The Tortilla Tower of Doom

I get Family Fun magazine periodically--a year here or a year there--and when this past issue came my kids saw this recipe, ripped it right out and left it on the kitchen counter for a not-so-subtle hint.

Fair enough. If they're kind enough to make the decision of what we're going to eat (that's the hardest part of cooking I swear!) then the least I can do is oblige them.

I made a couple changes based on ingredients I had on hand and present it here for your Tex-Mex fantasies.

2 tablespoons oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 pound lean ground beef
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained
2 cups frozen corn
6 10-inch flour tortillas
1 16-ounce tub sour cream
sliced olives
2 cups salsa
12 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese

In a large pan heat the oil and saute the ground beef, onion and garlic until the beef is browned. Drain and return to pan then add the chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Cook a few more minutes then add the beans and corn and cook until corn is heated, about 5 more minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a springform pan and layer one of the tortillas in the bottom. Spread 1/4 cup of sour cream over the tortillas and about 1/4 cup of the salsa. Add some of the beef mixture and a bit of the cheese then add another tortilla and repeat the process, layering as you go until you've used the tortillas (or run out of pan, take your pick). Then end with a bit more cheese. The tortilla you use for the bottom should be slightly bigger than the bottom of the pan so that it goes very slightly up the sides but the rest of the tortillas should be the same size as the springform pan so if they're too big you can use the pan itself to trace the tortillas then trim them down to size.

Bake for about 30 minutes until browned and tasty then cool for a few minutes before serving like a pie, sliced diagonally.

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