Taco Corn Chip Casserole

It's been a while since I posted, I know. I apologize. Things just seemed to pile up and I needed time to dig my way out. I'm going to do my best to keep up with this, this time.

I need to get my act together...seems every time I cook or crochet something new, I don't have a camera near. I did get a picture of tonight's dinner, but used the camera on my tablet and it leaves a lot to be desired.

Right now, there are four adults here, our two sons are home while they go to school, so I'm still cooking for an army. This recipe is easily cut in half for normal people. Not only do my boys pack it away, they also like leftovers for lunch the next day or so, so even though I make a lot, it's very seldom that any goes to waste.

As usual, substitutions are great. Make it to suit your family. This calls for kidney beans, but I think next time, I'll use black beans. I meant to add some Rotel, but forgot until I was adding the last layer of cheese, so... maybe next time.

Taco Corn Chip Casserole

2 lbs lean ground
2 cans (15oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 large can (28 oz) tomato sauce
1 packet taco seasoning
1 can corn, drained
1 small onion, chopped
3 C. Shredded cheddar cheese
2 bags (9oz) corn chips

Heat oven to 350°

Cook beef and onion in a large skillet. Drain and return to skillet. Add taco seasoning, tomato sauce, beans, and corn; mix well.

In a 10x14” baking dish, cover bottom with a layer of chips. Top with half the meat mixture, then half the cheese. Top with another layer of chips. Repeat layers, ending with chips.

Bake, uncovered, 20-25 minutes.


**This recipe may be halved**

Taco Bake

So, it's winter and the local grocery stores have ground beef on sale. For the last 2-3 weeks! Move on, we all have enough hamburger! *sigh*

Me being cheap, have had to get creative with the menu because you can only eat so much meatloaf, tacos, and hamburgers. I had a bag of tortilla chips left from the last time we had tacos and I made pico. I certainly had the ground beef. And I always have taco seasoning, sour cream, cheese and onions...hmmm...

I made it without the refried beans because, genius me, I didn't think about them until the casserole was in the oven. If you don't like refried beans, you can use a can of drained black beans or red beans or pinto beans. Or you can just leave the beans out altogether, but they would bulk it up a bit.

Now, as usual, I made enough for an army, but food doesn't last long here. I used a huge 10x14" baking dish. We have leftovers, but not as many as you might think! And they'll be gone by the weekend. If you don't have a houseful of big eaters like I do, you can easily halve the recipe. I don't recommend freezing this because of the tortilla chips, but if you used torn corn tortillas instead, in the one you freeze, it should work...it just won't have the crunch 

If you like it hotter, add some peppers, milder, use canned diced tomatoes rather than the Rotel.

Taco Bake

2 lbs ground beef (80-85% lean)

1 chopped onion

2 cans Rotel, undrained

1 C. sour cream

1 small can sliced black olives, drained

1 packet taco seasoning

1 15 oz can refried beans

3 C. shredded cheddar cheese

1 large bag tortilla chips

Heat oven to 350°.

Cook meat and onions till onions are soft and meat is no longer pink. Drain and return to skillet.

Stir in Rotel, sour cream, taco seasoning, olives, and beans. Simmer over medium heat 10 minutes.

Coarsely crush half the chips into the bottom of a 10x14" baking dish. Spoon half the meat mixture over the chips. Sprinkle half the cheese over the meat. Repeat layers, making sure the cheese is the last layer added.

Bake 20-25 minutes, until cheese is melted and everything is heated through.

Nacho Stuffed Shells

This has been a favorite for years. It's a little labor intensive, but worth it. I planned it last night, when I actually felt like cooking. Unlike today. Blah. Oh, well. Hubby offered to pick up Chinese, but damn that gets expensive with four of us! So...our oldest son is going to a concert at the state fair tomorrow. Guess what the rest of us are having for dinner ;)

Speaking of my oldest, he finally, after sitting on his butt all summer and twanging my last nerve repeatedly, contacted the college he wants to attend. Went in and started the ball rolling. Yay! And my youngest is now a mere 8 pounds from enlisting. With all that's now going on, I'm not as enthusiastic as I otherwise would have been, but it's what he wants. Hey, maybe, in another 5-10 years, hubby and I will have the house to ourselves!

Anyway...

