Enchilada Cassarole

My husband once made fun of {in the privacy of our car} some cheesy potato dish that was served at a family function that has chips crumbled on top.  Chalk one up to awkward silence when he realized that my mom had made it.  He was SO sure that there is no way it came from my immediate family because as a rule we just don't do that... cassaroles topped with chips, or crackers, or cereal.

I'm not going to lie,  I'm a little bit of a food snob. 

We don't eat soggy veggies out of cans.  I mean really people, it doesn't even usually resemble the real veggie at that point, have you seen the color and texture of a real vs canned veggie?  I take a personal offense to anything labeled cassarole.  Add tuna to noodles and I may will run, screaming from the building.  I tend to almost never cook with cream of anything soup serving as a gravy, the exception to the rule is glorious green bean cassarole for Thanksgiving.  Yeah, you see how I do that?  A double whammy of cassarole AND cream soup recipe that I love, just to keep you on your toes.

Is my hatred of cassaroles adequately conveyd? Because now I am going to shut the hell up and show you a recipe for Enchilada Cassarole.  It was built out of sheer laziness love, just for you, my fave readers.  And I promise, even if you're a pseudo foodie snob, you'll probably enjoy this.  It was that good.  Oh and I really did build this out of sheer laziness, have you ever rolled a pan of freaking enchilladas?  I never know how much to put in and it's just a messy, not fun experience... especially with hinderance help from a two year old.

Without further ado or annoying diatribes and likely pissing off half my readership, I give you Enchilada Cassarole!

1 lb ground beef, browned and drained
half an onion, minced and sauteed with ground beef
1 can of black beans, rinsed
packet of taco seasoning
1 can of enchilada sauce
12 oz bag of shredded cheese
1 package of {10} small flour tortillas {corn would work well also}
2-3 tablespoons of sour cream, plus more for garnish
shredded lettuce for serving, if desired
guacamole for serving, if desired

Brown the ground beef with half an onion minced, then drain off any fat.  Add a packet of taco seasoning, a can of rinsed and drained black beans, half a can of enchilada sauce and about a cup of water. 

Allow to simmer for about 10-15 minutes for the flavors to absorb into the meat and beans. 

While cooking, cut the tortillas into four thick strips.  Remove the beef & beans from heat {it will still be saucy} and stir in 2-3 tablespoons of sour cream... then the layering begins. 

Have assistance from a curious 2 year old if you'd like, the recipe is forgiving.  Start with a small amount of the sauce mix so the tortillas don't stick to the bottom of the pan, then 1/3 of the tortillas, 1/3 of the sauce, & 1/3 of the cheese.  Repeat untill everything is layered in the pan adding in the last half a can of enchilada sauce on the top layer of sauce and ending with cheese. 

At this point I popped it into the fridge until dinnertime, but you could also bake right away. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until cheese & sauce is bubbly.

Take it out and allow to set up for about 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving with sour cream, shredded lettuce, and homemade guacamole.

Y-U-M.

Edited to add: Note to myself that next time I would go with two cans of black beans and maybe 3/4 pound of ground beef.  Also, my friend Steph made this with chicken and said it was awesome!

Also, I've started using a 9" round pan for this, keep the tortillas whole instead of cutting and just add them in one layer to the pan.  EASY!!