Pioneer Woman Beef Taco Casserole Recipes

TACO SHELLS AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
• Heat the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, crumbling it with a wooden spoon, until browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder and paprika. Stir in the diced tomatoes and chiles, hot water, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and bring to a simmer. Cook until the sauce thickens, 2 to 3 minutes, then remove to a bowl (it will still be a little juicy).
• In the same pan over medium heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and the milk and cook until hot and bubbling. Add the processed cheese and cook, stirring, until melted. Do the same with the Cheddar jack. Pour in the cooked pasta, add the taco meat and stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning, thinning with a splash of milk if needed. Stir in the cilantro.
• Top each serving with some sour cream and salsa if desired.

NACHO CHEESE CASSEROLE

Steps:

• For the sauce: In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the vegetable oil and flour. Cook, whisking, until it begins to bubble; let it bubble for 1 minute. Pour in the enchilada sauce, chicken broth, cumin and some salt and pepper. Raise the heat and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer while you prepare the meat.
• For the meat: Brown the ground beef with the garlic and onions in a large skillet over medium-high heat, 5 to 8 minutes. Drain the fat and stir in the cumin and salt to combine. Stir the meat into the simmering sauce and shut off the heat.
• For the casserole: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease one 9-by-13-inch aluminum foil baking dish and one 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.
• Break up the chips by crushing the bag slightly with your hands. Make sure not to over crush the chips; you're looking for pieces, not crumbs. Mix together the cheeses in a medium bowl.
• Divide a third of the broken chips between the prepared baking dishes. Top each with a quarter of the beef mixture and 2/3 cup of the cheese. Repeat, adding another layer of chips, beef mix and cheese to each. Finish by dividing the remaining chips between the baking dishes. Top each with 2/3 cup cheese.
• Cover the glass baking dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until bubbly, another 15 to 20 minutes.
• For the toppings: Top the cooked casserole with the shredded romaine, diced Roma tomatoes, sour cream and sliced black olives and green onions before serving.
• Allow the aluminum foil baking dish to cool completely while the other is baking. Once cool, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil. Transfer to the freezer.
• To bake from frozen, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Unwrap the baking dish and re-cover with foil. Bake, covered, for 35 to 40 minutes. Uncover and bake until bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes. Top with another batch of the toppings.

BEEF AND BEAN TACO CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the beef and sprinkle with the chili powder, cumin, oregano, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, breaking up the meat into smaller pieces, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes more. Add the beans, salsa and 1/2 cup water and bring to a simmer; cook until the sauce thickens and coats the meat, about 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. (This beef-and-bean mixture can be made up to a day ahead of time.)
• Lay half the tortilla chips on the bottom of the oiled casserole dish. Spread half the meat mixture on top. Sprinkle half the cheese blend over the meat. Repeat with the remaining chips, meat and cheese. Bake uncovered until the cheese melts and the casserole is hot, about 20 minutes.
• Top with sour cream, lettuce, tomato, avocado and pickled jalapenos if desired. Serve with more salsa and tortilla chips on the side.

BEEF TACOS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• For the beef: In a skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and onions. Cook until starting to soften, then add the ground beef. Cook the meat until it's totally browned, then drain the fat. Add the chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper and stir to combine. Add 1/2 cup hot water and stir. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
• For the fixins: Meanwhile, wrap the flour tortillas in foil and warm in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Right before serving, crisp the taco shells in the oven according to package instructions.
• Serve with the grated cheese, diced tomatoes and shredded lettuce.

MEXICAN TORTILLA CASSEROLE

Steps:

• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the tomatoes, onion and garlic, stir and cook for a minute or two to soften the onion. Add 2 teaspoons of the chili powder, 1 teaspoon of the paprika and 1 teaspoon of the cumin. Stir and cook the mixture for another minute or two to release the flavors of the spices. Remove the mixture to a bowl and set aside.
• In the same skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the chicken along with the remaining 2 teaspoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon cumin and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Saute the chicken until it's deep golden brown and done in the middle, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add 1 cup water and stir to make a sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil and cook until it's reduced by half, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the beans and set aside.
• To assemble the casserole, pour half a jar (about 1 cup) of salsa verde into the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish or disposable foil baking pan. Add a layer of half the tortillas on top of the salsa verde, overlapping the edges. Spoon the rice over the tortillas, spread the tomato mixture over the rice, then sprinkle the corn over the tomatoes. Next, add the chicken and bean mixture, then sprinkle on half the cheese and pour over half the enchilada sauce. Next, add the rest of the tortillas, then pour on the rest of the salsa verde and the rest of the enchilada sauce and sprinkle on the rest of the cheese.
• If you're baking the casserole right away, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and bake, covered with foil, for 20 minutes. Then remove the foil and continue baking for 15 to 20 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Serve with sour cream and cilantro.
• Find this recipe and more in Ree's new book, The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime ($30, William Morrow Cookbooks).