CHEESY TEX-MEX CASSEROLE
As I’ve mentioned before, my son, Austin is an avid skier.
Perhaps “avid” is putting it mildly because what he really is, is a “fanatic” skier! He would spend every waking moment in the winter months on the ski slopes if I’d let him. When he is not racing with his Rim of the World High School Shred Team……
he is at Bear Mountain Ski Resort “Free Style” skiing……
and doing wild and crazy “make your mom worried sick” tricks!
Austin sleeps and “eats” skiing. And as a growing 16-year-old, eating is about the only thing he does at Bear Mountain besides skiing. Recently he told me about something delicious he ate at the ski resort for lunch. He said it was called “Tex-Mex Casserole” and he loved it! He described in detail what it was like, so being the good mom that I try to be, I decided to attempt to make my own version of a “Cheesy Tex-Mex Casserole” for him. It reminded me of a Food Network Recipe I had seen called “Beef & Cheddar Casserole” so I adapted my recipe from that one.
It came out quite delicious and was Austin-approved. Here’s how I made it. First I took a 1.3 lb. package of ground beef and cooked it up in a large frying pan with a little olive oil, breaking it up into small pieces.
Next I diced up 1 red bell pepper……
and 1 bunch of green onions, both the white & green parts included.
I added the bell pepper and green onions to the frying pan along with the meat, and cooked it until the peppers were al denté, or tender but still crisp.
Next I boiled a big pot of salted water and cooked up a 12 oz. bag of extra wide egg noodles.
In the meantime I pushed the meat aside and added a 6 oz. can of tomato paste to the pan.
I cooked/toasted the tomato paste for a minute……
and then mixed it into the meat and vegetables along with a 14.5 oz. can of petite diced tomatoes. Next, mix in 1 teaspoon Taco Seasoning. Continue cooking the meat and vegetable mixture until it begins to thicken, about 3 minutes.
I have actually already prepared this recipe twice. The first time I made it I used the dry, powdery Kraft style Parmesan cheese. The second time I made it I had fresh Parmigiano Reggiano on hand so I grated some up and added 1 cup of it to the cooked and drained noodles.
I found that the freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano was much better than the Kraft stuff, so ignore the photo below and use the real deal. You’ll be glad you did. I also added 1 cup of sour cream to the noodles and cheese, mixed it all up and put it into a prepared casserole dish.
Next I poured on the meat and vegetable mixture, spreading it evenly over the noodles.
The last step is to grate up 2 cups of medium cheddar cheese and sprinkle it all over the meat.
Finally, pop it into your preheated oven and bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the casserole is heated through.
I served my Cheesy Tex-Mex Casserole with a nice green salad and everyone enjoyed a delicious, comforting meal after a long day of skiing.
ENJOY!
All opinions expressed in this post are my own. All photos are the original property of Celia Becker @ www.AfterOrangeCounty.com and may not be reproduced without specific permission.
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1Lb. 4 Oz. Ground Beef
- Salt & Pepper to Taste
- 1 Red Bell Pepper, Seeded & Diced
- 1 Bunch Green Onions, (White & Green Parts) Diced
- 1 - 6 Oz. Can Tomato Paste
- 1 - 14.5 Oz. Can Petite Diced Tomatoes
- 1 Teaspoon Taco Seasoning
- 1- 12z. Bag Extra Wide Egg Noodles
- 1 Cup Sour Cream
- 1 Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 2 Cups Grated Medium Cheddar Cheese
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Prepare a 4 quart baking dish.
- Add olive oil to a large skillet and heat it up.
- Add ground beef and cook until no longer red, breaking meat into small pieces.
- Add bell peppers and green onions to the meat and cook until vegetables are crisp/tender.
- Sprinkle meat with Taco Seasoning and salt & pepper to taste.
- Push the meat aside, add the tomato paste and cook/toast for 1 minute.
- Add the diced tomatoes and simmer for about 3 minutes until the mixture begins to thicken. Set aside.
- Meanwhile bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Add egg noodles and cook until al dente. Drain and return noodles to the pot.
- Mix sour cream and parmesan cheese into the noodles.
- Add the noodle mixture in the prepared casserole dish.
- Pour the meat mixture evenly over the noodles.
- Sprinkle on the grated cheddar cheese.
- Bake for about 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and the casserole is bubbly hot.
- ENJOY!
