Taco Bake – A Twist on Hamburger Casserole

Since it’s Family Day today, I thought I’d share a family favourite with you.  We really love any types of Mexican-type dishes, and this is one I made up several years ago when my kids were younger and we were living in Florida.  Little did I know it would actually show up as a pre-made kit later on!

Start this casserole by browning two and a half pounds of ground beef.  I used medium ground because it was the cheapest, but I poured it into a colander and let it drain well while I grated the cheese with my food processor.  I think because I had a craving for a “cheesy goodness” meal the stores conspired against me and jacked up the prices on all the cheese!  To make the casserole, I used one 500 g brick of cheddar, which makes about three and a half cups.

Once your hamburg is drained well, return it to a big frying pan and add three tablespoons of the Taco Seasoning we made before, or two envelopes of your favourite brand.  Add two cups of salsa cook over medium heat until the liquid is absorbed.

Drain the fat from the ground beef, then return it to the pan with taco seasoning, and 2 cups of salsa.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees, and lightly grease or spray a 13 x 9 casserole pan or baking dish.  Line the bottom of the pan with three large flour tortillas.  I like to overlap the bottom layer because it helps your casserole keep its shape when you serve it.

Put a layer of seasoned meat over the tortillas, and sprinkle with 1 cup of the grated cheese.  For the next layer, use two large flour tortillas.  Over the tortillas, put a thin layer of salsa (roughly 1 cup), the other half of your seasoned hamburger, and another cup of cheese.

Build up the layers of taco bake much like you'd make lasagna.

For the third and final layer, once again use three flour tortillas.  After I place them, I pat down firmly to compress the other slightly.  Top the last layer with another cup or so of salsa, and the remaining grated cheese.

This is your finished taco bake ready for the oven. I put a side view for you so you could see how the layers are built up.

Pop into your pre-heated oven for about 40 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and hot. When you take it out of the oven, let it rest for about ten minutes so the juices will redistribute and it won’t be as likely to fall apart on you.

After you leave it sit for about ten minutes, cut the taco bake into serving-sized pieces. A "normal" family would get 8 servings from this dish, but my son and I only get 6! Don't look at the mess I made either... the cleanup is WELL worth it!

To round out the meal, you could serve it with a green side salad, and guacamole, sour cream, or any other favourite toppings you would use for tacos or enchiladas.

A nice serving of taco bake, perfect served with a nice side green side salad, or any other favourite taco toppings.

There it is… the perfect piece of cheesy, well-seasoned, Mexican-Inspired hamburger casserole, or as we call it…  Taco Bake.  I hope you and your families love this as much as we do!