Kitchen Adventures 12.3

Sometimes the name of a recipe can really turn you on or off of a recipe. Names can have connotations that give you a a preconceived idea of how a recipe will taste. To me, the word "haystacks" does not sound appealing. I am not a cow or horse, after all. But, just like many other things, once you look beyond the name your ideas about that thing may change. That is exactly what happened to me with this recipe. I had looked at it for several years, trying to decide if I would ever make it. Finally, I decided to look at the ingredients and discovered that it really just looked like a Frito chili pie recipe. Since I love that, I figured this would be good, too. And I was right!

This recipe came from my ever-dependable Triple T youth group cookbook. This recipe was actually submitted by my old high school trig teacher's wife. They are such good people that I figured it must be worth trying.

Mexican Haystacks

Ingredients:

2 lb. hamburger, browned
1 (16 oz.) can pinto beans, drained
3/4 (6 oz.) c. tomato paste
1 tsp. salt
1 (32 oz.) can tomatoes (I substitutes 1 can tomato sauce and 2 cans of water since I'm not a big tomato fan)
2 T. chili powder
1 package corn chips
1/2 head lettuce, shredded
6 oz. grated cheese (or as much as you like!)

Directions:

Season your hamburger with a little taco seasoning and chili powder while browning, then drain. Add the beans, tomato paste, tomatoes (or tomato sauce), chili powder, and salt to browned and drained hamburger. Cook over low heat for 10-15 minutes. When serving, place a handful of corn chips in a bowl, then pour the meat mixture over the chips. Top with lettuce and cheese.
*You might substitute crisped tortilla strips instead of chips.