Black Bean Tortilla Casserole

I know the humble casserole sometimes gets a bum rap, but I am a fan. I had black beans and tortillas on hand and wanted to make some kind of layered casserole with them. I knew I could find what I was looking for on Cooking This And That, because she has tons of Mexican/Southwest dishes as well lots of casseroles, bakes and other one-dish meals. Sure enough, I found this delicious casserole.

Sage has been really good about eating meatless meals more than half of the time, so I considered adding some chicken to this for him, but ultimately I decided to take Colleen's word that in this dish he wouldn't miss the meat. She was absolutely correct- Sage agreed afterward that it was perfect as is. I did add some green pepper to it and made a few changes to get it fit the size casserole dish I had. I had flour tortillas instead of corn, but they worked great. We really liked this and will definitely make it again.

adapted slightly from Cooking This And That,
originally from Reading, 'Riting & Recipes, serves 6
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 (10 oz.) can of Rotel tomatoes (I used mild)
1 cup salsa (or picante) sauce
1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 (15 oz.) cans reduced sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
4 oz. low fat cream cheese
3 (10 in) flour tortillas, cut into quarters
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I used 2% mild cheddar)
sour cream, lettuce, gaucamole, etc., for topping (I intended on using more than just sour cream, but that's what we wound up with, and it didn't seem lacking)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a skillet, heat oil and over medium heat. Saute onion and green pepper until soft. Add tomatoes, salsa and cumin and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in beans. Add cream cheese and stir until melted. Remove from heat.

Spray 11x7 casserole dish with cooking spray. Spread 1/4 of bean mixture on bottom of pan. Next layer 4 quarters of tortilla over beans, with curved edges on the outsides, and pointed edges slightly overlapping. Spread another 1/4 of bean mixture over top and cover with 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat layering tortillas, bean mixture and cheese two more times, ending with cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve with desired toppings.