My Gramma lived with us when I was a kid. She was an amazing cook and baker, supplying amazingly delicious meals and desserts every day. I loved spending time with her in the kitchen, but I never really paid attention to what she was actually DOING when she cooked. I helped her bake pies, cookies, etc, but cooking? Not so much.

My mom has all of my Gram’s old recipes. Some of them are on paper that’s so old that it crumbles if you handle it too hard. Many are handwritten. And ALL have food splattered around the words.

Gramma's green chile casserole

I’ve been going through them slowly, organizing them by level of difficulty (to me). The casserole I made this week was actually pretty easy, and Mike LOVED it.

Green Chile Casserole
You need:

ingredients

1 pound ground beef (or ground turkey)
1 medium onion, diced
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 can of milk
1 small can, sliced black olives
1 4-oz can diced green chiles
1/2 pound cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 dozen corn tortillas

cook meat until brown and crumbly
Cook meat until brown and crumbly.

drain excess fat
Drain excess fat. It’s gross. You don’t want it, anyway.

mix meat with mushroom soup and milk, bring to a simmer
Once the meat is cooked, mix in the mushroom soup mix and milk. Bring the mixture to a simmer.

remove meat from heat, mix in onions, chiles, and olives
Remove the mixture from heat, then add in the onions, chiles, and olives. Do not think about what this mixture currently resembles.

cut 1/2 dozen tortillas into eighths
Slice up your tortillas into eighths. Ugh, math, I know.

grease your casserole dish
Grease up your dish with some buttah. Sing “Grease Is The Word.”

place 1/3 of tortilla wedges in your greased dish
Layer about a third of your tortillas on the bottom of the dish.

add a layer of 1/3 of your beef mixture
Next, pour in the meat mixture. It’s heavy. Be careful.

add a layer of 1/3 of your cheese
Add a layer of delicious cheese. Mmm mmm mmm.

repeat two more times
Repeat this step twice more.

admire your creation!
Dang! You made a fine-looking casserole! But it’s not done. Do not rest on your laurels.

bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 35 minutes
Bake it uncovered at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes. The meat is already cooked – this step assures delicious melted goodness.

enjoy a beverage
While your food bakes, catch up with a friend.

it's done!
Ding! Those 35 minutes went fast.

melty goodness
It looks good and smells delicious.

husband taste test
Give it to your husband/significant other/old friend. Remind them to NOT SAY that it “tastes different” when your mom makes it. GAH.

The casserole serves 6-8 people, or one very hungry husband. It stores well and tastes even better the next day (assuming your husband/significant other/old friend didn’t eat it all).

Enjoy!

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Green Chile Casserole
Recipe type: Entree
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6-8
 
Ingredients
  • 1 pound ground beef (or ground turkey)
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
  • 1 can of milk
  • 1 small can, sliced black olives
  • 1 4-oz can diced green chiles
  • ½ pound cheddar cheese, grated
  • ½ dozen corn tortillas
Instructions
  1. Cook meat until brown and crumbly, drain excess fat.
  2. Once the meat is cooked, mix in the mushroom soup mix and milk. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
  3. Remove the mixture from heat, then add in the onions, chiles, and olives.
  4. Slice up your tortillas into eighths.
  5. Grease up your dish.
  6. Layer about a third of your tortillas on the bottom of the dish.
  7. Next, pour in a third of the meat mixture.
  8. Add a layer of delicious cheese.
  9. Repeat layering two more times.
  10. Bake it uncovered at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
  11. Makes delicious leftovers.