Taco Pie

This Taco Pie, oh my word. Have you ever started eating a meal and get sad halfway through it, because it’s almost over, but it’s so good you don’t want it to end?

What if it doesn’t have to end? What if you have a light-bulb moment and realize that the best is yet to come, because YOU GET LEFTOVERS!

And let’s be honest, sometimes the leftovers are even better than the actual meal. That scenario pretty much sums up how I feel every time I eat this Taco Pie.

We’ve been making this for, gosh, close to a decade now, and I love it just as much as the first time I made it. It’s easily my favorite casserole, and I try to always have one bag of filling in the freezer for days when a craving hits, I can defrost it and make it for dinner.

If you’re making it on the fly it comes together really fast, too. Definitely a 30-minute meal. And as long as you have the staples for tacos, you can most likely make this without even needing to leave your house.

Do you have to make it in a pie dish? Nope. But it sure does make it more fun!

I do suggest using a salsa that isn’t too sweet…you want that tang and kick that the salsa brings to the table. This is my favorite salsa. It’s pretty spicy (fair warning) so a little goes a long way, but in a dish like this it totally mellows out with all the cheese involved.

Also, stale or older taco shells work best. The recipe calls for 15 ounces of crushed tomatoes, but it’s usually easier to find the bigger can of crushed tomatoes and then double everything else. Having a second meal of this won’t be a bad thing, I promise. Just pour half of the filling in a freezer bag before you get to the layering stage. Then, when you’re ready to make it, just make sure you have taco shells and cheese on hand.

This Taco Pie is hearty, so be warned: you’ll want to eat more than a serving. Take a deep breath and just say no. Push the rest aside and save it for later (because this tastes even better the next day).

And when you have it later…or even the day of…put a fried egg on top. The creamy yolk is just perfect with the spicy, bold flavors from the pie.

Taco Pie

Move over, tacos, because this Taco Pie is just the kick your Taco Tuesday needed. It’s all the delicious taco flavors rolled into a pie, casserole-style.

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Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Ingredients

  

• 6 or 7 taco shells halved (12-14 pieces total, or make your own)
• 1/2 TBS oil
• 1 onion chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 2 TBS Taco Seasoning see notes for recipe
• 15 ounces can crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 cup salsa optional depending on how much spice you like
• 8 ounces chopped green chiles
• 1 can corn drained
• 8 ounces of cheese divided (sharp cheddar, mozzarella, Colby & Monterey Jack, etc.)

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add onions to the skillet and cook, stirring until soft and translucent.
• Add minced garlic and cayenne; stir and mix for about 30 seconds. Add ground beef and taco seasoning; cook, breaking up the meat, until browned.
• Stir in tomatoes, salsa, chile and corn; mix well.
• Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat.
• Arrange half of the taco shells on the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate (overlapping is fine; about 5 halves).
• Top with half of the meat mixture, then half of the cheese.
• Repeat with the remaining tortillas, meat and cheese.
• Cover loosely with foil and bake until the cheese melts, about 10 minutes.

Notes

Slice, serve, and enjoy!

*Try this homemade taco seasoning recipe. 

Have you ever had anything like this? I can’t wait for you to try it.