Phyllis's Mexicale Hot Stuff Party Din

This Mexican casserole is built for feeding a crowd with minimal fuss. Seasoned ground beef gets mixed with creamed corn, Rotel tomatoes, enchilada sauce, cheddar, olives, and diced green chiles. All of that goes layered between torn flour tortillas in a baking dish, lasagna-style.

The creamed corn is the unexpected ingredient that holds everything together. It adds body and a subtle sweetness that rounds out the cumin, oregano, and chili powder. Without it, the filling can be too loose and soupy.

Three tortillas torn on the bottom, half the meat mixture, three more torn tortillas, the rest of the meat, then a blanket of Monterey Jack on top. Thirty minutes in the oven and the cheese is bubbling and golden.

Pro Tips

• Brown the beef until crumbly and fully cooked. Drain excess grease before mixing with the other ingredients or the casserole gets greasy.
• Tear the tortillas into large, irregular pieces. They soften and act like pasta layers, soaking up all the sauce.
• Let the casserole rest for 10 minutes after baking. It sets up and slices much cleaner.
• Season with cumin and chili powder gradually. You can always add more heat, but you can’t take it away.

Variations

• Use ground turkey instead of beef for a lighter version.
• Add a can of black beans to the meat mixture for extra protein and fiber.
• Top with sliced jalapenos and a drizzle of sour cream before serving for a loaded finish.