Ark-Mex Casserole

by Steven Hicks

This is one of my favorite casseroles and it is very easy to make.  You will find endless variations of this recipe in any church or club cookbook in America.  I found one cookbook from a civic organization with 12 versions of this Mexican casserole.  I have made at least that many versions of it through the years.  Well, this is my version and it’s the best!

• 1˝ pounds lean ground beef (chuck or round)
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 10-3/4oz can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 10-3/4oz can cream of chicken soup
• 1 10oz can Rotel tomatoes (the diced kind)
• ˝ of a 14oz package of plain corn tortilla chips, crushed
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese (or Cojack cheese)
• 1 4˝oz can sliced black olives
• a few sliced jalapeno peppers (optional)

Brown the ground beef and drain in a bowl lined with paper towels.  Set aside.  Sauté onions for five minutes in a little olive or vegetable oil. (You can use the same skillet.  Combine soups and Rotel in a saucepan over low heat.  You may add a few sliced, pickled jalapeno peppers to the soup mixture at this point if you like it hot.   Spread crushed tortilla chips evenly in the bottom of a 9" x 13" glass baking dish. Combine the cooked ground beef with the onions and spread evenly over crushed tortilla chips.  Spread soup mixture over ground beef.  Top with grated cheese and sliced olives.  Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until cheese melts and casserole bubbles around the edges.  Great for parties.  Reheats well in the microwave.

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