Chili is a perennial family favorite, enjoyed by children and adults alike. When I was growing up, our must-have chili garnish was crunchy Fritos. As a treat, my mother sometimes would open a bag of the snack chips and ladle hot chili over them to make"chili pies."
This week's recipe is a cross between chili and chili pie, with one twist. Instead of the standard chili flavor, the sauce for the chili takes a Mexican turn with the addition of canned enchilada sauce.
Standard chili ingredients, including browned ground beef and pinto beans, are combined with the sauce and a small can of tomato sauce. Corn chips add flavor and crunch to this casserole in two ways. First, one cup of the chips is stirred into the beef and bean mixture. The mixture then is spread in a prepared baking dish and baked for 25 minutes.
When the beef mixture is hot and bubbly, it is removed from the oven for some garnishes. Reduced-fat sour cream is spooned over the top. Shredded cheese is sprinkled on next. The last garnish is the second addition of corn chips. One cup of crushed chips is sprinkled around the outside of the baking dish before the bake is returned to the oven to melt the cheese.
Though I'm offering this recipe in its simplest form, there are a few ways you can modify the dish. First, you can saut some diced onion along with the ground beef. Second, you can substitute diced chicken breasts in place of the beef. You'll need the meat from two to three boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Last, you can replace the enchilada and tomato sauces with prepared chile verde or green enchilada sauce, using a total of 18 ounces of sauce. The green sauce is nice with beef, but it is especially delicious with chicken.
Pick up a fresh fruit bowl from your supermarket to accompany this family-pleasing meal.
Chili-Lada Bake
1 pound extra-lean ground beef
1 15-ounce can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 10-ounce can red enchilada sauce
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
2 cups corn chips, divided
1 cup shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend*
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Brown the beef in a large skillet until no longer pink. Drain and return to the pan. Stir in the beans, enchilada sauce and tomato sauce. Set aside 1 cup of the corn chips. Crush the remaining corn chips and stir into the beef mixture. Spread in a 2-quart glass baking dish and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and spoon the sour cream over the top. Sprinkle with the cheese and reserved corn chips. Return to oven and bake 2 to 3 minutes more, until cheese is melted.
Makes 6 servings.
*1 cup regular or reduced-fat cheddar or Monterrey Jack cheese may be substituted.
Nutritional information per serving: 586 calories, 28 grams fat (8 grams saturated), 69 milligrams cholesterol, 1, 130 milligrams sodium, 43 grams carbohydrates, 29 grams protein.
Nutritional analysis provided by r egistered dietitian Rachel B. Drew, nutritional education specialist for the Richmond County School Nutrition Program, in conjunction with the Augusta Area Dietetic Association.
Coming next week: Chicken Morocco offers exotic tastes without fuss because it cooks unattended all day in the slow cooker. See Karin prepare the recipe at noon Tuesday on WJBF-TV (Channel 6).
Write to Karin Calloway in care of The Augusta Chronicle Newsroom, P.O. Box 1928, Augusta, GA 30903-1928. Send e-mail to karin.calloway @comcast.net. You can find previous Quick Cooking recipes through the online archive at augustachronicle.com/karin.
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