Quick Dinner: Tortilla Pie

I thought I would share one of David's favorite meals with you all: Tortilla Pie. It is different every time I make it, and I think that's why I like it. One can use left overs or the odds and ends of the kitchen. (You know...the times when you haven't been shopping for two weeks) I don't exactly have a recipe, but here are the general ideas:

Layer tortillas with cheese and bean mixture.

Yes.

Seriously. That's it.

We make our own tortillas. Scratch that. David makes our own tortillas. It is really easy:

2 cups flour
1/4 shortning
1 t baking powder
1 1/2 t salt
2/3 cup warm water

Cut them together and you end up with:

The trick is to roll them really thin with a TON of flour. 

And then you simply put the tortillas on a hot skillet for a few minutes on each side. 

The bean mixture is as simple as the ingredients as you have on hand. You could add beef or pork or not. These pictures have beef in the mixture. The tortilla pie I made a few weeks ago didn't have any. So here is a general recipe:

Saute:

1 large onion, chopped

1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 cloves of garlic, crushed. To taste

1/2 pound of hamburger, optional

Salt and pepper

When the hamburger is brown and the onions are translucent add:

--canned tomatoes

--canned beans

--spices. 

Oh, you want specifics? For a family of four or five:

--1 can diced tomatoes

--2 cans beans (David likes pinto and kidney. Next time I'm making this I'm adding just black beans.)

Any of the following spices: cinnamon, cumin, coriander, alspice, chili powder, cayanne powder, cocoa powder, paprika, ect...)

To my last batch I added maybe 2 t cumin, 1 t coriander, 1/2 t cinnamon, 3/4 t chili powder, and a dash of cayanne. Usually, though, I find that cumin is a must. Everything else is optional. Want something even simpler? Add 1/2-1 whole packet of taco or chili seasoning. 

For extra spice I like adding jalapeno, mexican, or chili-ready tomatoes. Just adds one more dimention to the dish. A little cilantro would be amazing. Unfortunately, its expensive here. 

Layer tortillas with bean mixture and a little cheddar cheese, top with plenty of grated cheddar cheese and you are good to go!

YUM!