Enchilada Casserole with Spicy Black Beans...

I saw this recipe in this month's Cooking Light and made it the other night. It was delicious!! My pictures seriously don't do it justice...it was GREAT!! And surprisingly easy... the spicy black beans would be a great side for just about anything!

Enchilada Casserole

Ingredients:

1 pound ground sirloin

1 cup chopped onion

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup fat-free, lower-sodium beef broth

1 tablespoon 40%-less-sodium taco seasoning mix (like Old El Paso)

1 (8-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce

4 (8-inch) whole-wheat flour tortillas

1/3 cup(1 1/2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers (I had to buy a block of cheese and grate it)

Optional ingredients: 1/2 can whole kernel corn, green bell pepper

Steps:

1) Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and onion to pan; cook 6 minutes, stirring to crumble. I added a half can of whole kernel corn to the beef mixture- a chopped green bell pepper would be great too! If you had the bell pepper just make sure to cook it with the beef and onion so it softens!

2) Preheat oven to 400*.

3) Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic; saute 1 minute. Sprinkle with flour; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add broth, taco seasoning, and tomato sauce to pan. Bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1 1/2 cups tomato mixture to beef mixture; reserve 1/2 cup tomato mixture. 

4) Place 1 tortilla in a 9-inch plate. Top with 1 cup beef mixture. Repeat layers, ending with tortilla. Spread reserved tomato mixture over tortilla. Top with cheese. Bake at 400* for 10 minutes or until cheese melts. Cool slightly. 

NOTES: 

I was worried I had used WAY too much garlic but I could barely taste it. So don't worry it will turn out well. Also I had enough to make a second one in a small pyrex dish because my pie dish was shallow... Feel free to add a little more than a cup of the meat mixture if you aren't going to make two. Cut into wedges and serve! It's SO good!

Spicy Black Beans

Ingredients:

1 (15-ounce) can Organic no-salt-added Black Beans, rinsed and drained

2 teaspoons canola oil (I used vegetable oil)

1 red bell pepper (I used a green bell pepper)

1jalapeno pepper

1 lime

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon fresh cilantro

Steps:

1) Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons canola oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add 1 cup chopped red bell pepper and 1 minced jalapeno pepper; saute 4 minutes.

2) Add 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 can black beans. Cook 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro.

NOTES:

You can use any color bell pepper available so don't worry too much about that. I also just squeezed all the lime juice I could into the skillet instead of worrying about measuring it out. My beans may have been a little overcooked but they turned out so delicious!!