This casserole, another recipe from my Aunt Buzz, is the perfect accompaniment to yesterday’s Lime, Horseradish, and Pineapple Salad, and was a pretty huge hit as a family Sunday lunch; so much so that both sisters-in-law asked for the recipe.
Good thing it is so easy to toss together, and flexible. Aunt Buzz made hers pretty exclusively with ground beef, but ground chicken or turkey works a treat, too; and, since I sneak in shredded cabbage, everyone is getting plenty of veggies!
INGREDIENTS
Casserole:
•1 tbsp olive oil
•1 lb ground turkey
•1 cup diced onion
•1 or 2 cups coleslaw mix
•1 pkg taco seasoning mix
•3/4 cup water
•2 tbsp Catalina salad dressing
•1 tbsp Sherry Peppers Sauce*
•1 tsp Cajun Power Spicy Garlic Sauce – or your fave hot sauce, to taste
•1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles, drained
•Shredded Mexican blend cheese
•Sliced grape tomatoes
•Crushed tortilla chips
Toppings:
•Shredded lettuce
•Avocado
•Diced onion
•Ranch dressing
•Sour cream
*No Sherry Peppers Sauce? No Problem! Simply add a bit of decent sherry (none of that “cooking” stuff) and a dash or three of your fave hot sauce, to taste.
Warm the oil in a large pan over medium heat, then add the ground turkey, onion, and coleslaw mix.
Cook, stirring and breaking up the meat, until the turkey is cooked through and the onion and coleslaw mix are tender.
Stir in the water taco seasoning, Catalina dressing, Sherry Peppers Sauce, hot sauce, and green chiles and continue to cook, stirring often, until most of the pan liquids have been cooked off.
Apply cooking spray to a 2-1/2 quart casserole and heat your oven to 350º.
Need to make a smaller casserole? No problem! Simply cool and stash 1/2 of the taco meat mixture in a freezer bag to save for another time and proceed with an 8×8 baking pan. Thanks, by the way, to my sister-in-law Carole for making me realize this simple recipe hack.
Spread the taco meat mixture evenly over the bottom of your casserole and top with a layer of shredded cheese.
Top this with a layer of sliced grape tomatoes, and with the crushed tortilla chips to cover.
Note: to make this casserole gluten-free, check that your tortilla chips are labelled gluten-free; a lot of them are. Otherwise, Doritos Cool Ranch are a nice option.
Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes, until the casserole is warmed through and the cheese is melted.
Remove from the oven and let rest for five minutes before serving.
Serve with that lovely lime horseradish salad on the side and top with shredded lettuce, avocado, onion, ranch dressing and/or sour cream.