CRUNCHY CHEESY TACO BAKE - easy one-pan meal


Oh, what to do with that last bit of leftover pasta sauce and the other half pound of ground beef, just waiting for me in the fridge?  It's hard sometimes to cook for just one or two people - you almost always have leftover ingredients.  I really, really didn't want to have spaghetti again, even though it's easy, quick, two-pan allure was calling to me.

Enter, Taco Bake!  It sounds really strange, but I promise you it tastes great.  The best part is that it is so versatile, I ended up using up a lot of leftovers to make it!

Serves: two to three
Time: 15- 20 minutes
YOU WILL NEED:

1/2 lb. ground beef (or turkey, sausage, steak, anything you have)
2 T. spaghetti sauce (or stewed tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, or 2 tsp. tomato paste)
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped
3/4 cup corn (frozen, fresh, or canned)
1 T. sour cream (I used leftover sour cream dip)
1/2 c. crushed chips or hard tortilla shells (Doritos would be good on this)
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese(or whatever cheese you have)
1 packet taco seasoning (or:
1 tsp. mexican oregano
1 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. lawrys or salt
1/4 tsp. onion powder)

for garnishing:
(basically anything you like to eat on tacos) 
chopped tomatoes
chopped cilantro
chopped avocado, etc.

*Note: If you don't have all the ingredients, don't worry.  You can make this without or with more or less of anything, it's pretty foolproof (and that's half the fun of cooking - making it your own!)




Preheat the oven to 350'

In a pan that can go in the oven, such as all cast-iron, brown your meat on medium heat.  While the meat is starting to brown, add the onions, jalapenos, tomato, and spices.



When the meat is cooked through, add the corn and green peppers and cook on medium heat for three minutes while stirring.



Take off the heat and mix in the sour cream.  Sprinkle the top with the cheese and then the chips. Bake it in the oven for 7 to 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Serve it with piles of fresh things to garnish it with and enjoy!