Today’s cooler, drier weather has me looking for new recipes. I found this one on Facebook at the Easy Crockpot Recipes page. I really like recipes that have ingredients that I usually have already, so I don’t have to make a trip to pick them up. All of the ingredients for this recipe are kitchen staples that I keep on hand most of the time. I have what I need to make this tomorrow evening.

Mexican Casserole

1 lb lean ground beef, browned and drained

1 can Ranch Style beans

1 10-12 oz bag tortilla chips, crushed

1 can Ro-Tel

1 small onion, chopped

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1 package taco seasoning

1 can cream of chicken soup

½ cup water

Sour cream, olives, green onions, and salsa for serving, optional

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9X13 casserole dish. Put a layer of crushed chips on the bottom of the dish.

Stir beans, Ro-Tel, taco seasoning, soup, and water into the meat.

Simmer over medium-low heat until everything is well combined and heated through.

Add a layer of the meat mixture on top of the chips and top with half of the cheese.

Put another layer of the chips on top of the cheese and follow with the meat mixture, then the rest of the cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until bubbly.

Let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving. Top with sour cream and salsa, if desired.

Notes:

I have made a similar casserole and added a can of corn, drained, to the meat mixture.

Use whatever cheese you prefer, keeping in mind that the heat level and/or flavor may change depending on the cheese used.

If you put this in the slow cooker, put a paper towel on top of the crock, not on the cheese, and secure with the lid. It won’t get brown on top, but it will still be yummy. Everything will be hot already, so put on low for an hour or two to keep hot until serving.

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