There's a blue million ways people do them, and I went with a pretty simple one. I conceptualise them as a spin on lasagna...
Also, I apologise in advance for my style of recipe writing, which is similar to my style of cooking in general: half to three-quarter assed at best.
Ingredients I used: Tortillas - a package of 8 or 12 depending on size (I used wheat, and arguably should have used corn and gone to pains to make them stale, but didn't, and am no sorrier for it) Can of refried pinto beans (8 oz) (which are vegetarian and fat free... basically same effect could be achieved by seasoning and mashing a can of pinto beans) Can of plain pinto beans (8 oz) Can of diced tomatoes (16 oz) Jar of salsa (I think 12 oz) An onion (medium to large) Garlic (about two cloves, but arguably should have used more - always more garlic!) Package of meat substitute (I think 8 oz) Queso fresco (8 oz) And spices to taste
My method was: 1) chop an onion, fry in some olive oil until transparent(ish) 2) add meat substitute, garlic, spices to taste (I used chile powder, cumin, coriander, bit of pepper and some oregano) and cook together for 3-5 minutes 3) add can of diced tomatoes (and decide to add more seasoning... because we do things by halves here... and then run your household out of chile powder) 4) add can of pinto beans (rinsed) 5) once all that has cooked for another few minutes, you essentially have a pan full of chili - take it off the heat 5a) realise at this point you should have already pre-heated the oven to 375F... post-facto realisation is *like* planning... 6) grab a baking dish (whatever you use for lasagna is likely suitable... if you don't lasagna, picture a world in which you do :P) and lightly cover the bottom of it with salsa 7) lay out tortillas to cover the bottom (don't worry overmuch about how precisely you can cover a rectangular surface with circular objects - it will be suboptimal, and I just have to get over this, really) 8) spread a layer of the refried beans over the tortillas 9) add a second layer of tortillas, but aim for a different spread... the first layer was like this: __ |O| |O| ---
the second layer was like this: __ |)(| |)(| --- I don't know if that makes any sense. Basically I split things in half and tried to cover bits of the space that weren't covered previously, just alternating between circular and half-moon patterns. And there was usually overlap in places, but that's awfully hard to represent with parentheses and letters. :P 10) ...aaaaanyhow. Layer of chili like stuff, then new tortilla layer 11) layer of salsa and a bit of queso fresco, then new tortilla layer 12) repeat layering steps until you have filled your casserole dish, top off with a happy amount of queso 13) bake for about a half hour to forty five minutes, largely depending on how cooked you like your cheese and how impatient you are.
Resultant servings: at least 8. Probably more like 12. Ideally served (in my world) with sour cream, cilantro and a side vegetable, because I just didn't have anything suitable to put in at the time that Beth doesn't hate (and I need help with this much food!).
If I were doing it again more intentionally (with more supplies), I would dice some squash and add it to the chili part, or if Beth weren't around, I'd add bell peppers the same way.
It does make sense! It is uncannily like my own style of cooking.
I make my own tortillas, they are just not as cheap here and it's one of the few things I can make (pastry and stuff seems to be my thing, sadly). But I make so much mess when I do that I like to do interesting things with them to make up to The Boy for the flour half way up the wall, etc.
Sadly because it's a time-taking thing - resting and kneading and sitting and pre-baking and blah. I'd be surprised if I actually make pastry 3x a year.
Also, I apologise in advance for my style of recipe writing, which is similar to my style of cooking in general: half to three-quarter assed at best.
Ingredients I used:
Tortillas - a package of 8 or 12 depending on size (I used wheat, and arguably should have used corn and gone to pains to make them stale, but didn't, and am no sorrier for it)
Can of refried pinto beans (8 oz) (which are vegetarian and fat free... basically same effect could be achieved by seasoning and mashing a can of pinto beans)
Can of plain pinto beans (8 oz)
Can of diced tomatoes (16 oz)
Jar of salsa (I think 12 oz)
An onion (medium to large)
Garlic (about two cloves, but arguably should have used more - always more garlic!)
Package of meat substitute (I think 8 oz)
Queso fresco (8 oz)
And spices to taste
My method was:
1) chop an onion, fry in some olive oil until transparent(ish)
2) add meat substitute, garlic, spices to taste (I used chile powder, cumin, coriander, bit of pepper and some oregano) and cook together for 3-5 minutes
3) add can of diced tomatoes (and decide to add more seasoning... because we do things by halves here... and then run your household out of chile powder)
4) add can of pinto beans (rinsed)
5) once all that has cooked for another few minutes, you essentially have a pan full of chili - take it off the heat
5a) realise at this point you should have already pre-heated the oven to 375F... post-facto realisation is *like* planning...
6) grab a baking dish (whatever you use for lasagna is likely suitable... if you don't lasagna, picture a world in which you do :P) and lightly cover the bottom of it with salsa
7) lay out tortillas to cover the bottom (don't worry overmuch about how precisely you can cover a rectangular surface with circular objects - it will be suboptimal, and I just have to get over this, really)
8) spread a layer of the refried beans over the tortillas
9) add a second layer of tortillas, but aim for a different spread... the first layer was like this:
__
|O|
|O|
---
the second layer was like this:
__
|)(|
|)(|
---
I don't know if that makes any sense. Basically I split things in half and tried to cover bits of the space that weren't covered previously, just alternating between circular and half-moon patterns. And there was usually overlap in places, but that's awfully hard to represent with parentheses and letters. :P
10) ...aaaaanyhow. Layer of chili like stuff, then new tortilla layer
11) layer of salsa and a bit of queso fresco, then new tortilla layer
12) repeat layering steps until you have filled your casserole dish, top off with a happy amount of queso
13) bake for about a half hour to forty five minutes, largely depending on how cooked you like your cheese and how impatient you are.
Resultant servings: at least 8. Probably more like 12. Ideally served (in my world) with sour cream, cilantro and a side vegetable, because I just didn't have anything suitable to put in at the time that Beth doesn't hate (and I need help with this much food!).
If I were doing it again more intentionally (with more supplies), I would dice some squash and add it to the chili part, or if Beth weren't around, I'd add bell peppers the same way.
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I make my own tortillas, they are just not as cheap here and it's one of the few things I can make (pastry and stuff seems to be my thing, sadly). But I make so much mess when I do that I like to do interesting things with them to make up to The Boy for the flour half way up the wall, etc.
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