Stacked Sweet Corn, Bean, & Beef Casserole :: Cinco de Mayo

OK, so I know most of us haven’t met in real life, and that you may be skeptical about taking advice from a complete stranger on what to cook for dinner. But I’m gonna ask you to take a leap of faith just this once and make this for your Cinco de Mayo party next week. It is so easy to pull together, and the taste is ridiculously amazing. Between the sweet corn, spicy seasoning, crunchy peppers, savory meat and beans, gooey cheese, and flavorful cilantro, this dish is a winner on every layer.

Stacked Sweet Corn, Bean, & Beef Casserole 
{serves 6}

[ingredients] 
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2 ears of fresh corn on the cob
1 lb. lean ground beef
1-15oz. can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 large yellow sweet pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 C fresh or bottled chunky salsa
1 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
4 8- to 9- inch flour tortillas
1 1/2 C cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded 
sour cream, for topping 
chopped tomatoes and cilantro, for garnish 

[directions] 
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Prep. Preheat your oven to 375. Chop veggies accordingly. Grease a 9-inch springform pan, large oven-going platter, or 12-inch pizza pan.

Cook. Cook your beef until brown. Breaking into small chunks. Drain fat! Add beans to beef and heat through. Cover and keep warm. In another skillet, heat olive oil over med heat and add onion, sweet pepper, and garlic. Cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Add corn, salsa, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne. Cook 5 min, stirring occasionally.

Bake. Place 2 of the tortillas in prepared pan. Top with meat mixture. Reserve 1/4 C of cheese. Divide the remaining cheese in half. Sprinkle half on the meat. Add another tortilla, vegetable mixture, and remaining half of cheese. Add final tortilla. Cover loosely with foil. Bake 10 min. Uncover and sprinkle with reserved cheese. Bake 10 more min. Let stand 10 min. Remove sides, if using springform pan. Top with sour cream, tomatoes, and cilantro, if desired. Slice with serrated knife.

Source: Slightly adapted from Better Home and Gardens May, 2011 ed.

//all photography is my own. please do not use without permission.\\