Dos de Mayo

Philip is having his wisdom teeth out on Cinco de Mayo, so we had our Cinco de Mayo meal on the 2nd. To be honest...this isn't a holiday we celebrate...we just like Mexican food. This casserole is one of my favorites and it is pretty quick throw together.

Mexican Casserole
(Source: Sweet, Savory, Southern)

1 lb lean ground turkey
1/2 an onion, diced
1/2 cup corn kernels (canned or frozen)
1 bag Minute rice (The boil-in-a-bag kind)
1 packet taco seasoning
10 oz can diced tomatoes with chillies
14 oz can enchilada sauce
shredded Mexican cheese
6-8" tortillas

My Changes:

• I added half a can of black beans.
• I cannot find a 14 oz can of enchilada sauce so I bought 20 oz and used *almost* all of it.

Preheat oven to 375. Begin by sauteing the onion in a little olive oil until it begins to soften, about 4-5 minutes. Add the ground meat to the pan. While the meat is browning, cook the rice according to the package directions and set aside. Once the meat is browned, drain any fat or liquid from the pan. Add the corn kernals, taco seasoning and 3/4 cup water. Stir to combine. Add the rice and stir. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Add 1/2 the can of enchilada sauce to the bottom of the pan. Next, make a layer with two tortillas. They should overlap a little. Add a layer of the meat mixture and then 1/2 the can of diced tomatoes with chilies. Add a thin layer of shredded cheese. Add two more tortillas and repeat the layers, ending with a layer of tortillas. Top with the additional enchilada sauce and cheese. Cover the pan with foil and bake for about 25 minutes. Remove the foil and allow to cook an additional 5-10 minutes. Let sit 5-10 minutes before serving.

I also wanted to make a desert to go with this dinner. This dessert was so quick to make and it tasted wonderful. Philip thinks this might be the best dessert I have made. I think it is definitely in the top 10. I apologize, the picture does not do it justice.

Sopapilla Cheesecake
(Source: Allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 (8 ounce) packages refrigerated crescent rolls (I used 2 packages of Pillsbury Recipe Creations.)
1/2 cup melted butter (I would use 1/4 cup next time.)
1/2 cup white sugar (I think this could be cut back to a 1/4 cup as well.)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (This could be cut back to 1/2 tsp.)

Directions:
1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Beat the cream cheese with 1 cup of sugar and the vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth; set aside.
3. Unroll the cans of crescent roll dough and use a rolling pin to shape each sheet into 9x13 inch rectangles. Press one sheet into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Evenly spread the cream cheese mixture into the baking dish, then cover with the remaining piece of crescent dough and brush with melted butter. Stir together 1/2 cup of sugar with the cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle evenly over the top of the cheesecake.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until the crescent dough has puffed and turned golden brown, about 30 minutes. Allow to cool 10 minutes before serving.