Taco Casserole

I know this is going to come as a huge shock for many of you, but I love taco-ish meals. Taco salad, taco burgers, taco soup, taco pie, taco stuffed potatoes, burritos, nachos... basically anything using taco seasoning!!! It comes as no surprise I love taco casserole too. I actually forgot about this recipe. I was cleaning out the cabinet above my fridge and found 3 weeks worth of menu plans from about 2003. Listed where some recipes I'd completely forgotten about (including this taco casserole from Quick Cooking magazine). I laughed as I read through my meal plan which included fiesta macaroni, taco crescent bake, beef tortilla casserole, skillet enchiladas, Sante Fe enchiladas, chili bean nacho skillet, fiesta ravioli, encharito, taco salad, Tex-Mex lasagna and taco pie. I had a total of 12 taco-ish recipes out of the 22 I had listed!!! Needless to say, I need to dig out some of those old recipes because they sound great. I hope you love this quick and easy casserole... enjoy :)

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TACO CASSEROLE
1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 envelope taco seasoning
1/2 cup water
1 cup crushed tortilla chips
1 can (16 ounces) refried beans
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
Toppings: chopped lettuce and tomatoes, sliced ripe olives, sour cream and picante sauce

In a large skillet, cook beef, onion and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in taco seasoning and water. Cook and stir until thickened, about 3 minutes; set aside. Place chips in a greased 8-in. square baking dish. In a small bowl, stir refried beans; spread over chips. Top with beef mixture and cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 15-20 minutes or until heated through. Top with lettuce, tomatoes and olives. Serve with sour cream and picante sauce.