Ingredients 1 cup beef stock - again, I used my much-loved "Better than Boullion" 2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded - instead of both of these chiles (which I could not get) I subbed appx 2 tbsp of chipotle peppers in adobe which I, incidentally, whir by the whole can in my food processor & then keep in a small Ziploc in the freezer & break off pieces the size I need for each recipe 2 poblano chiles 16 corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch strips All natural cooking spray, for spraying tortilla strips Salt 2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil 1 pound Mexican chorizo, casings removed - I used Andouille, seemed an ok substitute 1 pound ground beef One 15-ounce can black beans, drained 1 tablespoon ground coriander 1 tablespoon ground cumin 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 onion, chopped 2 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar or a blend of Monterey Jack, pepper Jack, Cheddar, Chihuahua, asadero or any easy melting cheeses of choice (about 12 ounces)   Avocado Cream: 1 cup sour cream 1 ripe avocado, chopped - I had some guacamole left over from the night before & this was a neat way to use up.  I simply added the sour cream & lime to loosen - was delicious!! 1 lime, juiced Pickled jalapeno slices, for garnish Chopped romaine or iceberg lettuce, for garnish Chopped tomatoes, for garnish Chopped red onions, for garnish Method: For the casserole: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Bring the beef stock to a simmer in a pot; add the ancho chiles and just enough water to cover and cook to reconstitute them. When softened, transfer to a food processor and puree.

Char the poblanos evenly over a flame or under the broiler. Cool in a covered bowl, and then peel, seed, chop and reserve.

Arrange the tortilla strips on baking sheets, spray with cooking spray and season with salt. Bake to deeply golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.

Heat the oil, 2 turns of the pan, in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo and brown, crumbling the meat. Add the beef and continue to brown and crumble the meat. Add in the beans, coriander, cumin, garlic, onions, poblanos and ancho puree (here I put in my adobe chilli & cup of beef stock) and cook together a few minutes to combine the flavors.

Layer half of the tortilla strips in a casserole dish and top with the chorizo and beef mixture. Cool and store for a make-ahead meal (store the remaining tortilla strips in a foil pouch until using), or bake to serve. To bake, top the room-temperature casserole with the remaining tortilla strips and the cheese and bake at 375 degrees until bubbly and hot through, 40 to 45 minutes.  ***VERY IMPORTANT!!! If you are making recipes from an online recipe, it is always beneficial to read the comments from others.  Other readers said that 40-45 mins is way too long.  20 mins is more than adequate..AND…they are right.  My casserole was easily done in 15-20 mins.  Keep a close eye on it*** And when we made the nacho dish, in one layer, last night, they were just a very few mins under the broiler before being ready.  I had some of the meat mixture ready, in the fridge, so I just nuked it a min or two before topping the corn chips.  

For the avocado cream: Whiz up the sour cream, avocado and lime juice in a food processor.

Top the casserole with the pickled jalapenos, lettuce, tomatoes and onions and dollop the avocado cream over top (or pass at table).