Quick Weeknight Meal: Tortilla Stack

I'm always on the hunt for dinner ideas that will be quick and easy to serve during the week.  My mom made this creative Tortilla Stack dish for us while we were visiting and it was delicious and relatively healthy. What's easier than putting a few layers together and then baking? Not much. And of course, any Mexican food is alright with me. I've made this several times and it's best right out of the oven. Leftovers tend to make the tortillas a tad soggy. But if you're looking to feed a crowd, this one's a pleaser! Thanks for the recipe Mom!

Tortilla Stack

(Recipe adapted from Cooking Light)

Ingredients:

1 medium green pepper, chopped

1 medium red pepper, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

2 T. fresh cilantro, minced

1 lb. ground beef, cooked

1 tsp. cumin

1 1/2 cups salsa

5 flour tortillas (8 inch)

1 1/4 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided

5 T. sliced black olives

1/3 cup pickled jalapeno slices (I used a small can of diced mild green chiles which worked well.)

Method:

Saute peppers and onions in oil until tender. Remove from pan and set aside. Cook the beef in the same pan. Then add the peppers and onions to the meat, stir in the cilantro and cumin; heat through.

Spread 1/4 cup salsa into a 9-inch deep dish pie plate coated with nonstick cooking spray. Layer one tortilla, a 1/4 of the meat mixture, 1/4 cup salsa, 1/4 cup cheese, 1 T. olives and 2 or 3 jalapeno slices. Repeat layers three times. Top with remaining tortilla, salsa, olives and jalapeno slices.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake 5-10 minutes longer until heated through and cheese is melted.