Book Club Dinner Party

As I have mentioned before, I am in a book club with my sister and some friends. This month's book was Water for Elephants and the meeting was held at my house. I read Water for Elephants last summer at the suggestion of a work friend. My friends and I have a movie-going date night planned for next weekend when we are all off. It looks so good! I will not ruin the movie by telling you about the book, so let us just talk about the food.


Just so you know: 1. Our "book club meetings" consist of getting together for dinner, drinking wine, and talking about everything other than the book. 2. That pretty much sums it up. 


I made Emeril's Tex-Mex Gooey Casserole. Read on!


Appetizers: chips, guacamole, salsa, Texas caviar (all store-bought, I might add)

The Main Dish (I put my additions and suggestions). Sorry about the blurry pics, it happens when I turn the flash off.
Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onions (about 1 large onion, chopped)
• 1 lb ground beef (I used ground turkey)
• 1 pound diced stew meat (could have lived without it)
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 2 tablespoons chili powder (didn't have it)
• 2 teaspoons cumin (I used 1 large tablespoon to make up for the lack of chili powder)
• S&P
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 4 cups peeled, seeded, chopped tomatoes (I used 1-28oz can diced tomatoes, drained)
• 3 cups beef stock
• 10 flour tortillas (I used wheat)
• 2 cups grated medium Cheddar cheese (I used 2% milk cheese)
• 2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese (again, 2%)

1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the onions and saute for 3-4 minutes.

2. Add the ground beef (turkey) and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the stew beef and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Looking back, I would have drained the meat at this point.  

3. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, and cumin. Season with S&P. 

4. Stir in the tomato paste. Stir in the tomatoes and stock.

5. Simmer the mixture for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The mixture will really thicken up at this point.

6. Remove from the heat and let cool.

7. Spoon a couple of tablespoons of the mixture on the bottom of a greased casserole dish. Place a layer of tortillas on top. Scatter the tortillas with some of both of the cheeses. Repeat this process until you reach the top!

8. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes until the cheese is melted. 

I served with a side of Mexican rice and refried beans. Enjoy!