Refried Bean Casserole

One of the things I used to eat a lot of were casseroles.  Easy to make.  Comfort food.  Yadda, yadda, yadda.  Also too many carbs.  Too much fat.  Too much processed shit (cream of whatever soups).  And I'll be honest, I don't miss them.  But I am going to call this thing a casserole, even though it really doesn't comport with the traditional definitions.

The whole thing started with rice.  I made a little over half a cup of rice and had about a cup left over.  I am also trying not to waste food these days.  So I looked at my pantry and vegetable bins, chose a general direction: Mexican, and set off to make something.

I did it in three layers:

BOTTOM LAYER: leftover Basmati Rice, small Red Beans, a little grated Cheddar Cheese (about an ounce), some Sriracha sauce (I like picante), and some dried oregano.

MIDDLE LAYER: Refried Beans, diced Green Pepper, and minced Garlic.  I warmed the mixture so it was the viscosity of pudding.

TOP LAYER: Corn, Green Pepper, Onion, half a can of diced RoTel Tomatoes, Taco seasoning.  Topped that with a little more grated Cheddar Cheese.

Baked at 350 for 20 minutes, and then switched to the broiler for 3 (the rack was not close to the heating element--set on next to bottom guides in a "pizza" oven. i.e. 3 to 4 inches below the element.) I just wanted to bubble the cheese a little.
when I do it again, I'll omit the cheese from the bottom layer.  It really didn't add anything to the final dish and would lower the already minimal fat content.  It was wonderfully spicy, surprising light and definitely delicious.

Also, the little dish I used is 1.5 inches deep by 5.5 inches square to give you a sense of the size.  I think I got it at Crate & Barrel around 30 years ago...