Gluten-Free Mexican Casserole #Recipe by @LibbyKlein

Libby Klein Years ago, I had a moment of what I considered genius and created a Mexican Casserole to mash up the ideas of a Seven Layer Dip and Lasagna. I probably sound ridiculous now, because most people have heard about Mexican Casserole, and have probably seen it in the frozen foods section of their grocery store. But trust me when I say that thirty years ago I had never seen it before. My family was revolutionized! This quickly became one of our favorite meals and an easy go-to for entertaining. Keep the lasagna idea in mind when we go through the directions. While this recipe is genuinely gluten-free, it was always gluten-free. I haven't changed anything to convert it.

Disclaimer - Read all your labels to make sure your ingredients are gluten-free. Some corn tortillas have flour in them.

Mexican Casserole

Serves: 12 usually

 

INGREDIENTS

1 large jar mild salsa

1 large package gluten-free corn tortillas, at least 18

1 can refried beans

1 lb hamburger

1 package taco seasoning – I prefer Frontera over a powdered blend

4 ½ cups shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese, divided

3 cups cooked rice

1 teaspoon salt for the rice

¼ cup lime juice for the rice

1 Bunch of cilantro, chopped for the rice

2 cans creamed corn

 

Sour cream

Scallions, chopped

Chopped jalapenos or chiles - optional

 

 

 

DIRECTIONS

Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).  Brown and drain your ground beef. Add taco seasoning. Set aside.

Make your rice according to package directions to get a total of 3 cups cooked. That should be 1 cup dry rice because rice triples in volume. Add salt, lime juice, and chopped cilantro. Set Aside

Build your layers:

Cover the bottom of your casserole dish with about 1/3 of the salsa.

Top with 6 corn tortillas. (The photo shows more but I was making a huge pan for an event.)

Spread the tops of the tortillas with refried beans.

Now add your taco meat.

Add 1 ½ cups shredded cheese.

Top with 6 more tortillas.

Cover the tops of the tortillas with 1/3 of the salsa.

Top with your rice.

Then the creamed corn.

My layers are clearly out of order. I had a lot going on today. Pretend the corn is going on top of the rice. If you mess up the order no one will know anyway. I'm not going to judge you.

Top with the last 6 tortillas.

Cover the tops of the tortillas with the remaining 1/3 of the salsa.

Top with the last 1 ½ cups shredded cheese.

Try not to notice this is a different pan. I doubled the recipe and forgot to double the casserole size. Mistakes were made, the original casserole was dumped into my roasting pan, I don't want to talk about it.

Cover the casserole with a buttered piece of aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes.

 

Serve with Sour Cream (which you'll have to imagine in the photo) and chopped scallions, jalapenos, or chiles. Or all three if you’re adventurous and have stock in Tums.

 

Note: I'm at Left Coast Crime today, but I'll respond to comments as soon as I can. If you're at the convention with me, come say hello and let me know you read the blog! 

 

B&B owner and gluten-free baker Poppy McAllister, along with her saucy Aunt Ginny, is on the case at the annual Cold Spring Village antique show in Libby Klein’s seventh deliciously witty, paleo-themed Poppy McAllister Mystery.
 

When vintage items go up for auction, gluten-free baker and B&B owner Poppy McAllister discovers some people will pay the ultimate price...
 
It’s peak summer season at the Butterfly House Bed and Breakfast in Cape May, with tourists fluttering in and out and wreaking enough havoc to rival a Jersey Shore hurricane. Also back in town is Courtney Whipple and his family of antique dealers for the annual Cold Spring Village antique show. Courtney’s son Auggie has a unique piece he believes will fetch them a fortune if he can get it authenticated in time—a piece rival dealer Grover Prickle insists was stolen from his store.
 
