Paper and Spice

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 lbs ground turkey or ground beef
• Olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• Salt

• 2 14-oz can refried beans
• 1 can green chilis

• 1 24 oz jar salsa (I used Pace, but you can try about anything)
  

• 12 corn tortillas
• 2 cups coarsely grated Monterey Jack cheese (about 8 oz)
• 2 cups coarsely grated mild cheddar cheese (about 8 oz)

Extras

• Sour cream
• Guacamole
• Cilantro
• Iceberg lettuce

Preparation

1 Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly oil a 13x9x3-inch glass or ceramic baking dish.

2 Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large cast iron frying pan on medium high heat. Add the ground meat, breaking it up as you add it. Sprinkle with salt. Sprinkle on the chile powder, cayenne, cumin, and coriander. (Tip - mix the spices together in small bowl ahead of time, you can avoid the hassle with containers at this point) Increase the heat to high. Add another 2 Tbsp of olive oil. Do not stir the meat unnecessarily. Allow it to brown on one side, and then stir it so the other side can be browned. As soon as the meat is browned, remove the pan from the burner. The meat will continue to cook in the heat of the cast iron pan. Once you are sure that the meat is cooked through, use a slotted spoon to remove the meat from the pan to a bowl. Set aside.

3 While the meat is cooking, warm the refried beans in a saucepan. When the are warmed and stirring consistency, add green chilis. Keep heat at low so they stay warm.

4 Brush both sides of the tortillas with olive oil and place on baking sheet (about 4 at a time depending on size of baking sheet). Warm in oven for 5-6 minutes until slightly softened. Repeat until all tortillas have been done.

5 In baking dish arrange 4 tortillas in one layer, overlapping slightly (tortillas will not cover bottom completely). Spread half of bean mixture evenly over tortillas in dish and top with half of meat mixture. Sprinkle one third cheese over the meat and spread half of the salsa over the cheese. (Note: I started this process right after first 4 tortillas were done in the oven, I let the second batch go while I spread the other ingredients)

Repeat layering of tortillas, beans, meat, cheese, and salsa and top with remaining 4 tortillas. Sprinkle remaining cheese over tortillas. Bake casserole on the middle rack in the oven for 35 minutes, until the casserole is heated through and the cheese is completely melted and bubbling. Let the casserole stand for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Serves 8. Serve with sour cream, guacamole, chopped cilantro, and thinly sliced iceberg lettuce.