Taco Pie

If it has cheese, my husband will eat it!  And, if it is "Mexican" inspired, he will love it.  One can't go wrong with that combination in this household.  Now, I'm sure that true Mexican food connoisseurs will laugh at the inauthentic nature of this dish, but it truly is yummy.  The creamy nature of the ground beef mixed with the refried beans (yes, I said mixed, not layered) adds an element that just leaves the belly satisfied.  The gooeyness of the cheese, and the soft bite of the tortilla leaves us reaching for seconds... sigh, yum.

Taco Pie
This recipe was adapted from the "Baked Taco" recipe that is floating around boards on Pinterest. My husband loves that one too, served in hard taco shells.  I was feeling creative one evening, and didn't have hard taco shells in the cabinet.  So I improvised!

Ingredients:

• 1lb of ground beef (your favorite choice, or turkey, or chicken - it really doesn't matter)
• 1 package of taco seasoning
• 1 16oz can of Refried Beans (any brand, fat free, vegetarian, you decide)
• 3-4 tortillas (6-8 inch size fits into my pie plate best, I prefer whole wheat, but its your choice)
• 1 1/2 cups of your favorite cheese (I use the "Taco" or "Fiesta" blend - be creative)

Utensils:

• 8-9 inch pie plate, or round cake pan
• implements to fry the ground beef and open the can of refried beans

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Brown the ground beef in a frying pan over medium heat.  (I do not add any extra cooking oil, I put it in an empty frying pan that was just heated slightly.)
3. Poor off the excess fat left from frying.  (This depends on the kind of meat that you use, and it's entirely up to you.  If you are feeling lazy, and it's not a lot, leave it.)
4. Open the can of refried beans and add it directly into the frying pan with the ground beef.  It will be goopy, and kind of sit there, but attempt to stir it into the meat.  (It will get better after you follow the directions for the taco seasoning, which usually requires adding an amount of water.)
5. Follow the directions for the taco seasoning, adding it to the cooking beef/refried beans mixture. Depending on the brand, it may instruct to add 3/4 cup of water and the mix, some brands may call for more or less water. (If you have your own mix, use that instead!)
6. Let simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly as the refried beans continue to mix/melt into the ground beef.
7. Once combined and bubbly, remove from heat.
8. Place 1 tortilla in the bottom of the pie plate.  Spoon some (use your judgment) of the ground beef/refried bean mixture onto the tortilla, then follow with a layer of cheese.  Continue to layer tortillas, meat mixture and cheese, ending with cheese on top.
9. Place in the center of the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
10. Serve with your favorite toppings!

Now, that is the "plain" version that my husband likes.  If you wanted to be creative, there are so many things you can add to the layers:

• Black beans
• Salsa
• Chopped tomatoes
• Cilantro
• Brown or "Mexican" rice
• Sour cream on top

I normally make the plain version, and then add my favorite toppings on top.  Be creative, and ENJOY!