Renees Nacho Casserole Recipes

NACHO CHIP CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a medium skillet over high heat, brown the ground beef and season with salt and pepper to taste; drain fat. Stir in diced tomatoes with green chile peppers and condensed cream of mushroom soup.
• Cover the bottom and sides of a 9x13 inch baking dish with nacho-flavor tortilla chips. Pour in the meat mixture. Top with remaining tortilla chips and about 12 slices of processed cheese food, or enough to cover the entire surface of the dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven 15 to 20 minutes, or until cheese is lightly browned.

COWBOY NACHOS

Steps:

• Heat up the Pinto Beans and doctor them to your desired "temperature," adding some ground black pepper, Tabasco sauce, minced garlic and jalapenos if using. Make them as spicy or mild as you like.
• Preheat the broiler.
• In a very hot skillet, add a bit of canola oil and the Braised Beef Brisket. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, and then flip and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Next, pour some of the red sauce over the meat to make it nice and moist. If you have them, also add a bit of the pan drippings from the brisket-cooking process (or a bit of beef broth--again just enough to bring the meat to a nice moist consistency). Stir to combine and remove from the heat.
• To assemble: In a heatproof dish, layer half of the tortilla chips, beans, brisket, cheese and Pico de Gallo. Repeat the layers but leave off the second layer of Pico de Gallo until after the dish is cooked.
• Place on the middle or bottom rack of your oven and broil until the cheese is melted. Watch closely so they don't burn. Sprinkle the remaining Pico de Gallo over the top before serving.
• Inhale, exhale and then ravenously consume!
• Rinse the beans in cool water; pour into a pot and cover with water by 2 to 3 inches. Cut the bacon into large pieces and add to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and cover. Simmer until the beans are tender, about 2 hours, adding water to the pot as needed. (The beans should have a thick broth.)
• Toward the end of the cooking time, add 1 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons pepper. Check the seasoning before serving, and add more salt and pepper if desired. Don't over-salt.
• Combine the beef consomme, soy sauce, lemon juice, liquid smoke and garlic in a large roasting pan (a disposable is just fine). Place the brisket in the marinade, fat-side up. Cover tightly with foil. Marinate in the refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours.
• When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Cook the brisket in the foil-covered pan until fork-tender, about 40 minutes per pound (6 to 7 hours). Transfer to a cutting board, slice against the grain and put the slices back into the cooking liquid. Serve immediately, spooning the juice over the slices.
• You may store the pan in the fridge for up to 2 days, or freeze for use at a later date. If fat collects and hardens at the top, remove and discard.
• Chop the tomatoes, jalapenos and onions into a very small dice. (Leave the seeds in your jalapenos for a hotter pico.) Adjust the amount of jalapenos to your preferred temperature.
• Next, chop up a nice-sized bunch of cilantro. Just remove and discard the long leafless stems before chopping. No need to remove the leaves from the stems completely.
• Put the tomatoes, jalapenos, onions and cilantro together in a bowl and give it a good stir. Squeeze the juice of the lime half into the bowl. Add salt to taste and stir again.

NACHO CHEESE CASSEROLE

Steps:

• For the sauce: In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the vegetable oil and flour. Cook, whisking, until it begins to bubble; let it bubble for 1 minute. Pour in the enchilada sauce, chicken broth, cumin and some salt and pepper. Raise the heat and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer while you prepare the meat.
• For the meat: Brown the ground beef with the garlic and onions in a large skillet over medium-high heat, 5 to 8 minutes. Drain the fat and stir in the cumin and salt to combine. Stir the meat into the simmering sauce and shut off the heat.
• For the casserole: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease one 9-by-13-inch aluminum foil baking dish and one 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.
• Break up the chips by crushing the bag slightly with your hands. Make sure not to over crush the chips; you're looking for pieces, not crumbs. Mix together the cheeses in a medium bowl.
• Divide a third of the broken chips between the prepared baking dishes. Top each with a quarter of the beef mixture and 2/3 cup of the cheese. Repeat, adding another layer of chips, beef mix and cheese to each. Finish by dividing the remaining chips between the baking dishes. Top each with 2/3 cup cheese.
• Cover the glass baking dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until bubbly, another 15 to 20 minutes.
• For the toppings: Top the cooked casserole with the shredded romaine, diced Roma tomatoes, sour cream and sliced black olives and green onions before serving.
• Allow the aluminum foil baking dish to cool completely while the other is baking. Once cool, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil. Transfer to the freezer.
• To bake from frozen, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Unwrap the baking dish and re-cover with foil. Bake, covered, for 35 to 40 minutes. Uncover and bake until bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes. Top with another batch of the toppings.

BEEF NACHO CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring to crumble, until evenly browned. Drain grease. Remove from the heat, and stir the salsa, corn, mayonnaise and chili powder into the beef. In a 2 quart casserole dish, layer the ground beef mixture, tortilla chips and cheese twice, ending with cheese on top.
• Bake for 20 minutes uncovered in the preheated oven, until cheese is melted and dish is thoroughly heated.