Mexican Beef Pile-ups

My sister Heather was recently asking for some quick dinner ideas. This recipe is a favorite of my sister Kathy's family. It comes from the Ivory "Favorites" cookbook. It's similar to a taco salad, and you can of course vary the ingredients to suit your personal taste.

You can speed up the dinner-time prep for this recipe by making the meat portion a day in advance. Or, just heat ingredients until warm. The flavors intensify if it simmers for awhile, but can be served as soon as it's warm in a pinch. I'm sure you could also put the first group of ingredients in a crock pot on low for several hours as well.

This recipe also serves a pretty big crowd. You can reduce the amounts, or freeze some for later meals. 

Mexican Beef Pile-ups

Meat mixture:
3 pounds ground beef
3 cups water
1 (16-ounce) can refried beans
1 package enchilada seasoning mix
1 (14-ounce) can enchilada sauce
2 (6-ounce) cans tomato paste

Cook ground beef and drain fat. Add rest of ingredients and simmer for 2 to 3 hours on top of stove or in oven at 300 degrees.

Pile-up your meal in this order:
white rice
corn chips
meat mixture
Cheddar cheese, grated
green onions, chopped
olives, sliced
tomatoes, diced
avocados, chopped
lettuce, shredded
sour cream
salsa