The Comfort Foods Keep on Playing

Last night we had taco casserole for dinner that our neighbor gave me the recipe. I'm sure this is something that everyone but me has but I'll give the recipe after the click anyway.  I was thinking last night that I'm kind of the anti-casserole queen and I was wondering why.  When I was growing up my mom made a few casseroles but not that many. She's not with us anymore so she's not around to ask why. I'm not sure if she didn't like making them, or more likely, if it was because dad was such a meat and potatoes kind of guy. We ate a lot of fried chicken, pork chops, ribs, etc., with separate potatoes and veggies. Then, in my adult life I did a dozen years in the hotel business, mostly in convention and banquet planning, so again, my whole menu planning experience was all about thinking in terms of entree:  steaks, chicken, chops, veal, etc., starch side:  rice, potatoes, pasta, etc., and vegetable sides, the more high falutin' the better. 

So now, here I am an old lady in my 40's :-) suddenly during these few weeks of crappy weather carnage on a child-like joyous quest for simple casserole comfort food recipes because, quite frankly, I'm really enjoying making and eating them. It's giving Gene and I a whole new dining experience.  Sometimes you simply get bored and want something different for a while so I've been going back to the more comforting one casserole dish type meals with gusto.  Okay, albeit, going back to them only with better vegetables and less Campbell's soup than what I'm told on most of the recipes, I admit. My chicken and rice the other night had no soup in it and all fresh veggies and it was very good. I'll be making it again. It's perfect and perfectly easy, especially with going back to work and having less time to spend in the kitchen. 

This taco casserole recipe, I'm sure, has been in a million women's magazines but I got it from the neighbor. It was simple, quick, and really tasty, sort of a cross between chili and frito chili pie. Best of all, it used up the half bag of tortilla chips I was sick of looking at on the counter.

Taco Casserole

1 1/2 lbs Ground Beef, browned

1 15 oz. can kidney beans

1 15 oz. can Ro-tel tomatoes

1 package taco seasoning

2 cups frozen corn

2 cups grated Cheddar/Monterrey Jack mix cheese

2 large handfulls tortilla chips, crushed

Mix all ingredients together and pour into 9" x 9" casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes covered.  Uncover and bake another 10 minutes or until browned.

Garnish:

Avocado, lettuce, tomato, green onions, sour cream

Calorie counts:  yeah, right. Like I'm going to depress myself by looking that information up. Just eat it and enjoy it while looking outside at the bad weather and appreciate being inside, warm, and happy.

Comments

[Jeff]

I don't know why age has anything to do with it...yummy food should be loved at any age :

[sher]

I really like that. First--it has tortilla chips in it. It's sort of like the Mexican dish chiliquiles, which I love.

[coffeepot]

It looks so good. I love using that bottom of a bag of chips like that (In casseroles). I used to just throw them away but I have gotten wiser and older.

[Mimi]

Like coffeepot, I do the same thing. The bottom of a bag of chips is often the basis for something! I toss 'em in salad and soups and chili. I've got a similar casserole I should make one of these days.

[Glenna]

Thanks, yep, it's a bottom of the bag kind of thing but it was really good. I even served it to Chris (Dr. Respiratory Love) the next night when he called saying he was out of power and needed a place to crash for the night. He wanted the recipe.