Okay, okay… don’t let the title freak you out too much. Taco Salad Bake doesn’t come ladened with warm, wilted lettuce. No, we would never do such a thing to you. Instead, what you get is a big batch of flavorful taco meat, complete with smooth refried beans and crunchy chips, to create a real Tex-Mex masterpiece. After that gets baked to gooey, cheesy goodness, that’s when the salad portion of this project comes into play! Top the Taco Salad Bake with fresh, crisp lettuce, tangy olives, creamy sour cream, and spicy picante sauce and get the salad party started! It’s so taco-tasty!
Ingredients
For the taco bake:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/4 cup onion, chopped
- 1/4 cup green pepper, chopped
- 1 (1-ounce) envelope taco seasoning
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup tortilla chips, crushed
- 1 (16-ounce) can refried beans
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Optional toppings:
- lettuce, to taste, chopped
- tomatoes, to taste, chopped
- olives, to taste, sliced
- sour cream, to taste
- picante sauce, to taste
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Step 2 –Grease an 8×8-inch baking dish.
Step 3 –In a large skillet over medium heat, add the beef, the onion, and the green pepper and cook, while crumbling the meat, until the beef is no longer pink. Drain the excess grease.
Step 4 –Stir the taco seasoning and the water into the beef mixture and cook, while stirring, until it has thickened, about 3 minutes.
Step 5 –Pour the crushed chips into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
Step 6 –In a small bowl, add the refried beans and stir them so that they are equally covered in their juices.
Step 7 –Spread the refried beans over the chip layer and top with the beef mixture and then the cheese.
Step 8 –Bake the taco bake until it is heated through, about 15-20 minutes.
Step 9 –Serve the taco bake with your preferred toppings.
