With us working up to six days a week, we have found casseroles a quick and easy convenience. We make the casseroles, i.e., our past food blog “Breakfast Casserole,” at the beginning of the week, and we are set with breakfasts, lunches, and dinners for the week.
We use our 9” x 13” x 3” deep Mason glazed crockery casserole dish for most of our casseroles, the one seen in the pictures. Depending on the depth of the casserole, we usually cut them into anywhere from eight to 12 servings.
This works great for the two of us but would also be great for serving a family or guests. Whoever gets home from work first pops two slices into our crockpot on high, and at dinner time, a couple of hours later, the casserole is heated all the way through. Then, we make a quick green side salad or steam a bag of frozen mixed veggies, and we have a quick, easy mid-week dinner. Note: A quick pop into the microwave works great too.
Casserole Ingredients:
- 2 cups cooked Quinoa (we prefer tri-colored Quinoa)
- 2 lbs. ground turkey meat (or ground beef)
- 3 cups Colby Cheddar cheese (grated)
- 1 18 count pkg. white (or yellow) corn tortillas
- 2 LG cans Mild Green Enchilada Sauce (we use the Mild, use Medium for more heat)
- 1 8oz can of Green Chilies
- 1 pkg. taco seasoning
- 1 bell pepper (diced)
- 2 onions, white or yellow (diced)
- ¼ tsp coarse black pepper (2nd ¼ tsp black pepper for topping)
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- Fresh cilantro (chopped or julienned)
Casserole Filling:
In a large skillet, saute onions, bell peppers, and brown the turkey meat. Drain off most of the liquid. Over low heat, add cooked Quinoa, canned Green chilies with liquid, taco seasoning, black pepper, garlic powder, cumin, and 1 cup of the green enchilada sauce. Stir, remove from heat, and set aside.
Preparation:
In a 9” x 13” x 3” deep casserole dish: Pour a thin layer of enchilada sauce into the bottom of the dish, and lay out six tortillas, overlapping to cover the bottom of the dish.
Spread 1/3 of the filling completely, covering the tortillas. Sprinkle 1 cup of grated cheese covering the filling,
Repeat: a thin layer of sauce, 6 tortillas, 1/3 of filling, and 1 cup of cheese for 2nd layer, Repeat: a thin layer of sauce, 6 tortillas, 1/3 of filling, and 1 cup of cheese for 3rd layer, top with a cup of remaining green enchilada sauce, cilantro, and coarse black pepper.
Preheat the oven to 350. Bake on the middle shelf for 1 hour. Remove from oven and serve.
