Chorizo Egg Bake: Michi-Mex #2

I went to a church brunch and one of the girls (thanks Jane!!!) had brought this amazing Chorizo Egg Bake.  I was in love.  Unfortunately, Chorizo (spicy pork sausage) is crazy high in calories and fat.  That is what makes it so good.  So, I searched in the internet high and low for Chorizo recipes, and modified one to use with lean ground beef. You can make this recipe with real Chorizo if you would like, it is easier that way, but if low calorie is what you are looking for, try it my way.  Also, this is a great recipe to make when you make the wet burritos...as you can use half the veggies for each recipe.

Homemade Chorizo

I mixed together 1 t oregano, 1/2 t black pepper, 1/2 t salt, 2 t cumin, 1/8 t clove, 1 t paprika, 1 clove garlic, 3 T white vinegar, 3 T water, and 1 1/2 T ground red pepper (This makes it VERY spicy. I might recommend going 1/2 T or 1 T for a milder meat)

Add 3/4 lb lean ground beef.  Cover.  Let rest in fridge over night or longer. 

Egg Bake Recipe (Serves 6.  When low fat options are used, it should be about 230 calories a slice, 9.3 grams of fat, and 2 grams of fiber)

Ingredients:
3/4 lb Chorizo, crumbled
3 poblamo peppers
1/2 vidalia onion
1/2 each red, orange, green bell peppers
3 corn tortillas
1 c egg substitute
1 c Fat Free milk
1/4 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
1 bunch green onion
1 cup 2% shredded Mexican blend cheese
2 deli slices light pepperjack
Sour cream (I use fat free) and Salsa to top
A shredded lettuce bed, if you please.

Roast off poblano peppers. Place in paper bag approximately 10 minutes.  Peal off skin.  Place in bottom of a pie pan.

Cook off vidalia onion, bell peppers, and I sneak the white part of the green onion in there. (Save the tips of the green onion for later.)  Add the Chorizo and brown. 

Slice up the green onions.  Add all but a handful to the shredded Mexican blend cheese, salt and pepper.  Toss to combine.

Begin the layering.  1/3 of the meat mixture, then:

Slice up 1 corn tortilla into tons of tiny triangles.  Layer this over the meat mixture.

Sprinkle on 1/3 of the cheese mixture.  Then, I take 1 of the slices of pepperjack cheese, break it up, and sprinkle it all over the layer.  Use the pepper jack on layers 1 and 2.  Now repeat the whole thing until all the ingredients are used up (hopefully ending up on the cheese layer!)

Pour the egg/milk mixture over top.  Cover with plastic wrap.  Set in the fridge for at least 6 hours. 

Preheat oven to 350.  Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes.  Now, I put foil over top of it for the first 45 minutes and removed for the last 30 minutes.  At 1 hour 15 minutes it wasn't done, so I turned the oven up to 375 for about 15 minutes as I was hungry and impatient.  It is all bubbly and delicious when done.

I sliced into 6 wedges (that fell apart a bit), placed on top of a bed of lettuce, and topped with salsa, sour cream, and the remaining green onion slices.  My friend, Trudie, took one bite and said "FOOD" before I even had a chance to ask her the all important question of "Food or Flop".  By the time we were done eating, our noses were running, thanks to all of that red pepper... so I might strongly recommend that you add less pepper.  I know that I will next time!