MEXICAN ESSENTIALS: HYBRID BEEF/CHEESE CASSEROLE

Steps:

• PREP/PREPARE
• I created this recipe because I wanted one more dish for my Cinco De Mayo party; however, since time was short, I went with items on hand. I was going to make it into a Mexican Lasagna, using flour tortillas for the layers. Unfortunately, cooking them with the casserole would create a doughy, goopy mess. I thought of rice, and corn tortillas; even using regular lasagna noodles. I finally, dropped the idea of making it into a lasagna, and opted instead to make a nice flavorful casserole, and allow my guests to scoop some out and decide for themselves what they wanted to eat it on... success.
• If you are in the market for a good enchilada sauce, here is my favorite: https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/sauce-spread/other-sauce-spread/amazing-mexican-enchilada-red-sauce.html?r=2
• If you are grinding your own beef, use the large holes on the grinder plate. If you are purchasing it from the butcher, ask for "chili grind" beef. It is a bit coarser, and gives the casserole more of a hardier texture.
• A skillet big enough to hold all of the ingredients. An ovenproof dish, to bake it in.
• Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
• Use a spice grinder, or mortar and pestle, to grind up the dehydrated onions.
• Add the ground beef, chopped onions, and dehydrated onions to a skillet over medium-low heat.
• Cook the ingredients, stirring often, until the beef is cooked through (no pink), and the chopped onions are soft, about 12 - 15 minutes.
• Chef's Note: Why regular onions and dehydrated onion? Well, dehydrated onions bring an "earthy" taste to a recipe that you cannot get from using just regular onions alone. If you do not have any, no worries, just leave them out.
• Add the garlic, and stir for an additional 60 seconds.
• Add the tomatoes, enchilada sauce, and cumin, stir, reduce the heat to low, then allow to slowly simmer, for about 20 minutes.
• Chef's Note: This slow cooking method serves two important purposes: 1. It helps to blend the flavors of the ingredients together. 2. It reduces the liquid to make a thicker sauce.
• Do a final tasting for proper seasoning, and add a bit of salt and pepper, if you feel it is warranted.
• THE ASSEMBLY
• Place a rack in the middle position, and preheat the oven to 375f (190c).
• Add refried beans to the bottom of a standard deep-dish, ovenproof pie pan, or similar round, or rectangular dish.
• Add the parmesan cheese, and sprinkle with half the black olives.
• Add the hot, ground-beef filling and top with the cheddar, and pepper jack.
• Place into the preheated oven, and cook until the cheese is bubbly, and some of the filling begins to ooze up through the cheese, about 15 - 20 minutes.
• PLATE/PRESENT
• Allow to rest for 10 minutes, sprinkle on the remaining black olives, and serve up with some warm tortillas, and rice, with some sour cream, and lime slices on the side. Perhaps a nice pitcher of Bonnie's Ultimate Margaritas: https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/drink/cocktail/the-ultimate-margarita.html?r=2. Enjoy.
• Keep the faith, and keep cooking.