Cook Crook Creation: Taco Casserole

So what do you do when you have already thawed out a pound of ground beef for taco pie and dinner plans are scrapped because you are stuck at work past 6PM? Well, use it the next night of course, but my dilemma was what to make. Hubby suggested tacos but I wanted something more exciting. I remembered seeing a chicken enchilada casserole recipe in a recent Cooking Light so why not a healthy taco casserole?

I reviewed the enchilada casserole recipe and this Mexican one here and came up with the recipe below. My husband’s reaction: “light and delicious”! 

I love getting it right first time out of the gate! 

1 pound Lean ground beef (I use 93/7)

I small onion diced

8 oz of frozen corn

1 red pepper, diced

1 can of tomatoes and green chilies, drained

Taco seasoning amount needed for 1 pound of meat (1 packet or in the case of McCormick ¼ cup)

2 cups of salsa, divided (you can use all of one kind or do like I did use 1 cup tomato and 1 cup salsa verde)

12 corn tortillas

2 cups 2% Colby and Monterey jack cheese (or your favorite cheese blend), divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large skillet, cook and crumble the ground beef on medium-hi heat until browned. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. A small amount of fat should remain in the pan. If you do not use as lean as ground beef as I do, you may have more so drain it out of the pan until just enough to sauté the vegetables remains.

Add the onion and pepper to the pan and sauté about 5 minutes. Add the corn and cook another 5 minutes. Doesn’t it look pretty?

Add the tomatoes and green chilies and cook another 2-3 minutes. Add the ground beef back to the pan and add the taco seasoning. Be sure to mix the ingredients well in order to incorporate the seasoning and cook another 5 minutes before removing from the heat and setting aside.

Spread one cup of salsa on the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Layer 6 corn tortillas over the salsa. I found it easier to put the two tortillas on each end of the pan before adding the ones in the center to ensure they were evenly spaced. Spread ½ the meat and vegetable mixture over the tortillas. Sprinkle with one cup of the cheese.

For the next layer, start with salsa again. At this stage it is easier to dollop the salsa strategically across the pan. Add the final 6 tortillas, then the rest of the meat and top with the remaining cheese. Bake for 20 minutes.

You could certainly spice this dish up with the addition of jalapeños to the vegetables and/or higher heats of salsa. I also think ground turkey or shredded chicken would make a great meat substitution and if you are a fan of beans, you could add that as a layer. You can also experiment with a variety of cheeses depending on your preference.

Another Family Favorite (Courtesy of Pillsbury) Taco Pie

My brother had/has a very limited palate and as such when my mom found a dish he liked, she kept making it. When she discovered he liked tacos, she found a recipe for a taco casserole that Pillsbury had using their crescent rolls. She called it taco pie and since he's adverse to vegetables of ANY kind, including tomatoes, she made hers with taco meat, crescents and cheese. This is another dish that has become a favorite in my house but I've lightened it up a bit and no one is bothered a bit!

2 packages reduced-fat crescent rolls
1 pound ground Turkey
Favorite taco seasoning
Water as directed by seasoning
2 cups shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese

Spread out one package of crescents onto an ungreased cookie sheet, pressing together the seams until the dough is in a large rectangle. Do the same with the other package of crescents on a large sheet of wax or parchment paper, trying to approximate the size of the other sheet of dough. Cook turkey until no longer pink, and drain off all liquid in pan except for approximately 1 tablespoon. Follow instructions for seasoning the meat with the taco seasoning you prefer. Every brand of packet seasoning has different directions.( I no longer buy packets and instead by the large container of McCormick seasoning from the local big box store.)

When meat is finished and all liquid is absorbed, remove from heat and set aside. Spread one cup of cheese on the dough on the cookie sheet being sure to keep a small edge all around the rectangle. Next, evenly spread the meat on the cheese. Cover meat with remaining cheese. Then cover with the other rectangle of dough and pinch and seal the edges all the way around. Bake in the oven according to the package directions  for the crescents (usually 375 for 15-20 minutes) or until crescent rectangle is golden brown.

Slice into rectangles and serve with sour cream. I have made this adding green chiles and salsa too!