Enchilada Casserole

This recipe won the 1989 Picante Sauce “Pick Up The Pace” Recipe Contest. Or, at least, that’s what the old newspaper clipping says. The winner was Alison Boyd of San Antonio, Texas. The Grand Prize was worth $3,000 so it must be good!

Enchilada Casserole

1 ½ lbs. lean ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 ½ cups picante sauce
1 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 ½ teaspoons salt
12 corn tortillas
1 cup dairy sour cream
¾ cup (3 oz.) shredded Monterey jack cheese
¾ cup (3 oz.) shredded cheddar or additional Monterey jack cheese
Shredded lettuce (optional)
½ cup sliced rip olives

Brown meat with onion and garlic; drain. Add picante sauce, spinach, tomato sauce, tomatoes, bell pepper, lime juice and salt. Simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Arrange 6 tortillas on bottom and up sides of lightly greased 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish, overlapping as necessary. Top with half the meat mixture. Arrange remaining tortillas over, overlapping as necessary. Spread sour cream evenly over tortillas. Top with remaining meat mixture.*

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Remove from ove; sprinkle with cheeses. Let stand 10 minutes; cut into squares to serve. Garnish with lettuce, if desired, and olives. Serve with additional picante sauce.

Makes 8 servings.

* NOTE: At this point, casserole may be refrigerated up to 6 hours. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before baking.

Microwave oven directions: Prepare casserole as recipe directs in 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish or shallow 3-quart casserole. Cook uncovered at HIGH 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly, rotating dish once after 10 minutes. Sprinkle with cheeses; cover with wax paper and let stand 10 minutes. Serve as recipe directs.