Tortilla Pie with Everblossom Black Beans

My dear Audrey says this is the best Shepherd’s Pie she’s ever had. Like her, it is a sweet and spicy delight. You could also call it a Mexican lasagna with tortilla’s instead of noodles. Everblossom Farm’s dried beans are the star of this show. To prepare them for the recipe, rinse and drain a few times to clean the beans well. Then put them in a crock pot, cover with water and cook them on high for 4 hours. I had to cover with water a few more times as they exxxppaaannnnd greatly – 4 cups of dried beans grew to 7 cups of soft beans. You want to cook them until you can squish them with your fingers under pressure.

Serve this with your lovely Everblossom greens and a little sour cream. Vamos!

1 1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
16 ounces (2 cups) tomato sauce
16 ounces (2 cups) Everblossom black beans (rinsed and pre-cooked)
1 cup whole kernel sweet corn
3 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons oregano leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
6 10-inch flour tortillas
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brown beef and onion in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add tomato sauce, beans and corn; mix well. Stir in all of the spices except the red pepper. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer 5 minutes and add red pepper if desired.

Spread 1/2 cup of beef mixture on the bottom of a greased 13×9 casserole dish, or I like to use a round foil pan as pictured (because the tortillas are round). Top with 3 tortillas, overlapping as needed (or just stacked up in the round foil dish). Layer with 1/2 of the remaining beef mixture and 1/2 of the cheese. Repeat with remaining tortillas, beef and cheese.

Bake for 15 minutes and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

This dish freezes very well and I have always made at least two at a time to save one in the freezer.