December. A month of celebration, festivity, parties, presents and fine food. And…also a month of non-stop chauffeur duties, loads of school events, basketball practices and games, shopping, wrapping, shipping and general chaos. And so if your month is anything like our month—you’ll appreciate a nice make-ahead dinner that you can put together on Sunday afternoon and bring out on Monday or Tuesday when you just don’t have time to cook, but you’d like that warm, homey, dinner-is-on feeling in your house. This has all the ingredients that our teenage boys love—so it’s a hit for us—but you can also change this up to your liking by changing the cheese blend, substituting a favorite salsa for the green chilies, using baked tortilla chips instead of fresh tortillas…you get the idea.
Green Chili Queso Casserole
Serves 8
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pound ground beef or turkey
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon roasted cumin (optional)
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 ½ cups milk
16 ounces shredded cheese (I use half cheddar and half Monterey Jack), 1 cup reserved
2 4-ounce cans mild chopped green chilies
12 fresh corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch pieces
Preparation:
In a skillet, heat the olive oil and then add the onion. Sauté the onion until soft and add the ground beef. Cook until the beef is browned, add the garlic, roasted cumin (if using), oregano, salt and pepper. Taste and correct seasoning. Set aside.
In a saucepan, melt the butter and then add the flour. Whisk and cook for 2 minutes until the mixture is smooth and beginning to turn a light brown color. Slowly whisk in the milk and continue to whisk until the mixture is smooth and slightly thickened. Remove from the heat, add the cheese (except for the 1 cup reserved) and stir until the cheese is melted. Add the green chilies and stir again. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.
In a 9-inch square, round or oval casserole, place a layer of tortilla pieces, top with half the meat mixture and half of the cheese sauce. Repeat, top with the reserved cup of shredded cheese.
Bake for 350 degrees or until the edges are bubbly and browned.