Poppy and her Aunt Ginny attend the auction, hoping to bid on an armoire for the B&B, and discover a veritable armory for sale—everything from ancient blades and nineteenth century guns to such potential killing devices as knitting needles and a blacksmith hammer. Strangely, they don’t see either Auggie or Grover—or the mysterious item they both claim to own. Then during the auction, a body falls out of the very armoire Poppy was hoping to acquire, stabbed through the heart. Now, surrounded by competitive dealers and makeshift weapons, she must find out who turned the auction house into a slaughterhouse…
 

Libby Klein grew up in Cape May, NJ where she attended high school in the '80s. Her

classes revolved mostly around the Culinary sciences and Drama, with one brilliant semester in Poly-Sci that may have been an accident. She loves to drink coffee, bake gluten-free goodies, collect fluffy cats, and translate sarcasm for people who are too serious. She writes from her Northern Virginia office where she serves a very naughty black smoke Persian named Sir Figaro Newton. You can keep up with her shenanigans by signing up for her Mischief and Mayhem Newsletter on her website. www.LibbyKleinBooks.com/Newsletter/

Crunchy Buttermilk and Almond Chicken #air-fryer #gluten-free

By MARY JANE MAFFINI

 

Santa came early to me this year and brought something to be thankful for!  Okay, Santa might actually look a lot like me but, never mind, at the heart of the story is a new gadget that is a big hit here.  An air fryer!   We had sworn off getting new gadgets because they often have ‘big feet’ and create storage issues, but we finally caved in and got one.  We are totally hooked.  The ‘set-it-and-forget-it’ nature of the air fryer makes it ideal for two distracted people who otherwise could set the house on fire.  Plus, there are so many recipes for this gadget, which is really just a form of convection oven with great results.  

 

We’ve tried something different in it every day but decided to share this recipe with you because it is delish, fast and easy plus low-carb and gluten-free if you pick the right sides for it. .We served it with orzo and peas but we will go low-carb next time.  And there will definitely be a next time.

This recipe was adapted from Taste of Home Everyday Air Fryer.

Crunchy  Buttermilk and Almond Chicken

Ingredients

1 large egg

¼ cup buttermilk

1 ½ tsp garlic salt

½ tsp pepper

½ tsp paprika (we used Penzey’s half-sharp – nice and spicy)  or ¼ tsp cayenne

1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup slivered almonds, finely chopped *

4 chicken cutlets – the original recipe called for 2 chicken breasts but the cutlets cook faster

 

Directions

Preheat air fryer to 350.

In the meantime, whisk the egg, buttermilk, garlic salt, paprika, Parmesan and pepper in a shallow dish.  

Chop the almonds and place in a second shallow dish.   

Dip the chicken pieces into the egg mixture and then into the almonds.  

 You may have to press some almonds on.  * We will use 1 ¼ cup of almonds the next time.  Some recipes call for ground almonds but we liked the crunchiness 

Spritz the heated pan with cooking spray or oil.  Add chicken in one layer.  

 Cook for about 12 minutes (you will need to make sure the chicken is cooked through).

 

 

Serve with your favorite side and if you have a sauce or jelly that you like  why not? I used Ranch Dressing as recommended.   So how about you: do you have a quick meal or a gadget that saves dinner for you? Let’s hear it!

 

 Hope you enjoy it!

Mary Jane Maffini is the award-winning author of three and a half mystery series: the Camilla Maffini mysteries, the Fiona Silk capers and the Charlotte Adams organizer mysteries – number six coming soon! With her daughter Victoria Maffini, MJ collaborated on The Book Collector Mysteries as Victoria Abbott. Victoria Abbott spent several happy years on Mystery Lovers Kitchen. MJ  is very glad to be back and Victoria is waving at you all!

The first five Charlotte Adams are being reissued by Beyond the Page Publishing. Recipes have been added and of course, the organizing tips continue! The Charlotte Adams books have recently been optioned for television films.  The pooches on the covers look a lot like guest posters Penny and Ivy.

