Recipe: Quesadilla Casserole (gluten free)

Here is a new recipe at last! Kyle is back to school and I'm LOVING my free time during the day. I'm going to be trying out several new recipes through the end of the Summer and Fall and I look forward to sharing the "winners" with you. What is a winner in my eyes? When both Kevin AND Kyle say to me "yum", " it's so good", or any expression that says they like it AND they go for seconds that makes a recipe a winner. Of course I have to like it too. I made this casserole and all three of us absolutely loved it. It was easy to make, is healthy and I will definately be making it again. Here is what you will need to get started:

You may recall when I made fajitas using one of the Recipe Inspirations Spice Kits. I have found these at Albertsons for $1.99 in many varieties.  I love these spice kits! They come with pre-measured blister packs of the spices you need, a list of the other items you will need to buy and the recipe. The recipe is on a 3 x 5 card so you can hold on to it for the future. In this case, now that I have the recipe card...the next time I make this I will just use spices from my jars to make it since I have the spices. If I did not have one of the spices, I'd just buy the kit again. A jar of spices can cost anywhere from $3-$7 so this would save me quite a bit of money to buy the kit vs a jar of spices that I may not have on hand. In case you can't find the recipe inspirations kit or already have the spices on hand; here are the measurements for the spices.

1 Quesadilla Casserole Recipe Inspiration Kit which includes:
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 t. oregano leaves
1/2 t. crushed red peppers (optional)

1 lb. ground beef OR turkey
1/2 c. chopped onion
2 cans (8oz each) tomato sauce
1 can  (15 oz)  black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (8 3/4 oz) whole kernel corn, drained
1 can (4 1/2 oz) chopped MILD green chiles, undrained
6 flour OR corn tortillas (I used corn)
2 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese

Directions:

Brown meat and onion in large skillet on medium-high heat; drain. (I use a potato masher to break up the meat into small crumbles)

Rinse and drain the black beans.

Next, add the tomato sauce, beans, corn and green chiles; mix well.

Stir in all the spices (only add the red pepper flakes if you want a medium to spicy casserole..I made it without the red pepper flakes and the result was a perfectly seasoned, MILD casserole that is adult AND kid friendly)

Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.

Spread 1/3 of the meat mixture on the bottom of  a 9 x 13 casserole dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. (I used my Pampered Chef deep dish baker)

Top with 3 of the tortillas, overlapping as needed.

                                                           Sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheese.

Repeat the layers. 1/3 of the meat mixture, 3 tortillas and 1/3 of the cheese.

Complete the casserole by spreading the last 1/3 of the meat mixture on top and the last 1/3 of the cheese.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until bubbling. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream if desired.

ENJOY!!