Enchilada Whatever Casserole

Appetizing title? Well it fits this soon to be casserole that will be in my oven in about 30 minutes. It will include ground beef, seasoning, some salsa and pureed tomatoes. Of course it will also include tortillas. Flour tortillas because they are the most popular in this house.

So, no this is not a gourmet enchilada recipe with homemade enchilada sauce. It is a throw together casserole that helps to use leftover produce in my fridge. I don't even have any  fresh onion or garlic left, so I need to use dried seasoning.  I actually ssshhhh have some taco seasoning in my pantry. Shame on me for not making it. I am a proponent of making many things, but I bought it on a whim for a taco dip I made the other day. These things happen. I may even throw that it.

Enchilada Whatever Casserole is great because it can be whatever you want it to be. Have any type of meat, tortillas, some sort of sauce and cheese? Great, get going. This can also be customized to include veggies like corn or black beans. No corn in the house and there will be protests if beans are in there, so I will stick to meat only.

I am back. Just took a quick bread to get this casserole going.  You will learn a lot about me when you read my recipe below. I did not use the taco seasoning today, but I won't judge you if you do. See notes below.*

 Enchilada Whatever Casserole

1 pound ground beef or any meat you have available
1 teaspoon garlic
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon oregano
salt and pepper to taste
about 1 pint grape tomatoes
1 cup salsa
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons tomato paste
four large tortillas
2 cups shredded cheese ( I used a Mexican blend)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brown ground beef add seasonings and salt and pepper to taste. Drain beef if needed. Puree grape tomatoes and add to ground beef. Stir and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add salsa, water and tomato paste. Bring to a boil and turn down and simmer for ten minutes. Place two tortillas in a 13 x 9 pan and pour 1/2 of the meat mixture on top. Sprinkle with almost half the cheese and add two more tortillas. Top with the rest of the meat and cover with cheese. Bake in oven for 25 minutes.

*This recipe is designed to be tweaked, adjusted and played with to your hearts content. I pureed grape tomatoes to get rid of them. You may use two cups of salsa instead or canned tomatoes. You want your final mixture to be wet so that the tortillas soak it up. Think lasagna. If you don't have enough sauce your lasagna will be dry. The concept here is the same. If you have more tortillas you can make an additional layer. It is a pretty forgiving dish, so just get cooking.