Nacho Stuffed Shells

16 oz. Box jumbo shells
1 lb ground beef
16 oz. Can refried beans
1 C. Salsa
16 oz. Can tomato sauce
2 C. Shredded cheese of your choice
1 packet taco meat seasoning
1 C. Water

Cook shells according to package directions.
While pasta cooks, brown beef in a large skillet.
Drain both meat and pasta. Cover shells with cold water. Stir water and seasoning into meat, simmer 10 minutes. Stir in beans and half of cheese. Heat to melt cheese.
Combine tomato sauce and salsa.
Heat oven to 350.
Spread 1 C. Salsa mixture over bottom of 10x14" baking dish. Fill each shell with about 2 T meat mixture and arrange in the baking dish. Pour remaining sauce over filled shells and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Cover with foil and bake 25-30 minutes.

Taco Cornbread Bake

I was hesitant about making this, even with the changes, but I'm glad I did!  Everyone loved it.  For me, anyway, it has just the right amount of zip.  I like spicy foods, but sometimes you don't want to need a gallon of water with your dinner!  And you can alter the amount of zip by the kind of salsa you use.  We always get medium, but you can go hotter or cooler.  If that's not hot enough, add a can of diced green chili peppers.

I really thought it would be bland, but the salsa does the job.  This can be halved, if you don't live with eating machines like I do.  Of course, I forgot to get a picture till it was almost gone...*sigh*  I'll get my head out of my butt one day, I swear!

Taco Cornbread Bake

2 pounds ground beef
1t. dry oregano
1 1/2 C. salsa
2 16 oz cans tomato sauce
2 cans corn, drained
2 boxes cornbread mix and the ingredients to make them
2 C. shredded cheddar

Heat oven to 375.
Brown beef with oregano.  Drain.  Add salsa, tomato sauce, corn, and 1 C. cheese.
Pour into a 9 x 13" baking pan.
Mix cornbread mix with required ingredients.  Pour over meat mixture and spread evenly.  Top with remaining cheese.
Bake 25-30 minutes.  Allow to rest at least 10 minutes before serving.

Crispy Baked Chicken

That'll teach me.  Planning dinner without checking the forecast. Baking chicken when it's 90 and humid is not a good idea!  Still...dinner was pretty good!
Nothing fancy, but there's nothing left, so I guess it hit the spot.  I made green beans and fried potatoes with it.

Baked Crispy Chicken

4 chicken legs
4 chicken thighs
1 C. Bread crumbs
1 T. Oregano
1 T. Basil
1 t. Garlic
1 T. Onion powder
1T. Paprika
1/4 C. Parmesan cheese
6 pieces skinless chicken

Heat oven to 350.
Combine everything except chicken in s large zipper bag an shake to mix. Add chicken a piece at a time and shake to coat.
Arrange chicken on a baking sheet.
For bone-in bake 45-55 minutes, for boneless, 30-40 minutes.

Dinner for 4, less than $10

I don't know about you, but I'm always looking for ways to feed us without breaking the bank, especially since our oldest came home.  Who'd have thought one more mouth would raise the food bill so much!
So tonight I really didn't feel like cooking, but we'd already had pizza this week, so...*sigh* guess I was cooking. It's been hot today and my husband works in the heat, which is draining, so I knew he wasn't going to want to stop by the store, and I certainly didn't want to, so that left what I had on hand.
OK, I can do this. Here's what I came up with. There are a lot of similar recipes out there, but, here it is.  After eating it, I think it would be good with rice, too, as long as you used cooked rice. Using uncooked would take too long, and I know I never have any luck with that...there's always so much that doesn't cook either at all or not completely, and if ruins dinner.

Chicken and Stuffing Casserole

1 large or 2 small chicken breast halves (or thighs), cooked and shredded
1 box stuffing mix
1 stick butter, melted
1 can cream soup (whatever flavor you like)
1 C. Water
Salt and pepper to taste (and any other seasoning you like)

Heat oven to 350.
Mix butter and stuffing mix and set aside.
Whisk water and soup together and set aside
Spray a 8x8" pan with nonstick spray.
Remove 1/4 C. Stuffing and set aside.
Spread half the stuffing on bottom of pan. Top with half the chicken, then half the soup. Repeat. Sprinkle reserved stuffing on top.
Bake 30 minutes.

If you use rice, I would think about 3 cups would do, and I personally, would season it with salt, pepper, and maybe poultry seasoning, and cook it in. Chicken broth.