Mexican Tortilla Pie

I'm constantly thinking about the daily question of what's for dinner.  It's a meal that requires more planning than the cereal I pour into a bowl at breakfast and the salad I usually toss at lunch.  I have to make sure I have all the ingredients for whatever I'm going to make and that I've left enough time to prep and cook.  Otherwise, I sometimes get too hungry and just throw the ingredients back in the fridge while I eye the cereal box again.

This meal had the benefit of being easy to make, of using ingredients I frequently have around anyway and of being ridiculously delicious.  I mean, really, seriously, let's make this again tomorrow, good.  And did I tell you it's a one pot (or pan, in this case) kind of meal?  I was a little uncertain about the refried beans since I usually choose regular black beans for these types of meals.  But as soon as I tasted the result of combining the refried beans with the tomato sauce, I knew I had a winner.  Some flavors are just meant to be together and cooking the beans, sauce, beef, cheese and tortillas together creates the perfect combo.  Go make this.  You'll thank me.  Enjoy!







Ingredients
1 lb. Ground beef
2 Tablespoons taco seasoning
1/2 Cup beef broth
2 Tablespoons canola or olive oil
1 Onion, peeled and diced
4 Cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 Cup chopped scallions
1 Tablespoon all purpose flour
1 Cup milk
1 Cup enchilada sauce (tomato sauce is OK as well)
1 Can (approx. 16 oz.) refried beans
2 Cups shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
5 Flour tortillas (10")
Salt & pepper to taste

In a cast iron pan, brown the beef with the taco seasoning and broth.  Remove from the pan into a dish and set aside.

Ad one tablespoon of the oil to the pan and saute the onion and garlic for a few minutes until translucent.  Remove the mixture from the pan and into the dish with the cooked beef.

Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan along with the flour.  On medium heat, whisk in the milk and continue cooking until the sauce is slightly thickened.  Return the beef and onion mixtures to the pan with the milk sauce, add the scallions and season to taste.  Remove the mixture to another dish, wipe the pan with a paper towel and lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray.

In a separate bowl, combine the tomato or enchilada sauce with the refried beans.  Place one tortilla into the cast iron pan, top with half the beef mixture, then the second tortilla, half the bean mixture, the third tortilla, the remaining beef mixture, the fourth tortilla, the remaining bean mixture and then the fifth tortilla.  Top with the cheese and bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 30 - 45 minutes or until the cheese is melted and lightly golden brown.  Makes approximately 8 servings.