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Ground Beef Casserole with tortilla crust and tomato chutney

Tortilla and Cheddar Topped Beef, Bean and Bacon Casserole

Adapted from The Best Casserole Cookbook Ever, Beatrice Ojakangas
Course Entree
Cuisine Southwestern
Keyword bacon, bean, beef, cheddar, tortilla
Author TheSpicedLife

Ingredients

  • 1 lb lean ground beef, or a combo of turkey and beef
  • 6 slices bacon, diced (if you dice it semi-frozen, you can dice it more finely, which is preferable)
  • 1 T vegetable oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 t ground cumin
  • 1 sweet bell pepper, diced
  • 2/3 cup tomato chutney*
  • 2 cups cooked kidney beans, I used an heirloom kidney bean but you can use 1 can, drained and rinsed
  • 2 cups cooked pinto beans, I used a comparable heirloom bean but you can use 1 can, drained and rinsed
  • 2 cups cooked corn, I used fresh, frozen will work as well
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup crushed tortilla chips, I used blue corn tortilla chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Lightly grease a 3 quart casserole dish and set aside.
  2. Heat a large skillet on medium high. Add the tablespoon of oil, and when it is hot, add the onions with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until the water from the onions has cooked off and they have started to brown. Add the ground cumin. Stir in and cook for one minute. Add the ground beef and diced bacon, with salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Stir together and cook, until the ground beef has browned. Add the diced bell pepper. Cook another 3 minutes. Drain any excess accumulated fat.
  3. Take the pan off the heat. Mix in the beans, corn and tomato chutney. Spread into the prepared casserole dish and bake, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the edges are bubbling.
  4. Take the casserole out of the oven and sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the top of the casserole. Sprinkle the crushed tortilla chips over that. Return the casserole to the over and bake, uncovered, for another 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the tortilla chips are crisp and browning.
  5. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.
  6. *You can sub 2 tablespoons of cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, and the remainder ketchup if you do not want to make the chutney, but in my opinion the homemade chutney is what really makes this casserole.