Ranchero Casserole Recipe
If you want to try out something new in Mexican cuisine, don't miss out on the utterly delicious Ranchero Casserole which is a tortilla bake topped with meat sauce and layered with cheese meat mixture. Try this and let me know if you've enjoyed it.
Ingredients
3/4 pound ground beef
1 small onion, diced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1 4-ounce can chopped green chilies,drained
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Salad oil
8 6-inch corn tortillas, cut into 1/2 inch strips
1 15- to 16-ounce container ricotta cheese
1 egg
1 4-ounce package shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup thinly sliced lettuce
10 large pitted ripe olives, sliced
1 small tomato, diced
Directions
1. In 3-quart saucepan over high heat, cook ground beef and onion, stirring occasionally, until all pan juices evaporate and meat is well browned. Stir in chili powder; cook 1 minute. Stir in tomato sauce, green chilies, water, sugar, and salt; heat to boiling, stirring to loosen brown bits on bottom of saucepan. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat, in 1/4 inch hot salad oil, fry several tortilla strips at a time, a few seconds, until golden. With slotted spoon, remove tortillas to paper towels to drain.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F. In medium-sized bowl, mix ricotta cheese with egg. Into 12" by 8" baking dish, spoon half of meat sauce. Top with half of Cheddar cheese and half of ricotta mixture. Arrange all tortilla strips on ricotta mixture in baking dish; top with remaining ricotta mixture, then remaining meat sauce. Sprinkle with remaining Cheddar. Bake casserole, uncovered, 30 minutes or until heated through.
2. Meanwhile, in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat, in 1/4 inch hot salad oil, fry several tortilla strips at a time, a few seconds, until golden. With slotted spoon, remove tortillas to paper towels to drain.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F. In medium-sized bowl, mix ricotta cheese with egg. Into 12" by 8" baking dish, spoon half of meat sauce. Top with half of Cheddar cheese and half of ricotta mixture. Arrange all tortilla strips on ricotta mixture in baking dish; top with remaining ricotta mixture, then remaining meat sauce. Sprinkle with remaining Cheddar. Bake casserole, uncovered, 30 minutes or until heated through.
