Burrito Lasagna Casserole

Did you know that January 26 is National Peanut Brittle Day? Yep, it is. Like so many foods, only the Good Lord knows how Peanut Brittle was first created. Most of us know the brittle is a chemical reaction between melted sugar and baking soda. Oh sure, there’s a bit more involved, but that’s brittle in a nutshell.

Hubby loves Peanut Brittle. I think it’s okay, but I’m not a fan of most hard candies. Give me a truffle any day and I’m happy. But that’s a tale for another day. Today we’re chatting about Peanut Brittle. As the story goes, way back when a Southern woman had set out to make a batch of taffy. She followed the recipe, and everything was coming along fine. That is until the recipe called for Cream of Tartar. Mistakenly, she added baking soda. And instead of a stretchy, sticky taffy structure, out came a brittle block. Curious, she gave it a taste. Not bad, not bad at all. She sprinkled in a few peanuts (because what self-respecting Southern lady doesn’t have peanuts just laying about), and the rest is as they say history. Now there are other stories, but this one makes the most sense. More often than not, mistakes result is delicious new creations. So why aren’t we making Peanut Brittle? Were you not listening? I don’t care much for hard candies.

Today is also Spouse Day. We are suppose to show our other half how much we appreciate them by setting aside time to be together. What better way to spend time together than to enjoy a delicious meal together. Now in our house, we have “themed” meals. Tuesdays are Tijuana Tuesday, while Thursdays are Tuscan Thursday. My favorite cuisine is Italian, Hubby’s is Mexican. This is a spin on an Italian Favorite, Lasagna, made with a Mexican influence. Wow – delicious!

Burrito Lasagna Casserole
1/2 Yellow Onion
1 lb Ground Beef
1/2 lb Chorizo
1 tablespoon Taco Seasoning
1 (4 oz) can Diced Green Chilies
1 (10 oz) can Ro-Tel Tomatoes
1/2 cup Taco Sauce
1 (16 oz) can Refried Beans
1 (16 oz) can Whole Black Beans
2 teaspoons Masa Flour, if needed
9 (8-inch) Flour Tortillas
2 cups Mexican Cheese Bland
2 firm Roma Tomatoes, diced
Handful Cilantro
1/2 cup Sour Cream

Heat oven to 350-degrees. Spray the bottom of a 3-quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Set aside.

Cut onion in half from root to tip. Reserve half for another use. Peel and dice remaining half, set aside.

In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté the ground beef and chorizo together for 5 minutes. Add the onion and taco seasoning, sauté for 5 more minutes. Drain any excess fat. Mix in the green chile peppers, tomatoes with green chile peppers, taco sauce and refried beans. Stir mixture thoroughly, reduce heat to low, and let simmer for 20 minutes.

Note: If filling seems a bit thin, sprinkle with Masa Flour into the sauce to thicken and simmer another 5 minutes or so.

Drain and rinse whole black beans. Gently stir in beans into the mixture, remove from heat and set aside.

Place 2 tortillas in the bottom of the casserole dish. Cut another tortilla into strips, fill in the gaps so that the bottom of the dish is completely covered by tortillas. Spoon a thin layer of meat mixture over the tortillas; followed by layer of cheese. Repeat tortilla, meat, cheese pattern until all the tortillas are used, finishing with a layer of meat mixture and cheese.

Bake for about 20 minutes in the heated oven, or until cheese is slightly brown and bubbly.

While the Burrito Lasagna bakes, dice tomatoes for garnish, set aside. Roughly chop cilantro, set aside.

Remove from oven, let rest for 5 minutes. Place a dollop of sour cream in the center, scatter tomatoes and cilantro over the top of the pie. Slice and serve.