Enchilada Casserole

I can honestly say that in my thirty two years of marriage, I've opened and cooked one and only one Hamburger Helper. HOWEVER, I do love the concept of a quick and easy meal that can be whipped up in minutes. This recipe is one of those. So, here's our most favorite Homemade Version of a Hamburger Helper type skillet casserole!

Ground Beef, browned with onions, peppers and garlic (or however you brown your own)

3 Tbsp. Taco Seasoning (or one packet if you don't buy it in bulk)

1 small bag of frozen corn

1 can of Cream of Mushroom Soup

2 cups salsa

Tortilla Chips

lots of cheese

1 can of drained, rinsed black beans, if desired. (Gracie doesn't like beans, so I serve them on the side.)

(This is a "do it to your own taste" type recipe...if you like a lot of meat, use it. If you like more cheese, add it.) Add the taco seasonings to the browned meat in a large skillet. Mix in well. Then add the remaining ingredients, adding the chips and cheese last. Stir the chips in, breaking them up a bit, if needed. (I use about a quarter to a half a bag of plain Doritos or Sanita or Mission Chips. This is the perfect way to not waste all those crumbs and broken chips at the bottom of the bag! I never throw them away anymore!) Stir the chips in well and then, cover with cheese. (Or smother, if you prefer!) Heat thoroughly. Put a lid on the skillet for about five minutes and turn the heat down to low. The chips absorb the liquids and it becomes the perfect quick and easy casserole. Serve with guacamole or sour cream and more salsa, if desired. If you used pre-cooked ground beef, like suggested below, this is a less than ten minute type recipe! Enjoy!

The most important tip to this recipe is... pre-cooked ground beef! We get our beef from the Corbridge Ranch, so it's rare that I have to buy ground beef, but whenever I do, I buy the biggest package available. Then, whenever I brown hamburger, I brown a ton of it. Only one time of chopping onions and/or peppers and garlic. I do it all at the same time and store it in Zip-Lock Freezer bags. It goes straight from the pan to the freezer. When I need a meal in a jif, I pull out the ziplock back and half the work is already done for me!