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On Independence Day, I served a very nontraditional dinner. But, hey, it's a free country; I can do what I want! I made one of my favorite Indian dishes for the first time ... chicken tikka masala with cucumber-mint raita and naan. It was delicious and my family loved it! Even the 8-year-old ate it without complaining. Though I shouldn't have been surprised because we have fed her a wide variety of foods her entire life so she is growing quite a sophisticated little palate. In kindergarten she drew a picture of kale. I am always interested in becoming a more sophisticated cook by learning to cook new things. Food from other cultures always makes me nervous. I don't like to eat my mistakes, and sometimes exotic ingredients are too expensive to risk messing up the dish. For chicken tikka masala, I had training wheels. I spied a package of McCormick Recipe Inspirations for Chicken Tikka Masala at my local Wal-mart and I snapped it up. It cost $1. The packet has pr...

This recipe comes together quickly and is hearty and tasty -- three of my favorite things. You could make it meatless or swap out the beef for ground venison or ground turkey. The recipe is from spice company McCormick. I found it in their Recipe Inspirations line -- pre-measured spices in a pack with the recipe on the back. You do not have to have the Recipe Inspirations product to make this recipe. I have included the measurements for you below. From that line, I would like to try their version of the Indian dish, Chicken Tikka Masala. BEEF QUESADILLA CASSEROLE Makes 8 servings. Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes 1 pound ground beef 1/2 cup chopped onion 2 cans (8 ounces each) tomato sauce 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed 1 can (8 3/4 ounces) whole kernel corn, undrained 1 can (4 1/2 ounces) chopped green chiles, undrained 2 teaspoons chili powder 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1/2 teaspoon oregano leaves 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (op...