Description
This Mexican Tortilla Casserole is a flavorful and comforting dish with layers of seasoned meat, beans, corn, and tortillas, topped with a vibrant cilantro-lime crema. It’s perfect for family dinners or potlucks.
Ingredients
Scale
- 500g (1 lb) ground halal beef or chicken, crumbled
- 150g (5 oz) onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 5ml (1 tsp) ground cumin
- 5ml (1 tsp) chili powder
- 5ml (1 tsp) smoked paprika
- 2.5ml (½ tsp) salt, plus a pinch for crema
- 400g (14 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
- 240ml (1 cup) cooked black beans, rinsed and drained
- 150g (1 cup) frozen corn kernels, thawed
- 300g (12) corn tortillas, cut into strips
- 200g (2 cups) shredded cheddar-Monterey Jack blend
- Cilantro-Lime Crema: 120ml (½ cup) sour cream, 30ml (2 tbsp) mayonnaise, zest and juice of 1 lime, 15g (¼ cup) cilantro, 1 jalapeño, minced, pinch of salt
- 30ml (2 tbsp) olive oil
- 30g (¼ cup) pepitas, toasted
- Fresh cilantro leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Prep Oven & Dish: Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) and grease a baking dish.
- Brown Meat: Cook ground meat until browned, draining excess fat.
- Sauté Aromatics: Sauté onion and garlic with meat until softened.
- Add Spices: Stir in cumin, chili powder, paprika, and salt; cook for 1 minute.
- Simmer Filling: Add tomatoes, beans, and corn; simmer for 3 minutes.
- Toast Pepitas: Toast pepitas in olive oil until golden and fragrant.
- Layer Casserole: Layer meat mixture, tortilla strips, and cheese three times, ending with cheese.
- Swirl Crema: Drop crema spoonfuls over cheese and swirl.
- Bake: Bake for 30-35 minutes, until bubbly and golden.
- Rest & Serve: Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
For a spicier casserole, add more jalapeño or cayenne pepper. Ground turkey or chicken can be substituted for beef.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg