Week 39: Recipe #2--Baked Tacos

This is a great way to make tacos for a large group of people, plus they were really good.  These were super easy to make, and were pretty quick, too.  I found this recipe on Pinterest, and it comes from a site called Blog Chef (see link below).  I served these tacos with some spanish rice and watermelon.  Makes 20 tacos.

Photo from blogchef.net

You'll Need:

• 2 lbs. ground beef
• 4 tsp. dried minced onion
• 3 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. cornstarch
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
• 1 (16 oz.) can refried beans
• 2 c. shredded colby-jack cheese
• 20 hard taco shells
• optional garnishes:  sour cream, salsa, tomatoes, avocado, lettuce

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a small bowl combine onion, chili powder, cornstarch, garlic powder, cumin oregano, and cayenne pepper.  Mix well and set aside.
3. In a large skillet, brown ground beef over med-high heat.  Drain off any excess liquid.  Add refried beans, tomato sauce, and prepared taco seasoning.  Mix well.
4. Spoon the taco meat mixture into the taco shells and place into a 13 x 9 inch baking dish, standing up.  (I had to also use an 8 x 8 to fit all 20 tacos.)  Sprinkle cheese over the top of the taco meat in each shell.  Place into the oven for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the tacos are heated through.  Remove from the oven and top with any additional garnishes for serving.

Recipe and link:  http://blogchef.net/baked-tacos-recipe/