Copyright 2011 Christine's Pantry. All rights reserved.
Ingredients:
2 Medium White Onions ,chopped
2 Large Bell Peppers ,chopped
1 Heaping Tablespoon Minced Garlic
2 Lbs Ground Beef (80/20)
1 Roll Sausage (I prefer Hot, but Mild will do fine)
3 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese – 12 oz. (Sharp)
¼ Lb Processed American Cheese Spread (cubed)
15 to 18 Corn Tostadas
3 8oz. Cans Tomato Sauce
2 1.25oz. Pkgs Taco Seasoning
1 1.25oz. Pkg Hot Chili Mix
Directions:
In a large stock pot (5 or 6 quart), pour just enough extra virgin olive oil to cover bottom and place over medium heat until oil starts to shimmer. Combine onions, peppers & garlic with about a teaspoon of salt (to bring out the moisture), stirring constantly to prevent burning. Once onions are opaque and just starting to caramelize, the peppers should be soft enough as well. Place the onion, pepper & garlic mix into a bowl and set to the side.
Into the same stock pot, put the ground beef & sausage and turn up the heat to medium-high and brown. Once all the pink is gone from the meat, drain the grease. I leave about two tablespoons worth for flavor. Now it's time to put the sauteed onions, pepper & garlic back into the pot, along with the 3 cans of tomato sauce, chili and taco mixes. Lower heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Now that the seasoned meat mix is ready, we can begin to build our dish. Spray a 11”x15” casserole dish with your favorite non-stick cooking spray. Place 6 corn tostadas on the bottom of the dish. Break up one tostada and use the pieces to cover the open spaces, trying to cover as much of the bottom of the dish as possible. Sprinkle some of the shredded cheese on top of the tostadas, then put a layer of meat, spreading it evenly until all is covered. Top the meat with enough shredded cheese to cover, and then put a few cubes of the processed American cheese spread around.
You will repeat this process for the next layer, placing another layer of tostadas on top, and then cover with meat, shredded cheese and a few more cubes of the processed cheese. At this point, there will only be a little meat left to cover 3 tostadas, so place them in the center of the dish in a line, top with enough meat to cover each tostada and sprinkle the last of your shredded cheese on the top of each.
Place in a 350 degree pre-heated oven for about 20 minutes until the cheese is a bubbly golden brown. Serves 6 normal eaters or 4 really hungry ones. Divide up and enjoy (I always take a big serving!)
