Taco Corn Bread Casserole

The other day when visiting Debbi’s blog, she had posted this recipe and I knew I would be trying it soon.  I love corn bread and Mexican food also but combining the two ~ heavenly!

So, this was dinner last night and it was delicious!  Bill and I both fell for it and I will definitely be making it again.  Debbi made it with ground turkey.  I am not much of a fan of turkey, except at Thanksgiving time; therefore, I cooked this great recipe up with lean ground beef.  Then before serving, I dusted it with chili powder. 

This is seriously good as Debbi says and easy too!  Give it a try! 

On its way into the oven

Here’s Debbi’s recipe:

Taco Corn Bread Casserole

Ingredients:

1 package (8 1/2 oz) corn bread/muffin mix
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
3 cups cooked taco seasoned ground beef, or meat of your choice
1 can black beans
1 cup (8 oz) sour cream, light
1 cup colby jack, cheddar or mexican cheese, shredded and divided
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 can sliced olives (optional, I didn't use)
 
Method:
 
In a large bowl, combine the corn bread, egg and milk until blended.  Spread into an 8 x 8 pan sprayed with cooking spray.  Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.  Combine taco meat and beans, spread over corn bread.  Combine sour cream, 3/4 cup cheese and onion.  Spread over meat mixture.  Bake for 20 - 25 minutes longer or until heated through and cheese is melted.  Sprinkle with tomato, lettuce and remaining 1/4 cup of cheese. 

ENJOY!!!    

Thanks for the recipe, Debbi!

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog, at My Kind of Cooking for her great cookbook giveaway.

Iceberg Wedge with Roquefort Dressing

My parents were huge fans of Roquefort dressing so I grew up enjoying it from a very young age and it’s my absolute favorite salad dressing.

Is it Roquefort cheese or blue cheese?  It can not be called Roquefort cheese dressing unless Roquefort, France is the provenance of the cheese you use; it is not to be confused with blue cheese. 

Roquefort is a blue cheese which is a general term for cheeses which have been inoculated with Penicillum mold cultures, forming dark streaks or veins of blue-green mold.  There are many varieties of blue cheese with the famous ones being Roquefort, Gorgonzola and Stilton ~ most of them having a unique pungent aroma and a tangy strong taste. 

Roquefort is known as the king of cheeses and is named after the village of Roquefort in Averyon, in the south of France.   It has quite a legend with its discovery:  A young man was eating his lunch of bread and ewe’s milk when he noticed a beautiful girl in the distance.  Leaving his meal in a nearby cave, he ran off to meet her.  Upon returning a few months later, mold had changed his plain cheese into the veined cheese. 

In bygone days, the cheese was left to develop its flavor in the mold-filled soil in the caves for 6 to 8 weeks until it had absorbed the mold.  Nowadays, for greater consistency, the mold is produced in labs.  And we owe this fabulous cheese to the boy who was enraptured with the beautiful girl in Averyon!

Now for the tangy sharp dressing:

Iceberg Wedge with Roquefort Dressing

Ingredients:

¼ cup lemon juice

¾ cup extra virgin olive oil

¾ pound Roquefort cheese, at room temperature

6 tablespoons buttermilk

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1-3 garlic cloves, minced

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Method:

In medium mixing bowl, stir together lemon juice and olive oil.

Use a wooden spoon to mix in the cheese until it is of a lumpy, thick texture.

Blend in buttermilk, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt and pepper quickly so as to leave it lumpy.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve on a wedge of iceberg lettuce.

Top with more freshly ground pepper, if desired; I do!

Enjoy!!!