Organize Your Corpses was re-released as an e-book and a trade paper on May 18. There's a great deal for the e-book.   You can order it HERE!

The Cluttered Corpse was reissued on June 15th and Death Loves a Messy Desk arrived on July 13th. 

Closet Confidential was out in August.

AVAILABLE NOW!

THE BOOK COLLECTOR MYSTERIES BY VICTORIA ABBOTT aka MJ and Victoria Maffini

Jordan Bingham has a tough time: she's the first person in her large family to go straight. She has learned some useful skills from her crooked relatives but she's trying to hang on to a legit job working for a curmudgeonly book collector. But of course, the bodies keep piling up.  There's lots of fun in the book collector series from Victoria Abbott.

Don't forget to check out MJ's Canadian books:  Camilla MacPhee features a fortyish widowed lawyer who runs an advocacy agency for victims of violent crime, in Ottawa, Canada's capital city. Life would be easier if she didn't have the world's worst office assistant, the world's bossiest sisters and, arguably, the world's greatest stubborn streak. If you like your mysteries a bit edgy with a side order of humor, these could be for you.  

Keep up on the news!  You can sign up for updates about MJ and Victoria plus fun and prizes through our newsletter HERE 

Tangy sesame chicken thighs

Those of you who remember my error in buying the super-giant size bottle of Sriracha Sauce (for the recipe that called for 1 teaspoon) may not be surprised to discover that I recently bought enough sesame seeds to fill two large mason jars and then promptly forgot what they were intended for.  

EXHIBIT A

 Sesame seeds do not keep forever and we don’t use them often.  I’m not sure why that is because sesame seeds are delicious and add an easy touch to many dishes.  This week we have added them to our favorite salmon recipe and now are adapting that marinade to chicken thighs.  I toyed with adding a bit of Sriracha sauce to the ingredients, but decided to give you a break.

You eagle-eyed readers will note that there are only six chicken thighs in the photos and the recipe calls for eight.  Eight would have been perfect!  We loved this chicken and plan on having it often!

Sesame Chicken Thighs 

Ingredients:

1/2 inch fresh ginger, grated or minced

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

4 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (if you use thighs with bone and/or skin, you will need to cook longer)  

1 teaspoon dark sesame oil

¼ cup toasted sesame seeds – or enough to coat chicken pieces

2 thinly sliced green onions, green part only

   Directions:

      Preheat the oven to 400°F.

     While it’s preheating, toast the sesame seeds on a pan until browned. They burn quickly.
      6 – 8    minutes should do it. Remove when toasted.

Slice green onions.

Place the chicken in an oven safe baking dish. You can line it with foil.  We forgot.

Mix the ginger, garlic, soy sauce, maple syrup, cider vinegar and sesame oil in a small dish.  Pour over chicken.  Marinate as long as you can in the fridge, up to overnight. 

 If you can’t marinate, it will still be pretty good.  You can take it this far by marinating in a zippered bags and transferring to baking dish later. 

Bake for about twenty minutes. Use meat thermometer to make sure they’re cooked. Remove and let rest. Top with toasted sesame seeds.  Add green onions just before serving.

 This is good with crisp salad, rice and tomatoes.  Enjoy!

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We love your suggestions and comments. Come on by and tell us what you would add or subtract or substitute in this recipe. Not everyone loves every ingredient!

In case you don't know, Victoria Abbott is a collaboration between  me, Mary Jane Maffini, and my daughter Victoria. Together we write the book collector mysteries.   We think that reading them is like taking a lovely trip to a mysterious place where books are everything and, yes, murder happens and great meals are served and some relatives are not to be trusted. Of course, justice prevails in the end and books are loved.

 

The book collector mysteries are fun, easy to read and surprising too. All five titles are available in print, e-book and audio format. Don't miss out.  You can get to meet Peachy (posing below) aka Walter the Pug.  Watch out for the Siamese cats - one is good and one will get you!