Mom’s recipe for Tamale Pie.  It is so easy to assemble, and tastes great every time.

The cornmeal is so tasty on top of the meat and veggie mixture.  You will cook the pie until the cornmeal is slightly crisp at the top.

Everyone is happy with this dinner in my household, and if there are any leftovers, it heats up again very well.

I remember my Mom always making this dish on Halloween night.  We would have a piece before trick or treating, then have another piece in between rounds of our trick or treating outings.  🙂  It was nice to have a little nutrition in between all of the heavy sugar rounds.

Below are the steps to making this yummy pie:

Tamale pie ingredients

Gather Tamale Pie ingredients:  Note that I used sliced cheese this time, but shredded works better.

Tamale Pie Recipe

Saute chopped green peppers and onions until soft.

Brown Turkey Meat for Tamale Pie

Brown Turkey Meat with sauteed peppers and onions

Tamale Pie Ingredients

Add the next 4ingredients including: olives, corn, 2 cans of tomato sauce, dash of pepper.

Tamale Pie Ingredients

Simmer for 20 minutes until the ingredients thicken.

Cornmeal Topping for Tamale Pie

Meanwhile, while meat mixture is thickening, stir 3/4 cup yellow cornmeal, 1/2t salt and 2 cups cold water until starts to thicken, then add 1T butter and stir

Tamale Pie Recipe

Place meat mixture in 13×9 inch pan

Tamale Pie cornmeal on top

Spread Cornmeal mixture on top of meat mixture

Cheese on cornmeal

Place cheese on top of cornmeal layer now or you can wait until there is 10 minutes left of cooking time to put the cheese on.  If you put it on before putting in the oven, the cheese will be crispier in the end.

place tamale pie in oven

Place Tamale Pie in 375 degree oven for about 25 minutes

finished tamale pie

Finished Tamale Pie

piece of tamale pie

Piece of Tamale Pie Ready to be Enjoyed!

You can always add extra ingredients, like garlic and chili powder to spice things up a bit.  If it were just Mountain Man and I, I would add chili powder, cumin and garlic, but with the little ones, they like everything as non-spicy as possible, so I restrain from those ingredients.  Sometimes, I will sprinkle chili powder on the grown ups plates of the pie.

Also, I have added green chili peppers in the past which are really yummy as well.

Here is the recipe for print out:

Delicious and Easy to Make Tamale Pie
 
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Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Dinner
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1 cup chopped green pepper
  • 1 lb ground turkey or beef
  • 2 cans (8oz) tomato sauce
  • 1 can (12oz) yellow corn
  • 1 can (8oz) sliced olives
  • 12 oz of shredded cheddar/monterey jack cheese
  • CORNMEAL TOPPER
  • ¾ cup yellow cornmeal
  • ½t salt
  • 2 cups cold water
  • 1T butter
Instructions
  1. Saute onion and green pepper in olive oil until tender.
  2. Add meat and brown lightly.
  3. Add next four ingredients and simmer until thick for 20 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, make the cornmeal topper by stirring ¾ cup cornmeal with 2 cups cold water and ½t salt.
  5. Cook and stir until thick.
  6. Add 1T butter and mix well until melted.
  7. After simmering for 20 minutes, place meat mixture in 13x9 inch pan.
  8. Spoon the cornmeal mixture on top of the meat mixture and spread.
  9. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 25 minutes.
  10. When there are 10 minutes left of cooking time, sprinkle cheese on top of the cornmeal mixture.
  11. Voila! The perfect tamale pie. Enjoy!!

 

 

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