Here's a fiesta food for a crowd that feeds an army and can be made entirely ahead of time. It's essentially a lasagna recipe gone Tex-Mex. Tortillas stand in for pasta and the sauce is a combination of salsa, tomatoes and creamy refried beans. If you stick with lard-free refried beans (i.e. don't use the authentic ones) this is a vegetarian recipe. It's so hearty and satisfying, however, we can assure you that (almost) no one will miss the meat.
You can make the saucy layer 2-3 days ahead of your meal if desired. Tomato based sauces just improve with an extra day or two for the flavors to marry. You can make the creamy layer ahead, as well, but it's not difficult to quickly mix up on the day of your dinner. Assembly is simple, but give yourself plenty of time due to the volume of the dish. The cooking times below are for a conventional oven; you can assume that a commercial convection will get it done in about half the time.
This is truly a "one-pot" meal so we just serve a simple salad on the side. We do recommend starting off with a chip and salsa starter, however, and a simple dessert (fresh citrus, perhaps) to round out the meal.
Enjoy!
Black Bean Tortilla Casserole
Serves 36 (Makes two full-size hotel pans with 18 slices each)
Saucy Layer:
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 6 medium yellow onions (about 3 lbs), cut into small dice
- 6 large green bell peppers (about 3 lbs), cut into small dice
- 8 medium poblano peppers (about 2 lbs, optional)
- 1/4 cup chopped garlic (about 8 cloves) or 1 TBS dried chopped garlic
- 1/4 cup ground cumin
- 100 oz canned black beans (2 x 50 oz cans), drained of liquid
- 84 oz your favorite jarred salsa (we used a roasted tomato salsa from Costco with good results)
- #10 can Italian plum tomatoes, crushed by hand with their juice (about 100 oz)
- sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 120 oz refried black beans (or 4 x 28 oz cans)
- 2 quarts buttermilk
- 3 lbs ricotta or cottage cheese
- 3 lbs low fat cream cheese at room temperature
- 3/4 cup taco seasoning
- 3 bunches fresh cilantro (about 12 oz), stems trimmed and leaves finely chopped
Tortilla Layer:
- 4 lbs fresh corn tortillas
- 3 lbs shredded Monterey Jack, queso chihuahua or other Mexican cheese blend
- 3 bunches scallions (about 4 cups) trimmed of top and bottom ends and thinly chopped
- 2 TBS olive oil and basting brush for oiling the pans
To prepare casserole:
In a 12 qt, heavy-bottomed stock pot, warm olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and green pepper and saute until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 15 minutes. Add garlic and cumin and saute until fragrant, about one minute. Add black beans, tomatoes, and salsa and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover the pot with a lid and simmer gently while you prepare the remainder of ingredients.
In the bowl of a commercial mixer, or in a full size hotel pan, combine refried beans, buttermilk, cottage cheese, cream cheese and taco seasoning and mix well to combine. After mixing, gently stir in chopped cilantro. If you're mixing by hand, soften the cream cheese in a microwave before mixing with other ingredients. (If you don't have a commercial mixer, a hand-held mixer will make this job much easier.)
Lightly oil the bottom and sides of two full-size, extra deep hotel pans. Arrange a layer of tortillas across the bottom and up the sides of each pan, overlapping for full coverage. If you're using traditional (4-5" round) corn tortillas, about 12 tortillas will give full coverage. Spoon one quarter of the saucy mixture over the tortillas in each pan and follow with one quarter of the creamy mixture. Scatter a one cup of scallions in each pan atop the mixtures. Arrange a second layer of tortillas in the same manner, again overlapping for full coverage. Repeat a second saucy layer followed by a second creamy layer in each pan. Top the pans with the remaining tortillas, gently pressing the tortillas down into the pan so the edges don't burn. Divide the grated cheese evenly between the two pans, fully covering the tortillas. Scatter a final cup of scallions on top of the cheese.
To bake casserole:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Bake each casserole covered for 45-50 minutes. Remove covers and bake for an additional 15 minutes until cheese has lightly browned. Cover casseroles to keep warm and allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving. Each pan should yield 18 slices.
Green Salad with Chipotle-Ranch Dressing
Serves 36
- 1 lb frozen sweet corn kernels
- 9 hearts of romaine, (about X lbs) chopped into very thin strips
- 1 large red onion, very thinly sliced
- 1 lb queso fresco, crumbled
- 16 oz buttermilk ranch dressing
- 3 TBS taco seasoning
- sea salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Spread frozen sweet corn kernels in a single layer over several sheet pans (or one commercially sized sheet pan). Roast for 10-15 minutes until lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
In a small bowl, combine dressing with taco seasoning and set aside in the refrigerator.
Wash and drain hearts of romaine. Cut hearts against the direction of the leaves into very thin (1/2") strips and add to a very large serving bowl or hotel pan. Halve the red onion and slice into paper thin strips. Crumble the queso fresco into small pieces. Toss the romaine, onion, corn and queso fresco to combine and keep chilled until just before serving.
When ready to serve, toss salad with dressing and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
