Monday's Menu

I had intended to take a picture at the beginning of our meal so that you could see how pretty it looked. Oh well, this was all that was left.

That probably gives you an idea of how well received it was anyway.

I didn't make my menu this week and, by the time I did, well I was flying by the seat of my pants because we had quite a busy week. So, finding that some ground turkey was all that I had thawed in the fridge, I began searching for something to make that wouldn't be the same old thing.

I liberally substitute ground turkey for ground beef in all kinds of things. The only things I don't sub it in are dishes where the beef is the predominant taste -- like meatloaf, for instance -- and some of those even are okay. So, for this one, you could use either.

It's a pretty good base recipe -- the kind you can play around with. For instance, I chose not to use salsa (my kids don't like it), corn (thought I had some but didn't), or chili powder (reviews suggested using taco seasoning instead).

I added, however, Ranch Style beans which I had leftover from another meal and which we all agreed were a good addition. I also chopped some onions and cooked them with the ground beef as well as some minced garlic.

Everyone liked it quite a bit. Rugrat even specifically requested leftovers for lunch the next day; explaining "the one with cheese on top" when I misunderstood what she was asking for.

Have a little fun with this recipe. It's easy to throw together and pretty darn good.


Mexican Lasagna Casserole (that's our name for it)

1 lb. ground beef

1 to 1 1/2 cups chunky salsa
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
3/4 cup sour cream (or Miracle Whip or plain yogurt)
1 pkg. taco seasoning (about 2 Tablespoons) (or 1 teaspoon chili powder)
2 cups crushed tortilla chips (some people suggest using Doritos, Cool Ranch Doritos, or BBQ Fritos)
2 cups shredded cheese (I used colby jack)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook ground beef, crumbling. Drain grease. Remove from heat and stir in salsa, corn, sour cream, and taco seasoning. In a greased baking dish, layer ground beef mixture, tortilla chips, and cheese such that you have a total of 6 layers with cheese on top.

Bake for 20 minutes until cheese is melted and all is heated through.