Mexican-style potato casserole

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 500 g potatoes, waxy
• 500 g minced beef
• 1 small can of black beans
• 2 onions
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp, heaped cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp, heaped cumin, ground
• 5 chili peppers, dried
• 1 cup crème fraîche
• 200 ml cream (cooking cream)
• 80 g cheese (Emmental), grated
• salt and pepper
• Fat for the mold

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 25 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 5 minutes

Boil the potatoes, but don’t let them get too soft. They should still have a bite. Meanwhile, finely chop the onion and garlic. Crumble the dried chilies. Mix the onion, garlic, chili, cayenne pepper, and ground cumin well. The cumin is very important here! This gives it that unmistakable Mexican flavor. Fry the ground beef over high heat until crumbly. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add the onion-garlic spice mixture and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the beans (I add the bean sauce) and heat over low to medium heat for a few minutes. Thinly slice the potatoes and place the first layer in a greased baking dish. Then add a layer of the ground bean mixture. Then arrange more potato slices and again the ground bean mixture on top. Now mix the crème fraîche and the cooking cream in a small bowl. I also add salt, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of cumin. It’s a matter of taste, though. Pour the liquid over the casserole and spread it evenly. Sprinkle the grated Emmental cheese over it to taste. Now bake the casserole on the middle rack of the oven at 175°C for 25 minutes. Serve with fresh white bread and an extra dollop of crème fraîche. Please do not substitute kidney beans for the black beans! They take away a lot of flavor and are simply too floury.