Mexican Black Bean Casserole Freezer Meal Recipe

Mexican Black Bean Casserole

Adapted from http://momonamission.me/

Ingredients:

·      1 can whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed, or 1 ½ cups frozen corn (about 16 oz)

·      1 can black beans, rinsed (1 ½ cups)

·      1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano

·      1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies

·      1/3 cup sliced green onions

·      ¼ cup chopped cilantro, optional

·      2 tsp ground cumin

·      1 tsp oregano

·      1/8 tsp chipotle chili powder, optional

·      4 small (about 6 inch) corn tortillas

·      1 ½ to 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (you could also use a Mexican blend)

Instructions:

·      Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.

·      Combine the first nine ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

·      Place 2 tortillas side-by-side in the bottom of the pan. Spoon ½ of the bean, corn, and tomato mixture over the tortillas. Top with ¾ to 1 cup of cheese. Repeat the layers in each pan.

·      Cover with foil and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

·      Serving Suggestions: Garnish with sour cream or guacamole. Serve with green salad and/or vegetable, Mexican rice, tortilla chips and salsa.

Freezing Directions: Cover with labeled foil and freeze. Thaw for 24 hours and bake covered at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. (I lined a 9x13 pan with foil, assembled casserole, covered with plastic wrap & more foil, and then placed in the freezer. After frozen, I removed the foil-covered casserole and placed it in a large Ziploc bag with a label. This way it takes up less room in the freezer and you don’t have your pans in the freezer.)

Freezer Meal Label:

Remove from bag, place in 9x13 baking pan, and thaw in refrigerator for 24 hours. Remove plastic wrap and replace foil. Bake covered at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

Serving Suggestions: Garnish with sour cream or guacamole. Serve with green salad and/or vegetable, Mexican rice, tortilla chips and salsa.