Vegetable Enchilada Casserole
5 crushed tomatoes
1 can chunky salsa (14½ oz.)
1 can tomato paste (6 oz.)
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained (15 oz. each)
1 can whole kernel corn, drained (15¼ oz.)
1 can diced green chilies (4 oz.)
1½ tbsp. ground cumin
1 packet enchilada sauce seasoning
½ tsp. garlic powder
5 corn tortillas
1 can sliced ripe olives, drained (2½ oz.)
2 cups shredded cheese (your choice)
Serves: 4-6
THE METHOD:
In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, salsa, tomato paste, beans, corn, green chilies, cumin, and garlic powder. Mix well. Ladle about 1 cup of this mixture into the bottom of a 4-quart Crock-Pot; spread evenly. Top with 1½ tortillas, cutting to fit as necessary.
Spread on 1/3 of the remaining tomato mixture. Repeat these layers 2 more times, ending with the rest of the tomato mixture; spread evenly over the top. Sprinkle the sliced olives over all.
Cover and cook on low about 5 hours. Serve hot.
The flavor of this dish was zesty! Very enchilada-like. Mexican-style comfort food, for sure. We served it in bowls with spoons. However, the whole dish had pretty much the same texture throughout. The corn tortillas were saturated and incorporated into the sauce. IMO, it needs added crunch. I recommend crumbling tortilla chips over the top as you're serving it. Or you could serve it with tortillas and fresh chopped lettuce if you don't want to eat it out of a bowl.
We got home and grabbed the crockpot for a field trip. We headed over to the Smith family household with a gift in hand for baby Lotus. Bobbi was working, but Brad, gerg, Lotus, and I enjoyed the dish in their new apartment. Lotus went crazy for the dish. She was crawling up my leg and hamming it up, all for the love of the crockpot delight. The new Bee Bop Band Drum Set was a hit with Lotus. She played dinner jams for us while we parked it in the kitchen to chow down.
