XO Friday Foodie: Cinco De Mayo Enchilada casserole

I lived in New Mexico for several years back in the early 90's and one of the popular foods I remember fondly was stacked enchiladas.  These were corn tortillas separated with chile sauce and cheese and then broiled.  Mexican comfort food at it's finest!

More of an assembly project than anything, this recipe makes enchiladas into a healthy, tasty and filling meal (without that watery ice-berg lettuce!).  Make the 9x13 pan for lots of leftovers to freeze or make a 8x8 pan if you would like a smaller batch.

Ingredients for a 9x13 (halve for an 8x8 pan):

28 oz can diced tomatoes
1-2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon oregano (mexican oregano if you have it!)
1 can (2 cups) black or pinto beans, rinsed
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder or 1 cup fresh onion, diced.
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne (optional)

18-21 corn tortillas
1/2 bag Quorn or Boca crumbles (easy) or 1/2lb ground beef, browned
2 cups shredded cheese

Blend the first 8 ingredients into a thick sauce.  Preheat the oven to 375'.  Grease your pan and spread a layer of sauce and then cover with a layer of tortillas (break them into pieces to cover the layer).

Cover with more sauce and repeat for 4 to 5 layers of sauce and tortillas.  Cover the final layer with sauce, sprinkle the boca crumbles or ground beef over the top and then cover with the 2 cups of shredded cheese.

Bake uncovered in the oven at 375' until the cheese is bubbly and starting to brown. 

Cut into 8 pieces.  Each piece has just 323 calories.  Fat 8g, Carbs 45g, Protein 18g and 438mg of sodium. With over 8g of fiber, each serving has 35% of  the daily recommended allowance of fiber (based on a 2000 cal/day diet)! Add a vegetable to this plate and you have a near perfect meal that would impress a dietician!