Taco casserole

Some of you may recall my 'build your own Italian sandwich bar' post from a few months ago. This is the opposite. This is 'I can't be bothered to lay out the taco fixings in little individual bowls so it's all going in a single casserole' post. Bonus: it can be made ahead and cooked at the last minute. This recipe serves 4-6.

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To prepare, finely dice one onion and one clove garlic. Add 2T oil to a heavy-bottomed casserole pot and cook the onion and garlic over medium-high heat, stirring regularly. Add 1 pound of lean ground beef and cook until no longer pink. At this point, you can add whatever vegetables or beans you have on hand - I used 1/2 can black beans, 3 finely diced red peppers and 1 cup corn. Add 1 jar of medium-hot salsa and stir well to combine. Cover the top with crushed tostadas and grated cheese (I used a combination of mozzarella and cheddar but Manchego would be nice). Top with pickled jalapeño slices. Bake the casserole without a lid at 350°F for about 25 minutes. You can broil for a minute or two at the end. 

Serve with shredded iceberg lettuce and a squeeze of lime.