mexican tortilla casserole

ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray

1 tablespoon olive, vegetable, or canola oil

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 14 ounce can chopped tomatoes (with 1/3 cup of juice reserved)

1/4 cup tomato paste

2 15 1/2 ounce can white, black, or kidney beans (rinsed and drained)

1 15 ounce can sweet corn kernals, drained (or 1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed)

3 cups coarsely chopped spinach

4 medium-sized (8-inch) flour tortillas

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese

Chopped fresh cilantro (optional), for garnish

Sour cream (optional), for serving

Salsa (optional), for serving

Kosher salt and pepper, to taste

directions

1. 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan, springform pan, or baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

2. 

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, cumin, chili powder, and garlic and cook until you can smell the spices and the onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes with the 1/3 cup of reserved juice and the tomato paste, then stir in the beans. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let the bean mixture simmer until everything is hot, about 3 minutes. Add the corn and spinach and stir until the spinach has wilted and everything is well blended and hot, about 3 minutes. Taste for seasonings, adding more salt and/or pepper as necessary.

3. 

Place 1 tortilla in the prepared cake pan. Spread one fourth of the bean and vegetable mixture evenly over the tortilla, then sprinkle 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese evenly over the top. Repeat with 3 more layers, ending with the last quarter of the bean mixture and then the last 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.

4. 

Bake the tortilla casserole until it is hot throughout and the top is lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Let the casserole sit for about 5 minutes, then cut it into wedges using a sharp knife and serve it with a spatula or better yet a pie server. Sprinkle the top with cilantro, if desired, and serve with sour cream and/or salsa on the side, if you like.