Mexican Train Night - Fun and Food

Tonight  was Mexican Train night.  Partner had flown in from very far away to join me at the crash pad as I go on call late Sunday, not enough time to drive home for the weekend.  Neither of us felt like going out, just a day at the crash pad of some board games and a non restaurant meal (his recent dining choices while traveling  limited to a pub I refer to as "The Grease and Weasel".)

Let's play Mexican Train!

The object of the game is for a player to play all the dominoes from his or her hand onto one or more tracks emanating from a central hub or "station", matching the number on one end of the domino with the number on the last piece played on a track. If you can't play, you draw from the remaining train yard of  domines on each turn, until you can play , making getting rid of all your domines (the goal) a challenge. If you can't play on your "track" (which is private until you can't play on it) you put your train out at the end of it, showing it's no longer a private train and other players can play on your now public track.  When you can play on it, your track and train goes private again. There's a few other rules, but that's the basics of it. Two can play or more.  I have a set that plays four easily with "double twelves" making for a lot of numbers to keep track of in your head.

It's fun as there is always the "chance" element, the luck of the draw, but if you know how many of each dominoe are issued, what's on the board, and based on what they couldn't play on and had to draw, what your opponent does NOT have in their trainyard, you can block many a move. Adding the strategy worthy of a board war game with the element "what the mumble mumble did I just DRAW!" just makes it fun all around.

Usually Partner and I are on level playing fields with games.  Not today.

A representation of my first game

 And my second.

Wow, look at the time!  I think I need to go make dinner!

click on food photos to enlarge

 Mexican Train Casserole (otherwise known as Southwest Lasagna Casserole ).

The recipe appears detailed but it's very easy and almost impossible to mess up.  Layered with tortillas instead of lasagna noodles, roasted corn (this was some leftover Trader's Joe frozen  roasted corn) and lots of pre shredded cheese and beef in a sauce spiced with homemade enchilada sauce, it's easy. All you have to do really is whip up the sauce, cook the beef and assemble. You can even make it ahead of time, just heat it an extra 10 minutes.

Add some  Stone Ground Corn Muffins  and you'll be all set.

These are moist  inside with the heartiness of the stone ground corn and a decided crunch to the outside that's like the crispy edge of cornbread baked in cast iron (and much cheaper to make than the box kind)

 If you haven't played the game, give it a try, if you are looking for something for supper, this is a meal you can't derail.