World Recipe Mexican Casserole

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

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

2. Beans + corntop 3% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together1,211 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2,3-pentanedione (butter, sweet).

3. Beef + chickentop 4% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together2,148 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2-furfurylthiol (coffee, roasted).

4. Tomato + corntop 6% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together2,099 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).

5. Beef + oniontop 7% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together17,092 recipes

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

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

What each ingredient does

Ground beef

Provides the main savory body and protein of the casserole filling.

Monterey jack cheese

Melts into a stretchy layer that binds the casserole and adds richness.

Corn tortillas

Soften during baking and form the layered structure that holds the filling.

Cream of chicken soup

Adds moisture and a creamy sauce that keeps the layers from drying out.

Pinto beans

Add body and texture to the filling, bulking out the meat.

Cheddar cheese

Melts over the top to brown lightly and add sharp flavor.

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (beef, beans, tomato, cream, chicken, corn, cheese):

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

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