A Mexican Dinner!

Alright, so...I'm a flake. We'll just get that out there right now. This is the first MKMW challenge I've completed since I joined three weeks ago...and I did it late!

To make up for it, I completed it twice. ;-)

Saturday night, nothing sounded better than nachos (kind of Mexican, right?). I spread about half a bag of "hint of lime" tostitos on a baking tray and then spread them with some browned black beans, sausage and onion. I topped that with cheddar and queso blanco and broiled the whole mess. Pretty tasty!

Sunday night, we had guests over for dinner and I made enchiladas. (Lo Gung always says he married me for my enchiladas - growing up with Ma cooking, he didn't get a lot of Mexican food! Hey, I'm just glad he married me at all!)

My enchiladas are never the same twice. Since I couldn't find the huge tortillas I'm used to, I layered 8 smallish "fajita size" tortillas in my favorite round casserole dish with my own filling and cheddar cheese. (Filling recipe to follow) I topped the whole thing with more cheddar, and some queso blanco again. (I got the queso blanco at Costco for a really good price, but I have to use it up before my taste buds change again! Besides, I LOVE the way it puffs up in the oven and looks like little salty marshmallows.)

Enchilada filling:
Brown 1 lb hamburger with 1 diced onion. (Chicken is also really good here.) Add 1/3 cup taco seasoning, 1 cup water, 1 can tomato sauce, 1 can mushrooms, 1 small can tomato paste and 1 large can hominy. Boil for 5 minutes to thicken.

Put a little of the filling mixture on the bottom of the casserole, then begin layering (tortilla, sauce, cheese), ending with cheese. Bake at 350, covered, for about 15 minutes, or until heated through and bubbly. Remove the lid and continue baking until the cheese is browned. This can be covered again and it will stay hot for at LEAST 45 minutes - perfect for guests with small children with their own agenda and schedule!

We enjoyed this on the back deck with a green salad and rice and beans on the side. We finished off the evening with chocolate chip cookies and ice cream.