Crowd pleasing Tex Mex Casserole

Oh. My. God.

I know Gary doesn't have an actual mouth or actual tastebuds, but if he did, and if he could speak,. he would tell the whole world how delicious this Oh She Glows recipe is. He just can't stop cooking Angela Liddon's recipes, and this one is by far his most recent favorite!

Just look at this masterpiece:

I will admit that we were not totally on the ball for this recipe and forgot to cook the rice; but we realized it just before putting this bad boy in the oven and Gary got it done quickly and efficiently before the final step of cooking the meal. And here is the final result:

Crowd-pleasing Tex-Mex Casserole

Prep time: 30 minutes / Cook time: 20 minutes

Serves 6

Ingredients:

Spice blend

• 1 tablespoon chill powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoke sweet paprika or 1/2 teaspoon regular paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 1/4 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt (can be omitted)
• 1/4 teaspoon coriander (optional)

For the casserole

• 1 1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 red onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 orange bell pepper, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• Fine grain sea salt and ground black pepper (salt can be omitted)
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn
• 1 14-ounce/398ml can of diced tomatoes, with their juices
• 1 cup tomato sauce or tomato puree
• 2 to 3 cups chopped kale leaves or baby spinach
• 1 15-ounce/425g can of black beans, drained & rinsed
• 3 & 1/2 cup cooked wild rice blend, or basmati rice
• 1/2 cup vegan shredded cheese (or regular cheese for non-vegans)
• 1 to 2 handfuls of corn tortilla chips, crushed

Optional toppings: 

• Avocado
• Salsa
• Sliced green onions
• Corn chips
• Cashew cream

Directions:

1. Make the Tex-Mex Spice Blend by combining the chill powder, cumin, paprika, cayenne, salt, and coriander in a small bowl; set aside. 
2. Make the casserole by firstly pre-heating the oven to 375°F. Then oil a large casserole dish. 
3. In a large wok, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and bell peppers, and sauté for 7 to 8 minutes, until softened. Season with salt and black pepper.
4. Stir in the Tex-Mex blend, corn, diced tomatoes and their juices, tomato sauce, spinach or kale, beans, rice, and 1/4 cups of cheese. Sauté for a few minutes and season with more salt and pepper if desired. 
5. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish and smooth out on top. Sprinkle the crushed chips over the casserole mixture along with the remaining cheese (and more!). Cover with a lid or foil (although we didn't do this as we had no cover and had no foil) and bake for 15 minutes. 
6. Uncover the casserole dish and cook for 5 to 10 minutes more, until bubbly and lightly golden around the edges. 

YUM! 

Note: Make rice when you begin the meal so that it is ready to go into the casserole at the same time as the rest!