Cheap Eats

I spent altogether too much time in graduate school. Now that I am gainfully employed, I still keep to a daily budget that is very similar to what it was in grad school, but I spend extra on having a nice place to live, subscribing to cable, and furnishings and the occasional clothing item that I would not have been able to splurge on in grad school.

I still eat very cheaply. I'm now volunteering at the local food pantry, and looking around at their stocks of food reminded me of all kinds of things I've made to eat. I never eat Ramen; I eat a variety of cheap food that offers a greater variety of tastes. The food pantry keeps a book of recipes, and I submitted four of mine to them. Here's one I made up a couple years ago.

Refried Bean Casserole

Ingredients:
leftover tortilla chips
1 small onion
2 cloves of garlic
either: one can of Ro-Tel tomatoes, drained a little
or: small can of mild green chilies, drained, with 1 can of diced tomatoes, drained a little
or: one fresh jalapeno, with 1 can of diced tomatoes, drained a little
1 can of refried beans
grated cheese (Mexican "queso" or Jack cheese is good)
salsa, green or red

Directions:
1. Oil a large casserole dish.
2. Pour the tortilla chips into a big bowl and pick out the unbroken ones. Take the broken ones and crumble them into the casserole dish to line the bottom.
3. Saute the onion in oil for about 5 minutes, then add the garlic and jalapeno if using them. Saute until the onion is soft. Then turn the heat off and stir in the canned ingredients: chiles if used, tomatoes, and refried beans. Stir well. Pour this mixture into the casserole dish and spread it around evenly. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
4. Take the reserved whole tortilla chips and arrange them around the edges of the casserole so they form a ridge. Form a decorative pattern in the center using some of the chips.
5. Cover the surface of the casserole with as much cheese as you want. Drizzle salsa on top in a zigzag pattern. Bake until the cheese browns slightly.