Kari's Quesadilla Casserole

I'm taking a quick break from posting about vacation to give you a delicious recipe.  Honestly, I'm still drooling so I thought it was only fair to share.

A little background - Kari, one of my close friends, the one that just got married (you can read about her wedding here and here), and I have Movie Wednesdays.  Every Wednesday we take turns cooking dinner, watching a chick flick that our husbands refuse to sit through with us, and drink about a bottle of white wine.  It's really a very good time.  Especially toward the end of the bottle.

One thing that you probably didn't know about my friend Kari is that she is a Veggie (a vegetarian to those of you who don't speak Kat).  Me?  I'm not even close!  When I think of Veggies, I think salads.  Well, Kari, being the unique self that she is, doesn't eat salads.  And she's a Veggie.  What the?!  Honestly, the first night I didn't know what to do with myself.  I wasn't sure there were meals that excluded meat!  It's been a rather awakening learning experience; one where I've learned to love love love Veggie food.

The first few nights I turned to Pioneer Woman and made Farfalle with Zucchini and Spaghetti with Artichoke Hearts and Tomatoes.  And then I died.  In fact, Jon and Kari died too (Jon gets a piece of our meal if he is home when I host; but he's banned to the basement).  I might need a moment to think back, wipe off the drool, and re-compose myself again.

Okay.  Back to Kari.  Kari made some totally amazing dishes too!  In fact, before our Wednesday Movie nights, I'd never eat beans.  Kari made me fall in love with beans in this delicious Quesadilla Casserole.The best part? It's so simple! And cheap!

You start with some tortillas (I like to eat healthy, so I choose whole wheat)

I got these on sale at Stop & Shop.

Then you throw in some cheese

This was on sale at Stop & Shop too.  I love Stop & Shop.

Then your choice of beans

I just found out that I like Kidney Beans. Yum!

Some Corn

Again, I choose the healthier route with no salt.

Some salsa

This is where you get to choose your spice level.  I went with medium.

And, if you're like me and have a love affair with Sour Cream and Avocados, you'll want some of those too.

Turn on the oven to about 350 degrees.  Then I grab a glass pie plate, spray it with some cooking spray for easy removal, then layer one of the tortillas at the bottom.  Throw on a handful of cheese, followed by half the can of bean and half the can of corn.  Then another tortilla, more cheese, rest of beans, and the rest of corn. Another tortilla and top with some cheese.  You can put the salsa right on here before cooking, but I love having the cold salsa with some avocados layered on top of the hot casserole while it's still cold.  Salsa or not, throw it in the oven for about 20-25 minutes to warm up the content.

While it's cooking, I cut up an avocado and add it to about half of the jar of salsa.

I love avocados.  Some days I eat them with a spoon.  I'm not joking.

The mushier, the better.  Then I just mix them in.  Then I eat it with a fork while Jon's not looking.

Then I peak at the casserole in the stove.  And wipe the drool.

Ding!

20 minutes later I pull out the casserole, layer it with my salsa and avocado and Voala

 Yum!  You can cut it up into smaller pieces, but I just cut it into 4 because Jon and I always go back for seconds.

I love this pile of goo.

And then if you're me and have a love affair with sour cream, you put a small dollop

Err...or half of the container on your plate.

Then dig in.