Taco Pie Casserole Recipe

Taco in the form of a pie casserole is something we never knew we needed in our lives — but once you try it, you'll want to make it over and over again. This recipe is exactly how it sounds, but instead of making it with typical pie ingredients, you make it with your favorite taco ingredients. So, rather than fruit, add beef and veggies; instead of crust, use tortillas. Then, add a ton of cheese instead of topping the pie with sugar. It's the complete meal and it's suitable for Taco Tuesday. 

Recipe developer Erin Johnson came up with this all-in-one casserole recipe that hits the spot. "This recipe is as easy to make as tacos, but feels like something different," Johnson raves. Another great thing is that you can adjust the recipe to your likes. So if you love a particular veggie, go ahead and add it. Want one cheese as opposed to the one on the ingredient list? You can easily swap it out. Really, who doesn't love a recipe tailored to their likes?

This recipe is surprisingly easy. You only need lean ground beef, bell peppers, onion, garlic, taco seasoning, salsa, flour tortillas, and cheddar Jack cheese. "This is very adaptable to your tastes and preferences. If you'd like to add more veggies, corn, and black beans are great additions. You can use any cheese you like or have on hand," Johnson notes. "I prefer cheddar Jack, but cheddar, pepper Jack, or any combination would be delicious."

Begin by turning the dial of your oven to 350 F. While you wait for it to get hot, take out a large skillet and place it on your stove. Add the ground beef and continue cooking until begins to brown. This should only take a few minutes.

Once the beef browns, add the bell peppers and onions to the same skillet. Continue to cook everything together until the onions get nice and soft. Then, add the garlic and taco seasoning and stir well to combine. These two items add great flavor to the meat mixture.

Last but not least, dump the salsa into the skillet. Mix it together with the other ingredients and then remove the skillet from heat and set it to the side.

Before you cook the taco pie casserole, you will need to get a baking dish or a deep dish pie plate. Add one of the tortillas first, followed by half of the beef mixture. Make sure to spread it out in an even later.

Then, top the beef with ⅓ of the cheese. Cover the first layer with another tortilla, and then add the rest of the meat and half of the remaining cheese. "If you don't have tortillas large enough to cover the surface of your dish, you can layer smaller tortillas to make a layer," Johnson notes.

Add the remaining tortilla on top of the cheese and then top the taco pie casserole off with the rest of the cheese. Now, you can pop the dish into the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes. By the end of the cooking time, the cheese on top should melt, and the edges of the tortilla should turn crispy.

Remove the dish from the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes before you slice and serve. This is a complete meal on its own, but it would also pair well with your favorite Mexican side, like chips and salsa or rice.

Be sure to keep any leftovers for another meal. "This will keep in the fridge for up to three days," Johnson notes.