Fabulous fajita skillet casserole

All the flavour of this Tex-Mex favourite but none of the mess!

I love fajitas but I don’t love how messy they can be to eat. This dish packs all the fabulous flavour of fajitas into a delicious, easy to prepare casserole. You can make it in one large dish, or single-serving size if you prefer. My family decided they like this even better than regular fajitas and I’m inclined to agree. You can swap in chicken strips for the steak for equally delicious results. While icy cold cerveza (beer) would be one possible beverage option, I served this dish with the extremely food-friendly Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon and it was a perfect pairing.

Ingredients

• 4 seven inch flour tortillas
• 1 – 2 tablespoons (15 – 30 mL) olive oil (flavoured oil like roasted garlic is great)
• 2 teaspoons (10 mL) garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons (10 mL) chili powder (or a bit more if you like things spicy)
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) each salt and pepper
• 1 pound (454 grams) sirloin steak, thinly sliced into 1” pieces
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) olive oil
• 1 cup (250 mL) mild-flavoured beer (or water)
• 2 red or green bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced into 1” strips
• 1 large Spanish or red onion, thinly slicedinto 1” strips
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup (250 mL) grated Tex-Mex or cheddar cheese
• 1 lime, halved
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) chopped cilantro or flat-leaf parsley
• sour cream, to garnish
• salsa, to garnish

Method

• Preheat oven to 400F. Lightly brush tortillas on both sides with olive oil then cut into one inch strips; cut the strips into one inch pieces. Place the pieces in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking tray and cook in preheated oven till golden brown, about 6 – 8 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside; keep oven on to cook fajita casseroles.
• In a small bowl, combine the garlic powder, cumin, cinnamon, chili powder, oregano, salt and pepper.
• Heat a large oven-safe skillet (cast iron is ideal for this) over medium-high heat and add oil. Add the meat to the pan and sprinkle seasonings over top – toss well to coat evenly. Sear meat, stirring often, until cooked (about 3 – 4 minutes for beef; 5 – 6 minutes for chicken). Add the sliced onions, peppers and minced garlic to the pan and toss to combine. Add the beer and cook uncovered, stirring often, for 2 – 3 minutes.
• Transfer meat and vegetables to a large bowl along with 1/4 cup (60 mL) of the liquid in the pan. Add crispy tortilla chips and toss to combine then transfer back to the skillet (drain off any liquid remaining in skillet before you do this) or divide among four smaller oven-safe dishes. Top with grated cheese and return to hot oven until cheese is melted and casserole is hot.
• Garnish with a squeeze of lime juice, chopped herbs, sour cream and salsa.

Serves 4.