An easy to come together and very tasty meal that would be great to make on a stressful day. The family will love it! Try it with ground beef, ground chicken or ground turkey!
3 cu. shredded Colby-Jack Cheese, divided
1 [10 1/4] oz. bag chili cheese fritos
1 medium onion, diced
1 small poblano or jalapeno pepper, diced seeds removed
olive oil
seasoned salt and black pepper
4 clove garlic, minced
2 lb. lean ground beef, turkey or chicken
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 [15] oz. can tomato sauce
1 [10] oz.can Rotel Tomatoes Chili Fixins
1 [15] oz. can light red kidney beans
2 T. chopped cilantro
1 [1.25] oz. pkg. taco seasoning OR use spices below:
2 T. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp.Mexican oregano
1/4 tsp. lemon pepper
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground chipotle pepper
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 3 quart baking dish or an 8 x 12 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Pour 1/2 of the fritos over the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the shredded cheese.
On the stove top in a medium size pot, saute the diced onion and pepper in a couple of drizzles of olive oil. Cook until the vegetables begin to soften and brown. Add the minced garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add the ground beef and cook until no pink remains. Season with seasoned salt and black pepper to your taste. Drain any excess fat from the pan, then add the Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce, Rotel tomatoes, kidney beans and seasonings. [see Cook's note for DIY spices] Mix well, and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the chopped cilantro.
Pour evenly over the fritos in the baking dish. Sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese on top. Top with the remaining fritos and shredded cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes until bubbly. Garnish with chopped green onion. Serve with a dollop of sour cream, if desired. Yield: 6-8 servings