Mexican Casserole with Jalapeño Cornbread

If you're serving this menu to very small children, consider using less-spicy ingredients. You can easily substitute kidney beans for chili beans, American cheese for Mexican cheese, and green peppers for jalapeño peppers.

Mexican Casserole Ingredients

• 2 pounds of ground beef
• 2 cups of salsa
• 1 can of sliced black olives
• 3 green onions
• 1 packet of taco seasoning
• 1 can of chili beans
• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• 1 bag of tortilla chips
• 2 cups of shredded Mexican cheese mix
• 2 cups of sour cream

Mexican Casserole Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and prepare a baking dish by spraying it with non-stick cooking spray. Place a few handfuls of tortilla chips into a Ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin or hammer. Spread 1 cup of the crushed tortilla chips into the bottom of your baking dish and set aside. Using a large skillet, brown the ground beef over medium-high heat and then drain away the grease using a colander. Return the beef to the skillet and turn the heat to low. Add the salsa and the taco seasoning, and stir to combine thoroughly. Cover the skillet and allow to simmer. Meanwhile, use a pair of kitchen shears to dice the green onion into a bowl. Open the cans of chili beans, olives, and tomatoes and drain them into your colander. Dump them into the bowl with the green onion, mix together, and then add them to the skillet. Stir everything together thoroughly and cook for about 5 minutes. Spoon the mixture over the layer of crushed tortillas; spread the sour cream over the beef mixture, and then top with the shredded cheese. Bake in your oven for about 30 minutes.

Jalapeño Cornbread Ingredients

• 1 cup of milk
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 1/4 cup of sugar
• 1/2 cup of self-rising flour
• 1 1/2 cups of self-rising cornmeal
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup of vegetable oil
• 1 can of jalapeño peppers
• 1 very small can of whole kernel corn

Jalapeño Cornbread Directions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and prepare a large iron skillet or baking dish by spraying it with non-stick cooking spray. Open the peppers and corn and drain them into a colander. Combine the flour and cornmeal in a large mixing bowl. Combine the milk and lemon juice in a measuring cup, stir three times, and allow to sit for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, beat the eggs in a bowl with a wire whisk, and then add the vegetable oil and milk with lemon juice. Whisk a few times and add to the dry ingredients. Stir with a large spoon just until the dry ingredients are moist, and then stir in the drained jalapeño peppers and corn. Pour the batter into your prepared skillet or baking dish and bake for 25 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean.