Recipe Background
After a long day working on the farm (or in the office, the farm of the business world), you need a dinner that guarantees you'll be energized and excited to face a new day in the morning. And if any place knows just how to do that kind of hearty and nourishing food, it's Texas. The Texas Farmer Casserole layers a beefy, savory meat sauce with plenty of beans and sweet potatoes for a touch of sweetness with a distinct Tex-Mex flavor. Crunchy tortilla chips form a crispy base and melty cheese does what it does best: enchant every bite with dairy delight! The Texas Farmer Casserole is a whole other country of its own!
After a long day working on the farm (or in the office, the farm of the business world), you need a dinner that guarantees you'll be energized and excited to face a new day in the morning. And if any place knows just how to do that kind of hearty and nourishing food, it's Texas. The Texas Farmer Casserole layers a beefy, savory meat sauce with plenty of beans and sweet potatoes for a touch of sweetness with a distinct Tex-Mex flavor. Crunchy tortilla chips form a crispy base and melty cheese does what it does best: enchant every bite with dairy delight! The Texas Farmer Casserole is a whole other country of its own!
Ingredients
For the casserole:
- 2 medium-large sweet potatoes
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 large onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans rinsed and drained
- 1 (14.5-ounce) diced fire-roasted tomatoes
- 2 cups chunky salsa
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- corn tortilla chips to taste
- 1 (8-ounce) package Mexican cheese blend shredded
- 4 ounces pepper jack cheese shredded
Optional, for serving:
- green onions to taste, sliced
- cilantro to taste, chopped
- guacamole to taste
- sour cream to taste
- chunky salsa to taste
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Lightly spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Peel and spiralize the sweet potatoes, chopping the spirals just a bit to shorten the long strands. Alternatively, dice the sweet potato into small cubes.
- In an extra large skillet over medium or medium-high heat, add the beef and the onions, breaking up any large chunks of the beef and stirring occasionally until the beef is browned, about 5-7 minutes.
- Just when the last bit of pink is still present on the beef, stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in the red peppers, the corn, and the sweet potatos.
- Add the beans, the tomatoes, 2 cups of the salsa, the chili powder, the cumin, the paprika, the oregano, the cayenne pepper, the salt, and the black pepper, folding to combine.
- Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the sweet potatoes are softened, about 15 minutes. If you spiralized the sweet potato, this may take longer.
- In the bottom of the prepared baking dish, spread about 2 cups of the beef mixture.
- Add a layer of the tortilla chips on top, allowing for slight overlap of the chips.
- Drop 1/2 of the remaining beef mixture over the tortilla layer by spoonfuls, spreading it out in an even layer.
- Sprinkle 1/2 of the Mexican cheese blend and 1/2 of the pepper jack cheese over the beef layer.
- Top the cheese layer with a layer of the tortilla chips.
- Add the remaining beef mixture, spreading it out in an even layer.
- Sprinkle on the remaining Mexican cheese blend and the remaining pepper jack cheese.
- Cover the baking dish loosely with foil (it should not touch the cheese) and bake until the cheese is melted and the casserole is heated through, about 30 minutes.
- Remove the foil and turn on the broiler.
- Broil the casserole until the cheese is browned, about 1-3 minutes.
- Top with the green onions and the cilantro.
- Serve with the guacamole, the sour cream, and the extra salsa.
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