The Soup Diva

This recipe was born from the desperation of needing a dish for a potluck supper and not wanting to go to the store on a Sunday afternoon. Into the pantry I went, and ta-da — casserole! I’ve changed a couple of ingredients from that original to make it even better, but thee first incarnation was still pretty tasty. This is kid-friendly and (if you do it right) not at all healthy.

• 1 large bag any flavor Doritos (I prefer Nacho Cheese)
• about 1 lb boneless chicken breasts OR 1 lb ground beef
• 16 oz jar salsa or picante sauce (or 2 cups homemade)
• 1 can Mexican or plain sweet corn, drained
• 12 oz shredded or crumbled cheese (queso fresco or Mexican blend)

Cook chicken in salsa until done (on stove top or in crock pot) OR brown ground beef, drain, and stir in salsa. Squeeze Dorito bag a few times to lightly crush chips; pour half of chips in 13 x 9 x 2 dish that has been sprayed. Spoon half of meat/salsa mixture over chips, then half of corn, and top with half of cheese. Repeat. Cover with foil and bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes; uncover and bake until golden and bubbly.

This recipe is very forgiving and adaptable. Want more chips? More meat? Less cheese? Prefer beans to corn? Want it spicier? Change the amounts and ingredients to suit your tastes. [And you can, of course, use plain tortilla chips if you prefer. But why would you want to do that?]