Taco Casserole

1 pound ground beef (optional rice…my addition)

1 small onion, chopped (peppers, tomatoes, and various shredded garden veggies in the summer time to make it a really healthy option)

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 envelope of taco seasoning

1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

1 cup sour cream (light sour cream works perfectly)

1 cup cottage cheese (have done it with all cottage cheese in a pinch)

2 cups crushed tortilla chips (this is how I use up our crushed stale reminents in the pantry)

2 cups (8 ounces) grated Monterey Jack cheese (or whatever you have on hand)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a skillet, brown the beef, then drain off extra fat; remove from heat. Add onion, garlic powder, taco seasoning mix, and tomato sauce to beef; mix and set aside. In a medium sized bowl, combine sour cream and cottage cheese; set aside. Place half the crushed chips in the bottom of a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish that has been coated with a nonstick vegetable spray. Add enough meat mixture to cover the chips, then cover the meat with half of the sour cream mixture. Sprinkle with half the grated cheese. Repeat layers. Bake uncovered, for 30-35 minutes, until cheese melts and casserole is heated through.