Thrifty Thursday… “Tijuana Toss”

 Thrifty Thursday.... I have lots of leftovers and I have been craving a Mexican style casserole that my mom use to make called "Tijuana Toss", this is what I came up with... 

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef

1/2 medium yellow onion diced

2 teaspoons minced garlic 2 cloves

1/4 cup taco seasoning

1/2 cup water

1 bottle of Avocado salsa

1 can corn (I used leftover roasted)

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

3-5 cups crushed tortilla chips 

3 cups shredded cheese jack and cheddar

2 medium tomato diced, save 1 for garnish

1 bunch green onions sliced for garnish

1 cup shredded lettuce for garnish

sour cream for serving

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

Cook ground beef and onion in a large skillet over medium heat until the meat is browned and the onions softens.

Add minced garlic to the skillet and saute for 1-2 minutes longer.

Add taco seasoning and water and stir over medium heat until well combined.

Stir the tomatoes (juices included), corn and black beans into the meat mixture and heat through.

Line the prepared baking dish with 1/3 bottle of salsa and 1 cup of tortilla chips overlapping slightly to cover the bottom of the casserole dish.

Spread 1⁄3 of the meat mixture over the tortillas. Sprinkle 2 cups of the cheese over the meat mixture.

Continue layering salsa, tortilla chips, meat mixture, and cheese to form three layers total.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30-40 minutes until casserole is bubbly and the cheese is fully melted.

Garnish with diced tomatoes and green onion. Let the casserole sit for 10 minutes for easy slicing and serving.

Serve with sour cream, tomatoes lettuce and extra cheese. We added diced cucumbers too.