Nacho Casserole

Well, my birthday’s over and after a wonderful trip out to California to visit our good friends, Steve and Joan, it’s back to reality……sigh. It’s time to get back in the kitchen and get cooking and since the weather is going to be cooling off, it’s time to think about casseroles.

Casseroles are great because, as you may know, I love things that I can make ahead and a casserole is perfect for making ahead. You can put a casserole together in the morning and just pop it into the oven at dinnertime, or you can freeze them for a day when you have absolutely no time to cook.

I love this casserole because it has all of the flavors of nachos! There’s a creamy queso sauce that’s a little spicy and then you top it off with all of your favorite nacho toppings. I used turkey breast in my casserole, but you could also use chicken breast, whatever you happen to have on hand.

Nacho Casserole

2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1/2 onion, chopped
1-2 jalapenos (depending how spicy you want the sauce), seeded and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup flour
3 cups milk, warmed to room temperature
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar (or a mixture of sharp cheddar and Velveeta)
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
1/3 cup cilantro, finely chopped
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups cooked turkey (or chicken) breast, chopped
2 cups dry elbow macaroni (I use multi-grain), cooked according to package instructions
tortilla chips
your favorite pico di’ gallo
shredded lettuce
diced avocado, sour cream, etc.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat.

Add onion, jalapeno and garlic. Sprinkle with chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper, saute for about 5 minutes until onion is tender.

Sprinkle flour over onion mixture. Stir to coat and let cook for about 1 minute.

Slowly whisk in warmed milked, making sure there are no lumps. Bring to a bubble and let cook until mixture has thickened.

Turn heat off and whisk in cheese, a little at a time, until it’s all melted.

Stir in cilantro, tomatoes and black beans.

In a large bowl, combine sauce, turkey and cooked macaroni.

Spoon mixture into 1 (9×13) pan or 2 (8×8) pans that have been coated with cooking spray. Topped with crushed tortilla chips.

If baking right away, bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes, until bubbly and warmed through. If casserole has been refrigerated, bake for about 40 minutes and if frozen bake for 50 to 60 minutes.

Serve with pico di gallo, lettuce and any other desired toppings.