From the author:
Y’all are going to have to trust me on this recipe because the ingredients do look pretty odd. To be honest, if Mama had told me what was in it when she first started serving this a few decades ago, I would have been skeptical myself. But please do trust me because this is absolutely delicious. It has a tangy Mexican flavor that is wonderful. In fact, it is the one thing my sister-in-law and I both craved when we were carrying our children—it’s that good.
The recipe is also very versatile: It can easily be doubled and baked in a 9- by 13-inch baking dish to serve eight. You can serve it with a few simple taco toppings or a full-fledged toppings bar—it’s up to you!
For Christy’s tips on how to freeze half of the casserole for a later date, see an excerpt from her book: Frozen Assets.
Taco Casserole
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
- ¼ cup (½ stick) butter
- ½ cup milk
- 1 packet (1.25 ounces) taco seasoning mix
- 2 cups instant mashed potato flakes
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 can (15 ounces) refried beans
- ½ cup barbecue sauce
- Shredded Cheddar cheese, shredded lettuce, chopped fresh tomatoes, diced onions, sour cream, and/or your favorite taco toppings, for serving (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the milk and 2 tablespoons of the taco seasoning. Remove from the heat and stir in the mashed potato flakes. Press the mixture into the bottom and slightly up the sides of an ungreased 10-inch ovenproof pie plate.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef, sprinkle it with the salt and pepper, and cook, using a wooden spoon to break it into small, crumbled pieces, until fully browned, about 10 minutes. Carefully drain off and discard the grease. Add the refried beans, barbecue sauce, ¼ cup water, and the remaining taco seasoning to the skillet and cook, stirring until the mixture is bubbly, 10 minutes.
- Turn the beef mixture out into the prepared crust. Bake, uncovered, until the casserole is bubbly, 30 to 35 minutes.
- Cut the casserole into squares and serve with whatever taco toppings you enjoy.
Come Home to Supper
by Christy Jordan
Conceived and written to reflect the reality of today’s hectic schedules—and the need to gather around the dinner table—Come Home to Supper offers more than 200 deeply satisfying dishes that are budget-minded, kid-friendly, and quick. These are the everyday meals that Christy Jordan most loves to cook, and her family most loves to eat, and she serves them up with generous helpings of her folksy wisdom, gratitude, and lively stories.
GET THE BOOK: Amazon | B&N | ebooks.com | Google Play | iBooks | Kobo
