Taco Casserole

Hmm, taco-ish casserole-ish dishes are quite popular with me!  I love Mexican food + it's easy to make.  And, I love me a good casserole, especially the leftovers they afford.

I was digging through some of my pre-vegan recipes and came across this Vegetarian Taco Casserole recipe, circa 2002.  The page it's printed on is crinkled and splattered, with an unknown phone number written on the back.  I knew I had found an old friend.

Not a great photo, just out of the oven.

And, here it is, dished up with some vegan sour cream (recipe from Yellow Rose Recipes, probably my fave vegan sour cream) and black olives.

We got snow yesterday here in Denver, and that plus the accompanying chill caught me off guard, as I had started to settle in to Spring.  Just the other day, I moved my winter boots to the closet, thinking "I won't need these again."  Yeah, well, I've lived here long enough that I should know better.  I took the opportunity to enjoy another excuse to putter around the kitchen for an afternoon without feeling guilty.  The extra evening light always makes me feel like I shouldn't be cozying up to a hearty meal and then crawling in bed early.  And, the snow on the ground ensures that there's absolutely no way I could be doing yardwork.  I love it when the stars align.  Later, there will be chocolate pudding with whipped coconut cream topping.

But for now, here's the recipe:

2 cups corn chips, broken into bite sized pieces (I use baked Tostitos)

 1 large onion, chopped

 1 large bell pepper, chopped

 1 tablespoon canola oil

 2 cloves garlic, minced

 1 cup frozen hash browns

 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies

 3 cups cooked long grain or brown rice

 1 cup salsa

 3 tablespoons hot chili powder

 2 tablespoons cumin

 1 tablespoon leaf oregano

 1 (15 ounce) can fat free refried black beans

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 11x9" baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place crushed tortilla chips in the bottom.

 2. In large non-stick skillet, add onion, bell pepper, oil, garlic and hash browns, cooking until peppers and onions are soft.

 3. In a bowl, combine chilies, rice, salsa, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and black beans. Add this mixture to onions and peppers and cook until warm.

 4. Transfer mixture to baking dish and bake for 20 minutes. Optionally, top with more crushed chips, chopped tomatoes, and vegan cheese for a special treat.