How to Make Taco Bake – Without a Recipe

You are about to find out how to make Taco Bake without a recipe. For our Sunday lunch yesterday I decided to keep it simple and make Taco Bake. What is Taco Bake? Read on!

My friend Pam shared this with me many years ago. Thank you, Pam! Am I ever excited that she is moving across the country and will be a whole lot closer to me! (and a few other people).

Taco Bake is a simple casserole that is very filling and easy to adjust to your preferences. It is made with ingredients we keep on hand almost all of the time. Rice, beans, taco seasoning, meat and/or chicken and cheese. Have leftovers? Here is a great use for them. This is how I make Taco Bake without a recipe.

You may want to lightly coat your pan with oil or spray it with cooking spray.  Any size pan will do depending on your family size. I choose my pan based on how many will be here to eat. If this is going to be a weeknight dinner I will use my 13X9 pan because James is always happy to finish the leftovers. Yesterday I used my giant heavy-duty 1/2 sheet cake pan I have used for years and years because I was expecting a family crowd.

Ingredients:

Rice, refried or cooked pinto beans, taco seasoning, meat and/or chicken, and shredded cheese.

Layer 1

First I layer cooked rice not more than an inch deep. You may use white, brown, long-grain, short-grain, whatever type you prefer.

Layer 2

Cooked taco meat or chicken. Have you noticed the price of beef? I was so shocked at the cost of the cheapest ground beef that I almost made it with chicken. In the end, I decided to combine ground turkey and beef. Cook the meat and drain and season it with taco seasoning. Spread this over the rice layer. This time I used 3 lbs. of ground beef and 3 lbs. of ground turkey.  You can use any leftover turkey, chicken, beef, etc. Or make it vegetarian.

Layer 3

Refried beans or as I usually do cook some pinto beans or use some leftover ones.

 Don’t know how to cook beans? 

Layer 4

Cover the top with shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese.

Bake in the oven at 350° until it is hot and bubbly and the cheese is melted. Now you are ready to enjoy it!

FREEZER MEAL – After Layer 4 you can cover it with a layer of plastic wrap and heavy-duty foil, label, and freeze. When you get ready to use thaw and uncover and follow the regular instructions.

Beans
Beans

Chicken Enchiladas

 

My First Chicken Enchilada Recipe from the 90’s

1 whole chicken, cooked and cubed (or to save time and maybe money buy a rotisserie chicken already cooked)
4 ounce can of chopped green chilies                                                                                         1 teaspoon salt
20 ounces green enchilada sauce
6 ounces of evaporated milk
1 can cream chicken soup
3 cups shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar, grated
12-24 flour tortillas or gluten-free tortillas(SEE NOTE)
Rotel tomatoes, chopped

Mix chicken, chilies, salt, enchilada sauce, evaporated milk, soup and 1 cup of cheese. Warm tortillas. Fill with 1/4 c. chicken mixture. Roll up, seam down and place in baking dish sprayed lightly with cooking spray or lined with parchment paper. Pour Rotel tomatoes into the remaining mixture (if there is any); pour over enchiladas. Sprinkle with 2 cups of cheese. Bake in preheated oven 425° for 20 minutes, until bubbly. It is best to put them in the oven immediately to avoid the bottoms becoming soggy.

Enjoy!

GLUTEN-FREE:

Since several family members have become gluten intolerant I tried a batch with Mission’s gluten-free tortillas they were a bit too soft on the bottom. Two ideas for making this better.  One would be to lightly char them or two to make the filling in a casserole dish or slow cooker and let each one fill their own tortilla shell.

Italian Vegetable Casserole

What’s for dinner?

Tonight I decided to make a recipe I haven’t made in awhile. Italian Vegetable Casserole. Don’t let the ingredients scare you. This unseemly combination really has a surprising flavor much like lasagna without the gluten or noodles.

Italian Vegetable Casserole

Ingredients:

4 cups white beans, already cooked and drained or 2 cans of white beans (drained)

1 – 8 oz. bag of washed fresh spinach (3 cups) or 1 bag 20 oz.  frozen  spinach

1 clove garlic

1/2 onion chopped

3 carrots shredded

2 cups of spaghetti sauce (or 1 cup sauce and 1 cup paste plus 3/4 tsp. oregano, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/8 tsp. pepper )

3 cups shredded jack cheese or mozzarella cheese

2 cups cottage cheese

Parmesan Cheese (approximately 1/2 cup) and some additional to sprinkle on at the table.

Preheat your oven to 375°. Saute garlic, onion, in  2 tsp. oil. Add carrots, and spinach, and cook 3-4 minutes. Stir in sauce.  Spread 1/2 beans in  9 X 13 casserole. Layer 1/2 cottage cheese, 1 cup cheese, and 1/2 vegetable mixture. Repeat, and end with the last cup of cheese. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. To make and freeze for later. Cover with heavy foil and freeze. To eat now bake uncovered at 375° for 1 hour or until done. Let set a few minutes when it comes from the oven to set. Serves 6-8.

I used dry beans I had cooked in my crock pot. I forgot to drain my beans so my casserole was a bit soupy. I did serve it over some leftover rice. The flavor was wonderful.

Hints: I used my Ninja food chopper to chop the onions and carrots.