Fall Recipes

These are two of our family fall favorites. One, the tortilla pie, is a great one-dish meal that is super easy and the other one, Greek meatloaf, is a hearty main dish. Both are awesome comfort  foods and perfect for the fall.

Tortilla Pie:

1 (15-oz) can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (10-oz) package of frozen corn kernels, thawed out

1 cup mild or medium tomato salsa 1 (8-oz) can of tomato sauce

6-8 oz of pepper jack cheese, coarsely grated (2 cups)

1/2 cup of fresh cilantro

2 scallions, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

4 (10-inch) flour tortillas (burrito-size)

1 tablespoon of olive oil.

Step One:

Put oven rack in lower third of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees.

Step Two:

Stir together beans, corn, salsa, tomato sauce, cheese, cilantro, scallions and cumin in a large bowl. ( Add meat here if you so desire)

Step Three:

Heat a 12-inch skillet over high heat until smoking. Brush both sides of each flour tortilla with oil and fry, turning over once, until puffed and golden in spots. This takes about 1-2 minutes per side.

Step Four:

Place I tortilla in the bottom of a well-oiled 15 by 10-inch shallow baking pan, then spread with 1 1/3 cups of the filling. Repeat the layering twice, then place the remaining tortilla on top and press to adhere to other layers.

Step Five:

Bake the tortilla pie for 12- 18 minutes, or until the filling is heated through. Transfer the pie to a platter, then cut the pie into wedges and serve with Sour cream or salsa on the side.

For variations:

Use different cheeses-I blended cheddar and pepper jack and that was great.

Use tomatillo salsa for a different flavor.

Add chicken, chorizo or other meat if you so desire. I precooked the chicken and mixed it in with the other ingredients and it was great. My friend also tried it with chicken chorizo (which is precooked) so she added it as another layer.

Greek Meatloaf:

1.25 pounds of  lean ground beef

1/2 cup of feta cheese

3 cloves of fresh garlic-finely diced in a food processor

1 yellow onion-finely diced in a food processor

1/4 cup of Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons of fresh or dried dill

1 large egg

Salt and pepper to taste

Step One:

Diced garlic cloves and onion in the food processor and add ground beef to the processor at end to chop into fine bites and to help mix with garlic and onion.

Step Two:

Remove meat and garlic and onion mixture from the food processor and place in a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix meatloaf with your hands until all ingredients are well combined.

Step Three:

Spray a glass or metal loaf pan with Pam or cooking spray and form the meatloaf into a loaf or spread evenly throughout the loaf pan.

Step Four:

Bake meatloaf at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes or until completely cooked through.

Serve with mashed potatoes, veggies, salad, boiled or roasted potatoes or garlic bread.

YUMMY!