Cinco de Mayo Casserole

Today is Cinco de Mayo and also Kentucky Derby day. I created a special recipe honoring both events. I hope you’ll try it at your next fiesta.

RECIPE

Cinco de Mayo Casserole

Ingredients:

1 beer (any kind, including non-alcoholic)

1.3 pounds lean ground turkey

1 package Bloemer’s* chili seasoning

1 cup chopped onion

1 15 oz. can tomato sauce

1 15½ oz. can chili beans

nonstick cooking spray

6 8″ diameter whole-wheat tortillas

8 slices Boar’s Head 3-Pepper Jack cheese

8 oz. shredded Monterrey jack cheese

1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Coat the inside of a 9″ X 13″ casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

Place a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add beer, ground turkey, and chili seasoning mix. Stir.

Cover and cook the turkey, lifting lid occasionally to break apart the meat. The turkey should poach in the beer and become fine.

Cook turkey mixture for ten minutes, covered, then simmer uncovered for five minutes.

Add chopped onion, canned tomato sauce, and canned chili beans. Stir to combine.

Cover and remove from heat.

In the casserole dish, place 2 tortillas in the bottom. They will overlap some, and that’s all right.

Spoon half the turkey chili (about 4 cups) over the tortillas.

Cover the chili with the 8 slices of cheese.

Place 2 tortillas over the cheese.

Spoon remaining turkey chili over the tortillas.

Cover turkey chili with 2 more tortillas.

Spread tortillas with 8 ounces shredded Monterrey Jack cheese until completely covered.

Place aluminum foil over the casserole dish.

Bake casserole covered for 30 minutes, then remove the foil for 5 minutes.

Garnish with the chopped cilantro.

Allow casserole to cool about 10 minutes before serving.

This casserole can be assembled a day ahead then baked the day you want to serve it.

Yields: 6–8 servings

*Bloemer Food Products are available in Louisville and online at http://www.bloemerfoods.com/