Cowboy Up!

Well, it must be the weekend for Cowboys. I keep thinking about cowboys today. The OSU Cowboys beat KU. I recalled that my first pair of shoes as a child was a pair of cowboy boots--okay, okay, I am not sure if I remembered that or if my mom told me at some point. As I was watching the Superbowl, I thought of my early experiences with football--my dad's team was the Dallas Cowboys, and we always watched the Cowboys play. Lastly, as I was looking for a dinner idea for Superbowl Sunday, I found an idea for a certain casserole that I am now calling Cowboy Casserole because it reminds me of something I would eat as a child in Oklahoma. It is tex-mex inspired but not too spicy.

Cowboy Casserole

Ingredients:
Tortilla Chips
1 can refried beans
1 lb. hamburger
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 can Ro-tel
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
2 cups grated cheese, I used a combination of Cheddar and Monterrey Jack

Preparation:
Brown hamburger and then add spices with 1/4 cup water. Mix in Ro-tel and soup. Set aside. 

Spray 9x13 casserole dish with nonstick spray. Crush some tortilla chips (just enough to cover bottom of dish) and then top with refried beans right out of the can. Just place little dollops of beans all over the chips. Pour meat mixture over beans. Top with crushed chips. Smother the top with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Top with salsa or sour cream if desired. You can also add fresh tomatoes and lettuce if you like.