Taco Fiesta!

Last night I made a Taco Casserole for dinner. It wasn't bad and it came together pretty easily too. I found this recipe in my neighborhood cookbook yet again. I never realized how talented the neighbors were when it came to cooking. The recipe called for cream of chicken soup and ground beef. In an attempt to stay dairy free I made my own dairy free cream base and added almond milk. I should have tasted the base as I was making it because it was little too sweet as a result of the milk. It needed just a little bit more salt. Professional chefs always say you should taste your sauces during the preparation phase. I don't usually taste my cooking as I am making it. I believe I have learned my lesson with this one.

However, the cream sauce was mixed with ground turkey which I used in place of the beef because I like ground turkey more than beef. I also mixed in a can of vegetarian re-fried beans and a jar of salsa. By mixing the meat, beans, and salsa in with the cream sauce it gave it the extra saltiness it needed.

The recipe also had corn tortillas spread throughout the casserole. I don't usually like corn tortillas unless they are crisp, but they crisp up in this recipe.

After the casserole was done baking I served it with shredded lettuce, more salsa, and some chipotle Tabasco sauce. My husband liked the salsa and I liked the Tabasco sauce on top.

There was also cheese in this recipe, but again I am attempting to avoid dairy as much as possible so I used a non-dairy cheese. I have an acquaintance from high school who is vegan and she wrote a blog about this non-dairy cheese that is made from rice, so a few months ago I decided to give it a whirl. It isn't half bad and for someone who really likes cheese, I really like this non-dairy "cheese."
Don't ask me what the name of the brand is because I honestly cannot remember.

Below is the recipe to the best of my memory. I left the cookbook at home, so I am going off of memory.


Taco Casserole
1 lb. ground beef or turkey, browned
1 can of refried beans
1 jar of salsa
About 6 corn tortillas torn into pieces
1 can of cream of chicken soup
splash of milk
shredded cheese of choice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the browned beef or turkey with the beans and salsa, set aside. Mix together the cream of chicken soup and milk, set aside. In a casserole, add a layer of the meat mixture, then layer some of the tortillas on top, then add some of the soup mixture. Repeat the layers until used. Sprinkle as little or as much cheese on top and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until bubbly.

Serve with favorite taco toppings and sides.