Layered Fiesta Casserole

I found this on my friend Lauren's blog, and since she reviewed it well, and it looked reasonably healthful and easy, I went for it last night. It wasn't exactly PRETTY when I served it, looking more like mush than casserole, so I didn't take any pictures, but it looked pretty enough in the baking pan.

I followed the directions Lauren posted, but I found them to be a little on the confusing side, so if you decide to make this, definitely follow the original directions, which can be found on the Kraft foods website here.

I substituted ground turkey for the beef to make this a little more healthful, but it was really missing something in the flavor department as a result. I was thinking maybe some taco seasoning would have helped, and saw some of the reviews on the Kraft website suggested chipotle seasoning.

In addition to the substitution of turkey, I sprayed the pan with cooking spray first. I don't konw if this made any difference in clean up time or not, but figured it would be a smart move. I used a different brand of salsa, but kept with the thick and chunky theme. I also would probably use a larger dish in the future, since I quickly ran out of room for all of the components in my 9x9 Pyrex.

I thought this was pretty tasty, although I think BAJ considered it too bland, calling it "ok."

Ingredients

• 1 lb. extra-lean ground beef
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 jar (16 oz.) TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick 'N Chunky Salsa
• 1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen corn, thawed
• 4-6 corn tortillas (12 inch)
• 1-1/2 cups KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese, divided

HEAT oven to 375°F.

BROWN meat with peppers in large skillet; drain. Return to skillet. Stir in salsa, tomatoes and corn.

SPREAD 1 cup meat mixture onto bottom of 9x9-inch baking dish; top with 1 tortilla. Cover with layers of the remaining meat mixture and cheese; top with remaining tortillas and meat mixture. Cover with foil.

BAKE 25 to 30 min. or until heated through. Top with remaining cheese; let stand 5 min. or until melted.