I love casseroles! They are not only easy to make but generally make great freezer meals. This casserole is no exception. Ground beef, cheese, sweet corn, and black beans come together over a bed of rigatoni pasta to create a Mexican influenced casserole that you are sure to love.
Recently, we received an air fryer to test out and I have to be completely honest. We love it!! I’m not really sure why it’s called an air fryer though as it’s really more of a small convection oven. I think I’ll do a full review of it later but I can tell you that it reheats our freezer meals perfectly!! This air fryer is made by OMMO and is a little larger than your traditional air fryers with a heating basket. This air fryer is more like a toaster oven with the capacity to do all sorts of different recipes. We find it to be convenient, easy to operate, and fast!!
Here are a few things we use to make our freezer meals
- Meater PLUS wireless thermometer
- SilPat Baking Mats (check Size)
- Lodge Cast Iron Skillet 17 inch
- Lodge cast iron grill/griddle
- Wire Cooling Racks (check sizes)
- Freezer Tins (perfect for 2 adults)
- Freezer Tins (Family Size)
- 3 Compartment Tins for freezer meals
- Vitamix 750 Heritage Pro Model
- Vacmaster Vacuum Sealer
- 8×10 bags for vac master
- 6×8 bags for vac master
- Food Saver Vac bags/Sous Vide Friendly
- Robo Coup Food Processor w/Dicer
- Thermapen Mk4
- DOT Kitchen Temperature Reader
- Extra Big and Loud Kitchen Timer/Alarm
Enjoy this weeks recipe and if you have any questions be sure to ask away! If you get a chance to make it I’d love to hear how it came out
If you want to see the different things that we use in our kitchen be sure to check out our new Amazon Store.
Easy Freezer Meals Amazon Storefront
Mexican Rigatoni Casserole
Ingredients
- 4 lb lean ground beef
- 4 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 8 tsp ground cumin
- 4 tsp ground coriander
- 8 tsp chili powder
- 4 tsp chipotle powder
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1½ tsp Mexican oregano
- 2 lbs onions diced
- 4 green onions tops (chopped) and bottoms (sliced) divided
- 4 lbs sweet whole kernel corn
- 4 15 ounce can of black beans
- 12 cups Mexican salsa
- 1 small bunch of Cilantro
- 2 pounds uncooked rigatoni pasta
- 2 lbs cheese blend I use cheddar, Asadero, & Monterey Jack
Instructions
- Sautee onions and green onion bottoms in a little oil on a medium high heat till then begin to turn translucent
- Add the garlic and cook a few minutes more
- add lean ground beef and spices and cook over medium heat stirring occasionally, until brown.
- add corn, black beans, and salsa. Bring to a simmer and cook for another 20 minutes on a medium heat.
- Finally add the cilantro and chopped green onion tops. Mix well and set to the side to cool.
For the Pasta
- Bring salted water to a boil
- Cook rigatoni pasta 1 – 1.5 minutes less than suggested. The pasta will cook all the way through when you bake it.
- Drain pasta and cool it down with cold water to stop the cooking process
Assembly
- Add a layer of pasta to your freezer friendly container
- Top it off with a generous layer of your meat filling
- Finally top your casserole off with your cheese blend.
- Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes, remove the foil and continue cooking till hot and the cheese is bubbly.
To Freeze
- Cover your casserole and freeze for up to 4 months.
- When you are ready to eat, take out the casserole, thaw dish, cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes, remove the foil and continue cooking till hot and the cheese is bubbly.
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