Culinary Musings

This one-pot meal is an excellent camp recipe, and works just as well at home. Consider using ground buffalo and low-fat cheese to make it a bit healthier.

Dutch Oven Mexican Lasagna

1 pound ground beef or ground buffalo
1 Tbs Chili Powder
1 tsp Cumin
3 cloves garlic, chopped (or heaping tablespoon chopped garlic from jar)
1 can chopped Tomatoes with basil and garlic
1 cup Pace Picante Sauce (medium)
1 can black beans, drained
1 can white or yellow corn, drained
12-15 corn tortillas (can use flour tortillas instead)
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese mix

Optional for garnishing along with remaining picante sauce:
Sour Cream
Sliced Jalepenos
Small can of sliced black olives

This meal can be prepared in a deep 9 X 13 casserole or a 12 or 14 inch dutch oven. Recipe can be doubled if using 14 inch Dutch Oven (assembling 6 layers instead of 3)

Preheat oven to 350.

In a skillet or dutch oven, brown ground beef, drain off grease (not needed if using buffalo). Add spices and garlic, stir and cook for one additional minute, then add tomatoes, picante sauce, beans and corn. Stir mixture to combine. Move mixture to a bowl if using dutch oven.

Place a little of the mixture on the bottom of the dish/dutch oven, then layer tortillas, 1/2 cup of cheese and 1/3 of remaining mixture. Use 3-4 tortillas for casserole tearing one in half as needed for an even layer, or five for dutch oven laid out like petals of a flower. Repeat tortillas, cheese, then mixture two more times, then put remaining cheese on top.

Cook at 350 for 30 minutes (for casserole) or 45 minutes (dutch oven), or until hot and bubbly and cheese is melted and slightly browned.

Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Potato Apple Gratin Recipe

This Potato Apple Gratin Recipe is a keeper. You'll love it, too.

If you like gratin potatoes, you will love this recipe for potato apple gratin.

As you may know gratin is a French culinary technique where you have a tasty browned crust usually of cheese or breadcrumbs.

You won’t be disappointed with this version of Gratin that combines apples, potatoes, cheese and a hint of nutmeg into a delicious side dish.

Here’s our family recipe for Potato Apple Gratin:
5 pounds yellow potatoes, sliced 1/8″ thick using a mandolin slicer
3 large or 4 medium Granny Smith Apples,chopped to a small dice
1/2 yellow onion, medium diced
6 to 7 strips bacon, cooked to a crisp and then crumbled
1 1/2 cups shredded mix of Gruyere and jarlsberg cheeses
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, or more to taste
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
3 gloves garlic, minced

Follow these easy steps for a delicious dish:

Layering the potatoes, cheese, onion, and bacon in a Dutch Oven

2. Layer 1/3 of the potatoes, 1/3 of the apples, 1/3 of the onions and 1/3 of the bacon in the dutch oven.

3. Layer 1/3 the cheese over potatoes. Repeat layers.

4. In a separate bowl, mix the cream, garlic and nutmeg and the salt and pepper.Pour cream mixture over layers in baking dish.

5. Cover dutch oven with foil and bake for 1 ½ hours. Uncover and continue baking for 15 minutes.

6. Let stand for ten minutes.

Potato Apple Gratin makes a delicious side dish your guests will love.

This recipe makes enough for twelve so its perfect for a dinner gathering of friends.

They will rave about this dish…trust me, every time I make this dish I have to share the recipe.

Enjoy!