Slow Cooker Low-Carb Mexican Lasagna Casserole

Ingredients

• 1 T olive oil
• 2 lbs. lean ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped small
• 1 T Kalyn's Taco Seasoning
• 1 cup Pace Picante Sauce
• 2 cans Ro-Tel Tomatoes and Green Chiles
• 6 low-carb tortillas, cut in half
• 2 cups cottage cheese
• 1 can diced green chiles, drained
• 2 eggs
• 3 cups grated Mexican Cheese Blend

Directions

1. Warm the oil in a large, sturdy skillet. Add the ground beef, crumbling it in with your fingers, and cook over medium-high heat until no pink remains and the meat is well browned. As it cooks, use a turner or old-fashioned potato masher to break it down into small bits.
2. Once the beef is cooked, move it to one side of the pan. If the pan looks dry, drizzle in a little more oil, then cook the diced onion for a few minutes. Stir the onion back into the beef.
3. Sprinkle in Kalyn’s Taco Seasoning, then add the salsa and Ro-Tel tomatoes. Set the heat to low and simmer until the pan is nearly dry; when you drag a turner over the bottom, liquid should not run into the path.
4. While the meat mixture reduces, combine the cottage cheese with the drained green chiles, eggs, and 1 cup of the cheese.
5. Use kitchen shears to cut the tortillas in 1/2, then coat the slow cooker insert with non-stick spray.
6. Arrange tortillas in the crockery casserole dish insert, placing the straight cut edges against the straight sides and using as few tortilla pieces as possible to cover the base.
7. Spread on 1/2 of the spicy beef mixture, then 1/2 of the cottage cheese mixture, followed by 1 cup of the grated cheese, or more if you like. For the 2nd round, layer tortillas, the remaining meat mixture, the remaining cottage cheese mixture, and the remaining grated cheese.
8. Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for about 2 1/2 hours, until the filling is bubbling and the cheese has melted nicely. If you’re using a Crock-Pot Casserole Crock Slow Cooker, carefully raise the lid at least 1 time while it cooks and pour away any liquid that has collected.
9. With the Casserole Crock, you may transfer the cooked casserole to a 400F/200C oven for about 15 minutes to brown the top, if you’d like; it’s fine to skip this. Crock-Pot does not advise using the broiler with the casserole crock.
10. For an oven version, a reader reported baking it for 45 minutes with great results and a happy husband. If baking in a casserole dish, use 375F/190C.