Taco Casserole

When I was little I used to love going to the grocery store with my mom.  Back then the carts were built differently and you could actually sit underneath them.  Before we shopped she would always ask everyone what they wanted for dinner that week.  I don't really know why she would ask because my answer was the same every week... "TACOS!"

My brother and dad were not as fond of tacos as I was, but my mom made them often enough for me.  She always seasoned the meat herself without using taco seasoning or water and today that is my preferred way to make tacos.  While her meat was browning she would take some shredded cheese and place them at the bottom of the shell, then cover it with ground beef, and then bake the shells in the oven just until the cheese was melted. They were delicious!

As an adult I do not make tacos as often I would really like.  This is for several reasons:

1) Taco shells come in packages of 10 or 12.  That is too many for Konrad and I to eat in one night and two few for us to eat in two nights.

2) Taco shells go stale really fast.

3) Konrad does not like tacos as much as I do.  Perhaps no one really likes tacos as much as I do.

Anyway, I found this recipe on Pinterest for Taco Casserole...

Taco Casserole

This seemed like a good solution to my taco problems.  I knew that there would be plenty for leftovers and I didn't have to worry about throwing away half used ingredients.  Also, with the addition of beans and salsa it was more of a full meal and I felt like I could get Konrad on board.

So, I went ahead and gathered the ingredients:

1 lb ground beef 

1 can (16 oz) refried beans 

1 jar (16 oz) chunky salsa

 1 package taco seasoning mix (Low Sodium suggested)

2 1/2 c broken tortilla chips

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

4 green onions, sliced

2 medium tomatoes, diced

1 c shredded cheddar cheese

1 c shredded lettuce  

1/4 c sliced black olives (I left this out)

 Then I started cooking!

1) I preheated the oven to 350 degrees while I browned the ground beef in a skillet.

2) Once the meat was cooked I drained it and then added the refried beans, salsa, and taco seasoning mix.

 

 

3) The directions said to stir and heat until boiling.  I could not really picture meat boiling nor did I want to.  So I just removed the skillet from the heat at the first sight of a bubble.

 

4) I crushed some of the tortilla chips and covered the bottom of a Pyrex dish.

 

 

 5) Then I covered the chips with the meat/bean mixture.

6) Next I chopped the various toppings and placed them on top.  I hope you are smarter than me and check your fridge before you go to the store.  I thought I had more shredded cheese than I really did and I do not own a cheese grater.  That is why this photo shows chucks of cheese in addition to the little amount of shredded cheese I had left.

7) I baked it for about 20 minutes until my chunks of cheese were nice and melted. 

Mine looks a little different than the picture because I opted not to cover the entire thing with shredded lettuce.  I knew that the full dish was far too much for Konrad and I to eat in one day and I didn't like the idea of reheating lettuce the next day.  I served the casserole on a bed of shredded lettuce and broken tortilla chips.

Would I recommend this recipe to a friend? YES

Would I make a few changes? YES

To me the combination of taco seasoning mix and salsa made it a little too spicy.  If I made this again I would either use half of the recommended salsa or find a brand that was less spicy.  Also, I think this would taste really good topped with sour cream :)