Deep-dish Mexican Meatloaf Pie

Every once in a while, my husband will read one of my many home and garden magazines (sent to me in a conspiracy hatched by my mom and mother-in-law to make me settle down). Usually, this results in a clipped recipe stuck to the vent hood with a magnet. It's a habit that just started, and I generally enjoy the challenges left by my honey.

Deep-dish Mexican Meatloaf Pie found its way onto my vent hood a few weeks ago. I bought all of the ingredients for it the next week, but I realized that we didn't get ground beef! Why? We had recently bought 6 pounds of beef from Costco, and I figured we were golden. The problem? We had browned all 6 pounds of beef because it freezes better cooked. In the wise words of my sister, "that would make one DRY pie!" My husband finally broke down and acquired raw beef a few days ago.

Tonight, a weird thing happened. I had a late meeting at school, and called home to check on things. I suggested that my dearest start putting together the ingredients for the pie. When I got home, I expected a work in progress. Instead, I found him sitting at the kitchen table working while the pie cooked in the oven.

For those of you who know me personally, you probably know that this is epic! It isn't because my husband doesn't love me, or that he won't cook. Really, he'd be happy to help out all of the time. No, the problem is that he can take hours to cook a fairly simple recipe because he's such a stickler for detail.

The final verdict? This is an easy recipe that tastes fantastic, if you like spicy, beefy goodness.

Ingredients
1 1/4 lb. raw ground beef (90% lean)
1 cup finely crushed tortilla chips
1 envelope onion soup mix (1/2 2-oz. pkg.)
3/4 bottled taco sauce
2 eggs lightly beaten and divided
1 8.8-oz. pouch cooked Spanish-style rice (Uncle Ben's Ready Rice)
1 15.5-oz. can golden hominy, rinsed and drained
1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained
1 cup shredded pepper Jack cheese (4 oz)
1/2+ cup chopped jalapeno
1/4 fresh cilantro
black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Combine beef, chips, soup mix, 1/2 cup of taco sauce, 1 beaten egg, and 1/2 tsp. black pepper.
3. Press meat concoction into the bottom and sides of a 10 inch pie plate or comparably-sized casserole dish.
4. Heat rice according to package directions.
5. Combine rice, hominy, tomatoes, cheese, jalapeno, cilantro, 1/4 cup taco sauce, and 1 egg.
6. Spoon rice concoction into the "meat shell."
7. Cover with foil and bake 40 minutes.
8. Uncover, and bake 20 minutes.
9. Let cool.
10. Serve topped with chips and jalapenos.
11. Eat and enjoy!