Mexican Potato Casserole
Flavorful Dinner–Quick Breakfast Burrito
I gave up on casseroles a long time ago–especially meatless ones. It just did not fit our family’s personality I guess. Or maybe we got tired of the seemingly endless Pan-O-Bland that glared back at us from the Fridge when we were looking for something tasty. In either case, my kids see my most recent creation as a break from the routine; they were on thirdsies.
We enjoy a meal with resale value. It goes back to that refrigerator guilt thing. I know I should eat down the leftovers, but who wants’em? Well, we do not seem to have that problem this time. I was cutting the kids off so that we could have more leftovers!
I never claim that my ethnic food is truly ethnic. Would they eat this in Mexico–maybe this is more closely aligned with Tex Mex cuisine. But no, I do not claim to be Texan any more than I am Mexican, so you might just have to forgive me for my cultural insensitivity on this one. It’s a super-delicious casserole with kid appeal and resale value. That is a winner in any culture!
(Tex Mex) Mexican Potato Casserole
Preheat oven to 400° Entire Dinner Prep: 35-45 minutes
Butter 13×9 baking dish
1 lb potatoes (enough to fill bottom of your 13×9 roasting pan)
1/8 cup Mexican Seasoning (kid-approved level–use more if you like spice)
2 Tbs ketchup
1 Onion
1 can refried beans
4 fresh tomatillos
1 fresh tomato
1/2 package of cheese, grated
1. (Mostly) peel and dice potatoes and onions. Toss with Mexican seasoning and ketchup. Put in buttered baking dish and bake at 400° for 25 minutes.
2. Chop tomatillos and tomato, and boil in a small saucepan (in their own juices) for 10 minutes on medium.
3. Strain the tomatillo/tomato mixture and set aside, saving the water!
4. Heat refried beans with the tomatillo water, so that they are on the runny side.
5. When you remove the potatoes from the oven, pour and spread the beans over them. Layer cheese and tomatillo mixture on top.
6. Put the casserole back into the oven just to melt cheese (10-15 minutes).
Serve with tortilla chips and sour cream on the side.
Breakfast Burrito: pull out the leftovers. Make your scrambled eggs as normal (we use fresh milk whipped into our eggs), and then remove eggs from skillet. Warm the Mexican Potato casserole in the same skillet and serve both together in a tortilla. WOW!