Casserole 365

I've been toying with the idea of doing recipes on here since I love recipe blogs and have been really into cooking as of late, and I've been really into casseroles as my dinners of choice. So I'm going to start casserole 365, I'll make a casserole every day for the next year. Main dishes, side dishes and desserts and sometimes I may bend the definition of casserole to mean anything with more than one ingredient that can be put in a dish and baked in the oven. Also if I get bored or annoyed I'm giving myself permission to stop at anytime and not stubbornly insist on seeing this through if it's driving me batty.

Last night was Casserole #1: Tortilla Casserole

I started with a recipe I printed off foodnetwork.com (I've been printing up recipes at an alarming rate) but ended up adapting it so much that it resembled something else entirely. Also I made my own taco seasoning because casseroles tend to be high in sodium and I'm going to strive to eat as healthily as possible on this adventure through casserole land.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 lbs ground beef
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced yellow or red pepper
1/2 tbsp cumin
1/4 tbsp adobo
salt & pepper to taste
1 pint sour cream
2 eggs
1/4 can sliced black olives
sm. can chopped green chilies
1 bag shredded cheddar
med. jar salsa
6-8 flour tortillas

In a large skillet combine olive oil, onions & peppers.
Saute for about 2-3 minutes before adding the hamburger to the pan.
As meat is browning add cumin, adobo, salt and pepper--spices are optional of course but if you want it to taste at all like the packet seasoning you must use cumin
While meat is cooking mix the pint of sour cream with two eggs and pepper to taste
Drain the fat off the cooked meat-all of it or it'll be too wet

Once you have the meat cooked and the sour cream concoction made line all your ingredients up on the counter.
Put a layer of tortillas on the bottom of the casserole dish
Top with half of the meat
Spread half of the sour cream on top of that
Sprinkle olives and cheese
Lay another layer of tortillas
Then the rest of the meat & sour cream
Spread the chilies on top (I left a corner chili free for Eli)
Pour the salsa on top and sprinkle with remaining cheese
Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 1/2 an hour

This was really tasty, not spicy at all (though if you want it spicy just add more cumin and maybe some chili powder) and Eli gobbled it right up. I'd say it's pretty toddler friendly.

Probably tomorrow's recipe will be illustrated, I was too lazy to take pictures last night. Also Eli was screaming at the fence the whole time I was chopping which made me a bit on edge; he seems determined to make me lose a finger. The little darling.