Tasty Tuesday

Tela here–filling in for Sara–and wanting to share with you the steps I’ve taken this past year to help me get a decent dinner on the table after a long day of work/daycare shuffling/whatever.

First up I wanted to share that I have started MENU PLANNING (!!). Nothing crazy, simply ideas for dinners written on a piece of paper and magneted (new word!) to the fridge. So “Mon–Chicken Feta Pasta with Spinach; Tues–Jambalaya.”

I shop according to the meal ingredients, and it actually helps me save some time and money. Instead of wandering aimlessly through the aisles, I shop with a purpose, people.

I don’t always follow my menu exactly, and I’ll switch meals around (shuffle Tuesday and Friday), depending on my mood and what I feel like cooking and/or eating. I also make sure to include some really easy meals like homemade pizza or taco casserole (see below) for days I just don’t have it in me to cook a bigger meal or when O seems especially hungry.

I usually scoff at any sort of organization or planning in my life–because I’m just.not.good.at.it. I tend to lack follow-through. But I have to admit, it does make my life easier.

And since a Tasty Tuesday wouldn’t be very tasty without a recipe, here’s one for Taco Casserole, although it actually might be more like a pie. Hmm… Casserpie?

Taco Casserpie

What You’ll Need:
1 lb lean ground beef
Refried Beans
1 jar salsa
1 can corn (if you want)
Flour Tortillas
Cheddar, Mont Jack, or Cheddar Jack Cheese (whichever is your favorite)
Tortilla/Corn Chips
Scallions

What to Do:
Brown and drain your ground beef.
Toss in half the salsa and the corn. Cook till warmed.
In a bowl, combine the refried beans and rest of salsa. (May need to nuke the beans for a minute.)
Spray a round baking dish with non-stick spray and toss in a tortilla.
Alternate layers of beef and bean mixture, separated by tortillas.
Top with crushed corn chips, cheese, and scallions.
Cook at 350 for about a half hour or so. Until cheese is melted, but don’t burn the chips.