Mexican Fiesta Casserole

My family loves this flavorful ground beef casserole. It's a casserole you'll make again and again. Feel free to add sliced drained jalapeno peppers or mild green chile peppers to the beef mixture or layered with the tomatoes for extra flavor and heat.

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup dairy sour cream
• 2/3 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
• 2 tablespoons onion, finely chopped or grated
• 2 cups Bisquick baking mix
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1 can (4 to 6 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained

Heat the oven to 375° F. Grease a 13x9x2-inch baking dish.

Cook and stir the ground beef in a large skillet until browned; drain off the excess fat. Season the ground beef with the salt and pepper; set aside. In a small bowl mix together the cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise and onion; set aside. Stir the biscuit mix and water together until a soft dough forms. With floured fingers, pat the dough into the prepared baking dish, pressing the dough about 1/2-inch up the sides of the pan. Layer the browned ground beef, tomato slices, green pepper, and sliced olives over the dough layer. Spoon the sour cream and cheese mixture evenly over the top of the casserole. Bake, uncovered, until the edges of the dough are light brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool for about 5 minutes and then cut into squares to serve. Serves 6.