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Southwestern Casserole

Name: Southwestern Casserole
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 2 casseroles (6 servings each).
Cuisine: North America, Mexican
Ingredients: 2 cups (8 ounces) uncooked elbow macaroni; 2 pounds ground beef; 1 large onion, chopped; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes, undrained; 1 can (16 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained; 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste; 1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chiles, drained; 1-1/2 teaspoons salt; 1 teaspoon chili powder; 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin; 1/2 teaspoon pepper; 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese; 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped

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Test Kitchen Approved

Total Time

Prep: 25 min. Bake: 40 min.

Makes

2 casseroles (6 servings each)

I've been making this mild family-pleasing southwest casserole recipe for years. It tastes wonderful, fits nicely into our budget and, best of all, makes a second one to freeze and enjoy later. —Joan Hallford, North Richland Hills, Texas

Ingredients

2 cups (8 ounces) uncooked elbow macaroni
2 pounds ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (16 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chiles, drained
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped

Directions

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cook beef and onion over medium heat, crumbling beef, until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain. Stir in next 8 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Drain macaroni; stir into beef mixture.
Preheat oven to 375°. Transfer macaroni mixture to 2 greased 2-qt. baking dishes. Top with cheese and jalapenos. Cover and bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake until bubbly and heated through, about 10 minutes longer. Serve 1 casserole. Cool the second; cover and freeze up to 3 months.
To use frozen casserole: Thaw in refrigerator 8 hours. Preheat oven to 375°. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake, increasing time as necessary to heat through and for a thermometer inserted in center to read 165°, 20-25 minutes.

Test Kitchen Tips

A Monterey, California, businessman named David Jacks made Monterey Jack cheese popular in the late 1800s by shipping it to San Francisco and other areas of the U.S.

Using lean ground beef instead of beef that’s 80% lean saves 45 calories per 4-ounce serving of beef. Lean ground beef is also 29% lower in saturated fat.

Check out 50 vintage casserole recipes that deserve a comeback.

Peppers (Hot)

Wear disposable gloves when cutting hot peppers; the oils can burn skin. Avoid touching your face.

Nutrition Facts

1 cup: 321 calories, 15g fat (7g saturated fat), 64mg cholesterol, 673mg sodium, 23g carbohydrate (5g sugars, 4g fiber), 24g protein.

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