Experimenting

I love to cook! I'm someone who follows recipes to a T. I just don't experiment much in the kitchen - I enjoy finding new recipes, reading the reviews online, and then trying them for myself. I've always felt like there are plenty of good cooks out there who have already gone through trials and errors, so why not take advantage of their hard work?

Well, last weekend I decided to break free of that pattern and try making up something on my own. It turned out so well! I've been excited every day since then to eat the leftovers. Here's what I made:

Kate's Mexican Casserole

2 fresh corn cobs
1/2 small onion, diced
1 small jalapeno, finely diced
1 Tbsp. chipotle chile in adobo sauce (minced)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. ground beef
1 taco seasoning packet
1 can refried beans
2 c. cooked rice
1 c. salsa
4-6 tortillas, ripped into pieces
2 c. shredded cheese

Cut the corn off the cobs. Heat the olive oil in a medium sauce pan. Add the onion and saute for a few minutes. Add the jalapeno, corn, and chipotle chile. Saute until corn is tender.

Brown the ground beef. Add the taco seasoning packet and follow the directions to make the taco meat.

Combine the rice and the salsa.

Spray an 8x8 pan with cooking spray. Add a layer of torn tortillas on the bottom. Layer the taco meat, corn mixture, Mexican rice, refried beans, and a little cheese. Repeat layers a 2nd time. Top with a final layer of torn tortillas and cheese.

Bake at 350 for 30 min or so.

Enjoy!

This recipe was great for using up corn and jalapenos from our food co-op, ground beef from the freezer, and leftover rice and salsa in the fridge. I think I'll try it again!

Oh, by the way, this is pretty spicy. I suggest leaving out the jalapeno and chipotle if you like milder food.