Tex Mex Cowboy Casserole

This beefy casserole gets a sweetness from the
veggies, heartiness from the beef, a little bit of
heat from the spices and comfort from the biscuits.

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Ingredients:

2 medium tomatoes

1 medium onion

1 medium red or orange bell pepperavocado or olive oil cooking spray

1 (16 ounces) can jumbo biscuits 

2 pounds ground beef

1 packet taco seasoning**

1/2 cup water

1 (7 ounces) can diced mild green chilis

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 cups (8 ounces) grated cheddar cheese

Method: to drain the to

Preheat oven to 350*. 

Slice the tomatoes (in circles) and set aside. Slice the onion in half. Cut one half into thin slices and set aside. Coarsely chop the other half and place in a bowl. Remove the stem from the bell pepper, cut in half and remove the seeds. Slice the bell pepper halves into thin slices and add to the sliced onions (not chopped onions).

Lightly spray a 9 x 13 inch with the cooking oil spray. Place the biscuits in the bottom of the pan and press down to make a crust on the bottom and up the sides of the pan. 

Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. (Don't turn the oven off.)

Add the ground beef to a large skillet and cook over medium high heat until the meat is browned. Transfer to a colander to drain off the fat and then return to the skillet. Stir in the taco seasoning and water. Cook and stir for 5 to ten minutes or until all of the water is absorbed. Spoon the cooked beef over the top of the baked crust. Layer the tomato slices evenly over the beef.

Lighty wipe the skillet, leaving a little bit of grease in the pan. Add the onion and pepper slices to the skillet and cook over medium heat just until the vegetables are slightly tender. 

Spoon the sauteed vegetables over the tomatoes. Spoon the chopped green peppers over the onion and pepper layer.

Add the sour cream, mayo and 1 cup of the cheddar cheese to the bowl of chopped onions. Stir well to mix. Spread evenly over the top of the layers. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the sour cream layer.

Bake uncovered for 40 minutes or until the edges of the dough are light brown and the cheese is melted. Cut into 10 portions. Serves 10. (Pairs nicely with a salad.)

**You can purchase taco seasoning, but it is very simple to make your own that doesn't contain any chemical additives. Here is the link for my taco seasoning recipe:  

https://carriekitchencreations.blogspot.com/2016/03/homemade-taco-seasoning.html

Note: What casseroles lack in appearance, they often make up for in flavor. 😄 This one did not disappoint ~ my husband loved it!