Back to the Routine

Everyone at our house is back to work and school, and most of our other routines are starting up again after the holiday hiatus. Theoretically, that should also mean that I'm back to the routine of blogging on the regular again. I hadn't planned to take a little break, but reading my book always seemed to win out in the evenings.

Our first recipe in the new year turns out to be a near duplicate of a recipe my mom always made growing up. Her's was from the back of a can of Big John's Beans and was called Mexicali Bean Bake. While not identical to our old family favorite, this Crockpot Taco Casserole is pretty close. For some strange reason I did not have any taco seasoning on hand (I don't even know how that happens), so I used this substitute. I doubt it made much difference other than paprika seems to add more underlying heat.

Other than browning the ground beef, this is a simple layer and go recipe. I chose to add the cheese and chip layer (plus a towel to absorb moisture) before we left for piano and it worked fine. It wasn't pretty to behold, so if you have the option to add them closer to the end, I would. This is an abundant dish, and we'll be eating leftovers throughout the week, luckily they are pretty tasty and a little nostalgic.