Beef and Bean Enchilada Casserole

I made enchiladas a couple of months ago, and we loved them! They take awhile, by the time you boil and "pull" the chicken, so I wanted to give this a try...fast, easy enchilada flavor. Plus, who doesn't like a good casserole when the weather cools? This was a delicious meal! I customized it a little bit by using black beans instead of pinto beans and leaving out the onions (blech). The flavor was very mild with the sour cream. Next time I might cut back a little on the sour cream just to add more punch, but it was just fine this way, too! I will aslo remake this using chicken. It would be great with any meat! I found the recipe here.

Beef and Bean Enchilada Casserole

1/2 lb lean ground beef
1/2 c chopped onion (I left this out and didn't miss it)
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 15 oz can black beans (or pinto), drained and rinsed
1 4 oz can diced green chili peppers
1 8 oz carton sour cream or light sour cream (less if desired)
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp garlic powder
8 6-in corn tortillas
1 10 oz can enchilada sauce (or 1 10-1/2 oz can tomoato puree)
1 c shredded cheddar cheese

1. In a large skillet, cook the ground beef, onion, chili powder, and cumin unti meat is no longer pink and onion is tender. Drain. Stir in beans and undrained chili peppers. Set aside.

2. In a small mixing bowl, stir together sour cream, flour, and garlic powder until combined. Set aside.

3. Place half of the tortillas in the bottom of a lightly greased 2-quart rectangular baking dish, cutting to fit if necessary. Top with half of the meat mixture, half of the sour cream mixture, and half of the enchilada sauce. Repeat layers. Cover dish with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

4. To finish and serve: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove plastic wrap; cover dish with foil. Bake in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes or until bubbly. Uncover; sprinkle with cheese and bake 5 additional minutes.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Pioneer Woman's Baked Mac & Cheese

Disclaimer: I am from Wisconsin, and I LOVE cheese.
Don't let that affect your opinion of this dish, though. It is delicious! (Just ask my husband). It makes a LOT of macaroni, so we were eating it off and on for almost a week. Luckily, it reheats very well! This is a good compromise on kid-friendly comfort food with a very adult twist. This would go really well with ham, if you don't want this to be your main dish. The original recipe can be found here.

Macaroni & Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

4 cups dried macaroni
1/4 cup (1/2 stick, 4 tablespoons) butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 heaping teaspoons dry mustard (more if desired)
1 egg, beaten
1 pound cheese, grated
1/2 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt (more to taste)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
(optional) dashes of: cayenne pepper, paprika, thyme

Cook macaroni just until very firm. Drain and set aside.

In a large pot, melt the butter and whisk in flour. Cook for five minutes over medium-low heat, whisking constantly and being careful not to burn. Pour in milk and add mustard. Whisk until smooth. Cook 5 minutes or until very thick. Reduce heat to low.

In a small bowl, beat egg. Temper the egg by slowly adding 1/4 cup of the warm sauce, whisking constantly until smooth. Pour the egg mixture back into the sauce, whisking constantly until smooth.

Add cheese, and stir to melt. Add salt, pepper, and spices until seasoned to taste. Add drained cooked macaroni to the pot and stir to combine.

Pour into a buttered baking dish, top with extra cheese, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.

Zucchini Ravioli Lasagna

This is a great recipe that I stumbled upon and was instantly intrigued by. Historically, I haven't been a huge fan of lasagna, but that changed the minute I tasted this. First of all, the preparation was (I think) much easier than a traditional lasagna. Then you add zucchini and it takes it over the top! I found the original recipe here, and I wouldn't change much about it, except maybe adding an extra zucchini. Perfection.

Zucchini Ravioli Lasagna

2-3 medium zucchini, cut lengthwises into 1/4-inch thick slices
1 pkg (26 oz) frozen large cheese ravioli
3 t olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
8 oz lean ground beef
1 jar (26 oz) tomato-basil sauce
1 c shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheet with paper towels. Grease 2-quart ceramic baking dish (or 9x13).

2. Heat large covered pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add zucchini and cook 5 minutes. With tongs or slotted spoon, remove zucchini and lay out on prepared cookie sheet to drain. Return water to boiling, and add ravioli. Cook until ravioli rise to top (see package for approx time).

3. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat 2 t oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook 8-10 minutes or until tender and lightly browned. Transfer to small bowl. In the same saucepan, add remaining oil and cook beef over medium-high heat 3-4 minutes or until browned, breaking up beef with spoon. Stir in tomato sauce and onion. Heat to boiling.

4. Drain ravioli; return to saucepot. Add meat sauce to ravioli and stir until combined.

5. In prepared baking dish, arrange half the zucchini; top with ravioli (arrange as carefully or randomly as you prefer); sprinkle with half the mozzerella and half the Parmesan. Repeat layers. Bake 20 minutes or until hot in the center and golden and bubbly on top.