Beef Taco Bake

By DreiFromBK

Ingredients

• 2 (10-ounce) cans Ro-Tel tomatoes (see note), drained, 1/2 cup juice reserved
• 1 (16-ounce) can refried beans
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 3 cups shredded Mexican-style cheese
• 1 1/2 pounds 90-percent lean ground beef
• 1 (1.25-ounce) package low-sodium taco seasoning mix
• 12 taco shells
• 3 scallions, sliced thin

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from cookscountry.com

Preparation

Step 1

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Our Beef Taco Bake recipe gets rid of the mess caused by individual bowls of ingredients, and cooks up quickly in a single baking dish. Our recipe calls for Ro-Tel tomatoes, but if you can't find them, you can still make the recipe—just substitute one 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes and one 4-ounce can chopped green chiles. (Since our Beef Taco Bake recipe only uses a tablespoon of hot sauce, any heat level of chiles will do.)

(1.25-ounce) package low-sodium taco seasoning mix

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 475 degrees. Combine half of tomatoes, beans, hot sauce, and cilantro in bowl. Spread evenly in 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 cup cheese.

Cook beef in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Pour off fat, then stir in taco seasoning, remaining tomatoes, and reserved tomato juice. Simmer over medium-low heat until thickened and nearly dry, 5 to 7 minutes.

Spoon 1 tablespoon cheese into each taco shell and top with beef mixture. Arrange tacos upright in bean mixture, cover with foil, and bake until bubbling, about 10 minutes. Remove foil, top with remaining cheese, and bake until cheese is melted, about 6 minutes. Sprinkle with scallions. Serve.