Black Bean Chilaquile Casserole

Another Friday, another meatless meal.  The part of me that grew up Catholic finds it kind of ironic that our meatless meals always seem to land on Friday.  Guess it's in my genes...

The original recipe for this dish came from the book Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites.  I modified it to spice it up a bit, use pantry staples instead of fresh produce, and, well, fatten it up simply because I didn't have the fat-free/low-fat ingredients on hand.

10 small corn tortillas
oil for frying
1 T. olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1 jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed, chopped
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1 15-ounce can whole kernal corn, drained
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained
1 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
2 T. fresh lime juice
1 t. salt
black pepper, to taste
8 ounces cheddar cheese, grated
2 cups salsa, plus extra for serving
sour cream

In a small skillet, heat one inch of oil over medium heat until shimmering.  Fry tortillas, one at a time, until crisp and light brown.  Drain on paper towels.

In a large skillet over medium heat, saute onion, garlic, and jalapeno in olive oil until onions are soft.  Add tomatoes, corn, beans, spinach, lime juice, salt and pepper.  Simmer 15 minutes or until thickened. 

Crush tortillas and spread half of them in the bottom of a greased 8x8 pan.  Pour vegetable mixture over, then spread half the salsa and half the cheese over the top.  Top with remaining tortillas, then spread remaining salsa and cheese over. 

Bake at 350 degrees until hot and bubbly, about 45 minutes.  Serve topped with sour cream and salsa.