Crockpot Enchilada Casserole

Ahhhh the crockpot.  Where would I be in this world without it?  At a restaurant, getting a last minute, very expensive (nutritiously and monetarily speaking) meal, that's where!  This is yet another favorite courtesy of Full Bellies Happy Kids, it calls for quite a bit of cayenne (especially for small children). Despite cutting the amount in half, the kids still squawked over the spice. Now if we go out to eat a Tex-Mex place, they could probably drink the salsa from the bowl.  But in my cooking, the more bland the better!  SO, if you don't like spice you may want to cut it out.  Otherwise, I thought half was a perfectly mild amount just to give it a little bite. Since it is a casserole, I would also add some beans and maybe some corn. Incidentally, I should mention that I bought the wrong tortillas for this recipe, and so ended up with half corn and half flour -- it didn't seem to matter. Though, the corn may add a bit more flavor to the mix.  Also, if you'd like to cut out some of the salt, you could try to substitute the taco seasoning mix for your own non-salt concoction of chili powder, paprika and cumin.  You can really make it to your liking, but as a frame of reference, for 1 lb of beef, you can try 1 Tbs chili powder and 1.5 tsp each of the paprika and cumin.  You may need to add a bit of water to the beef to be able to mix it well, especially when using a really lean beef.  Thank you Pastor Ryan and Pioneer Woman for the tip!

1 (14 1/2 ounce) can tomatoes
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 clove garlic, minced fine
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 lb ground beef, browned
1 package taco seasoning mix
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
9 corn tortillas


1. Blend tomatoes with onion and garlic in blender.

2. Pour in medium saucepan.

3. Add pepper, salt and tomato paste.

4. Heat until boiling, then simmer 5 to10 minutes.

5. Place 3 tortillas in bottom of crock pot.

6. Layer on tortillas 1/3 of ground beef, 1/3 tomato sauce and 1/3 Cheddar cheese, then 3 more tortillas.

7. Repeat each layer 2 more times, ending with cheese.

8. Cover and cook on low 5 to 6 hours.

9. (I usually go 5 hours to keep beef from overcooking).