Enchilada-rama Casserole

My friend, Julie, lives in Paris and is a true Texas girl like myself (hey y'all!). This recipe is from her and how she gets her TexMex fix.

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I can so sympathize with not being able to find even basic ingredients. Just last week, I was trying to buy an onion in Carrefour and I could NOT even find an onion! And the market just outside had closed so NO ONION! What!?! I live in one of the largest cities in the world and could not buy a basic food product. Anyway, the onion ended up not being necessary for the recipe I am sending you below. I am on week # 2 sans Fajitas b/c the owners closed down for the August Holidays so I had to do SOMETHING to get my Mexican food fix. Anyhoo, here is my favorite recipe in the world although I think I am a major cheater b/c most of it comes from imported food!

Enchilada Casserole

1.5 lbs hamburger meat - cow meat...not chavel
1 onion - IF you can find one that day..if not, use dried onion flakes or leeks or green onion
1 bell pepper
1 can creme of chicken soup (imported from the United States or bought at the embassy shop)
1 can creme of mushroom soup (see above)
1 can Rotel - let's face it...there are no real substitutes for this staple..you need to import OR MAYBE a plain ol can of crushed tomatoes will suffice
1 dozen corn tortillas - yeah right..I import mine but you can probably buy yucky corn tortilla chips (El Paso or some other brand) to use instead
Cheese - Preferably some sort of Mexican cheese but get real - You will be lucky to find something that isn't sour or white looking. You need an orange or yellow cheese.. If you have connections (and lets face it, you Embassy girls can at least shop at the little store y'all have there w/ the American products) and can get your hands on some velveeta, you are set..that stuff won't go bad for anything and can be used sparingly to last you a long time. I have my cheese imported from America
1/4 cup of milk or water

Brown the meat and then add your diced bell pepper and onion. Stir in some shakes of cumin and salt and pepper...I can find Cumin here so surely you can find it anywhere. Add garlic to taste. Then add your soups and the can of rotel and milk or water if needed....stir all that together and let simmer in the skillet until it's all mixed. Cut up your corn tortillas into strips and then half those into smaller bite sized pieces. If you just have chips..use those. Put into a 9X13 pan and pour your mixture on top of it. Stir around so that the tortillas or chips are mixed in. Cover with foil and put in the oven at 350 F for about 35 - 40 min. Take out and add your cheese to the top and stick back in the oven uncovered for no longer than the time it takes to melt the cheese. VOILA! Mexican food in Paris or Tunis!

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