Layered Bean and Pepper Casserole

Sunday dinner at our house is special, something different from the rest of the week and it just puts everyone in a better mood.  Such as this layered bean and pepper casserole. It’s a satisfying vegetarian meal without being difficult to prepare.

This recipe can also be viewed on a video on my YouTube Channel

This casserole is made with layer upon layer of scrumptious Mexican flavors with a tangy sourness and a spicy kick. The recipe is adapted from Good house keeping magazine. I used yellow corn tortillas because they are gluten free. However, feel free to use flour tortillas or lasagna noodles.  The original recipe asks for poblano peppers but I used jalapenos instead as they are easy to find in stores and are spicier. I used 4 of them. I know, It sounds too much. But trust me, there is so much sourness from salsa and sour cream, you will love that heat to balance out the flavor. I broiled all the peppers, just to the point they were soft and partially blackened and chopped them without removing the seeds. Apart from jalapenos I also used spicy salsa. If you are using regular salsa, add paprika powder.

Serve this easy casserole with fresh salad for an easy and tasty dinner to feed a crowd.

LAYERED BEAN AND PEPPER CASSEROLE

Adapted from Good House keeping | video available on my YouTube channel here

Ingredients:

12 corn tortillas

3/4 cup low fat sour cream

3 tbsp milk (approx)

1 1/4 cup spicy salsa

1/4 cup tomatillo salsa

1 15 oz can of beans (any)  or 1 1/2 cup boiled beans

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp paprika (only if the salsa is not spicy)

1 red pepper, cut into half, seeds and membrane removed

1 green pepper, cut into half, seeds and membrane removed

4 jalapeno peppers, cut into half

1 1/4 cup mixed cheese

1 tbsp olive oil

salt to taste

To garnish:

few red onion rings ,sliced green olives and cilantro leaves

Method:

In a oven safe pan lined with foil or silpat, roast the jalapeno peppers, red bell pepper and green pepper (cut side down) for 40 minutes at 450 deg F, until slightly blackened all over (the jalapenos will be charred with in 30 minutes). So remove them first. Put them in a bowl and cover to steam (for easier peeling). Chop them and set aside in a bowl. Similarly chop the green and red peppers after peeling and set it in a separate bowl.

Put beans in a mixing bowl. Add garlic powder, paprika powder, salt and 1/3 of the chopped jalapenos.

Combine sour cream, red spicy salsa, tomatillo salsa and milk in a bowl.

Arrange corn tortillas in a 5×9″ glass or ceramic baking dish. Tear the tortilla as necessary to fit into the baking dish.

Top with 1/3 of the sour cream and salsa mixture, half of bean mixture and 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat layering two more times with pepper mixture in the center layer.

When you finish top layer with corn tortillas, cover with the remaining sour cream and salsa mixture. Spread the last 1/3 of the chopped jalapeno and cheese. Place the baking dish in jelly roll pan lined with foil to catch any drips.

Bake uncovered for 35 minutes or until mixture bubbles and top is golden brown. Cool in dish on wire rack for 10 minutes. Sprinkle onion slices, olive slices and cilantro sprigs to serve.

Enjoy the hearty combination of beans, tortillas and peppers, spiced up with jalapeno peppers.