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Southwestern Beef Casserole

A casserole of ground beef, refried beans, olives, green chiles, and cheese baked with tortilla chips.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 14 ingredients
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Why it works: Beans and cumin match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,188 recipes. Both carry linalool, which smells floral, citrus. The science ↓

Southwestern Beef Casserole

Oven375°F
Time45 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Make the filling

  1. Cook ground beef until lightly browned.

  2. Add onions and garlic and sauté until onions are limp.

  3. Add green chiles, chili powder, cumin, cilantro and salt and pepper to taste.

  4. Add water and Ro‑Tel tomatoes or stewed tomatoes.

  5. Remove from heat.

Layer and bake

  1. Place 1/3 of the crushed tortilla chips in casserole dish.

  2. Layer 1/3 of the refried beans.

  3. Layer ground beef mixture.

  4. Layer olives and cheese mixture.

  5. Continue layers until all items are used, ending with a layer of cheese.

  6. Bake, uncovered, at 375°F for 45 minutes.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

714Calories
47 gProtein
39 gFat
44 gCarbs

Counts 12 of 14 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 12 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Beef100g cooked250
Tortilla1 medium flour (45g)140
Cheese1 oz (28g) cheddar113
Cheddar Cheese1 oz (28g)113
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Tomato1 medium (123g)22
Chili1 tsp (2.7g)8
Cumin1 tsp ground (2.1g)8
Clove1 tsp ground (2g)7
Olive1 large (4g)4
Garlic1 clove (3g)4
Cilantro1 tbsp chopped fresh (1g)1
Beannot in our table0
Waternot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Beans + cumintop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together1,188 recipes

    Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).

  2. Olive + tomatotop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together15,539 recipes

    Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).

  3. Cheese + cheddar cheesetop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together984 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  4. Beans + tomatotop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together2,713 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  5. Cumin + tomatotop 2% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together3,272 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Ground beef
Provides the meaty bulk and savory base of the casserole.
Refried beans
Adds creamy body and moisture that holds the layers together.
Tortilla chips
Add crunch and absorb moisture, giving the layers some structure.
Monterey jack cheese
Melts into a creamy, gooey layer that binds the casserole.
Cheddar cheese
Melts and browns on top, adding richness and a golden crust.
Ro-tel tomatoes
Contribute acidity and moisture that loosen the filling.

The step that matters

Remove the filling from heat before layering. Layering hot filling onto the chips and beans can soften them too quickly and make the casserole watery, so let the mixture cool slightly before assembling.

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (beef, beans, olive, cheese, cheddar cheese, cumin, tomato):

  1. Capsicumfits better
  2. Potatofits better
  3. Spinachfits about as well
  4. Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against beef, beans, olive, cheese, cheddar cheese, cumin, tomato. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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