Now we're cooking!

Recently I was flipping through a copy of.......(I'm almost embarrassed to admit this).......Better Homes & Gardens (it's actually got some great decor stuff in it), when I came across a recipe that sounded delicious. So I added the ingredients to my shopping list and the next time I came home from the store I was prepared to fix us some Stacked Sweet Corn, Bean & Beef Casserole.

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Now we're not a beef family. Really we're not even much of a meat family, but every once and a while we do indulge and considering our love of all things Mexicano, this recipe sounded like the the right way to take the plunge. It was fairly easy to make and definitely a crowd (Ben & Mia) favorite.

I won't get into details about the recipe, but here's the link (Stacked Sweet Corn, Bean, and Beef Casserole Recipe) - I strongly suggest you try it for yourself.

I will however make a few comments/suggestions based on my experience.

* I left out the chorizo (Mexican sausage) - not a fan.
* In leaving out the sausage, I think we lost a bit of the spice, so next time I think I'll add some taco seasoning to the beef.
* Actually, next time I think I'll use ground turkey. I firmly believe that there's a time and a place for making the turkey instead of beef substitution. Definitely not in burgers (when you've really been craving the real deal) - we made that mistake recently, but I think with all the other flavors going on in this casserole, it would be fine.
* Most definitely use a springform pan if you have one. It really helped hold the whole thing together nicely, but during the prep & after the baking.
* You must must must top it with sour cream. It makes all the difference. (I'm a sour cream fanatic!)


If you know me well, you probably know that I'm not much of a cook. I can cook, but I just don't really like to do so on a regular basis. Now if we're entertaining that's a different story - I tend to break out all the pots & pans, but I find complicated cooking for just the 2 of us too boring to do daily. Lucky for me, I have a husband that (1) is ok with that & (2) likes to cook, so we get by just fine. But something has come over me this summer and I'm all about holing up in the kitchen. Maybe it's the fact that summer is my favorite season but here in the south it's just too unbearable to play outside so I'm channeling my energy into cooking. I wonder how long this will last? Well until it's gone, I'll be sharing my favorite recipes right here.

And if you're wondering about that little old renovation project we've got going on upstairs, it's still there. There was a slow spell due to some tile setbacks, but this week things are back in action. Hopefully I'll have some photos to share by the weekend. Until then, happy cooking!