Beef Taco Bake
By America's Test KitchenPublished on March 8, 2011
Yield
Serves 6
Ingredients
1 (16-ounce) can refried beans 2 (10-ounce) cans Ro-Tel tomatoes, drained with ½ cup juice reserved¼ cup minced fresh cilantro leaves 1 tablespoon hot sauce 8 ounces Colby Jack cheese, shredded (2 cups)1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 medium onion, mincedSalt and ground black pepper 4 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 4 teaspoons)2 tablespoons chili powder 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground coriander ½ teaspoon dried oregano 1 ½ pounds 90 percent lean ground beef 2 teaspoons cider vinegar 1 teaspoon light or dark brown sugar 12 taco shells, broken into 1-inch pieces2 scallions, sliced thin
Before You Begin
If you can’t find Ro-Tel tomatoes, substitute one 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes and one 4-ounce can chopped green chiles, reserving 6 tablespoons of the tomato juice and 2 tablespoons of the chile juice. You can substitute 4 ounces each of Colby and Jack cheeses for the Colby Jack cheese.
Instructions
- Adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix the refried beans, half of the drained tomatoes, cilantro, and hot sauce together, then smooth the mixture evenly into a 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle 1 cup of the cheese over the top.
- Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, and oregano and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in the beef and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the remaining tomatoes, reserved tomato juice, vinegar, and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook until the mixture is thickened and nearly dry, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Spread the beef mixture in the baking dish and sprinkle with 1/2 cup more cheese. Scatter the taco shell pieces over the top, then sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese.
- Bake until the filling is bubbling and the top is spotty brown, about 15 minutes. Let the casserole cool for 10 minutes, then sprinkle with the scallions and serve.
- Prepare the ground beef filling through step 3, then let cool to room temperature before continuing to assemble the casserole in step
- Cover the casserole with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Remove the plastic wrap and bake as directed in step 5, increasing the cooking time to 20 minutes.
to make ahead
Yield
Serves 6Ingredients
1 (16-ounce) can refried beans
2 (10-ounce) cans Ro-Tel tomatoes, drained with ½ cup juice reserved
¼ cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon hot sauce
8 ounces Colby Jack cheese, shredded (2 cups)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, minced
Salt and ground black pepper
4 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 4 teaspoons)
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 ½ pounds 90 percent lean ground beef
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon light or dark brown sugar
12 taco shells, broken into 1-inch pieces
2 scallions, sliced thin
Ingredients
1 (16-ounce) can refried beans
2 (10-ounce) cans Ro-Tel tomatoes, drained with ½ cup juice reserved
¼ cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon hot sauce
8 ounces Colby Jack cheese, shredded (2 cups)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, minced
Salt and ground black pepper
4 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 4 teaspoons)
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 ½ pounds 90 percent lean ground beef
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon light or dark brown sugar
12 taco shells, broken into 1-inch pieces
2 scallions, sliced thin
Ingredients
1 (16-ounce) can refried beans
2 (10-ounce) cans Ro-Tel tomatoes, drained with ½ cup juice reserved
¼ cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon hot sauce
8 ounces Colby Jack cheese, shredded (2 cups)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, minced
Salt and ground black pepper
4 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 4 teaspoons)
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 ½ pounds 90 percent lean ground beef
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon light or dark brown sugar
12 taco shells, broken into 1-inch pieces
2 scallions, sliced thin
Why This Recipe Works
We chose 90 percent lean beef for our Beef Taco Bake recipe, then flavored it with onion, garlic, and our own chili powder mixture, blooming it in oil to bring out its complex flavors. To bind the meat and its flavorings, we created a sauce with canned Ro-Tel tomatoes, cider vinegar, and brown sugar. To best incorporate the taco shells into our Beef Taco Bake recipe, we crushed them into bite-size pieces and scattered them on top of the beef before transferring it to the oven.
Before You Begin
If you can’t find Ro-Tel tomatoes, substitute one 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes and one 4-ounce can chopped green chiles, reserving 6 tablespoons of the tomato juice and 2 tablespoons of the chile juice. You can substitute 4 ounces each of Colby and Jack cheeses for the Colby Jack cheese.
Instructions
- Adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix the refried beans, half of the drained tomatoes, cilantro, and hot sauce together, then smooth the mixture evenly into a 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle 1 cup of the cheese over the top.
- Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, and oregano and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in the beef and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the remaining tomatoes, reserved tomato juice, vinegar, and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook until the mixture is thickened and nearly dry, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Spread the beef mixture in the baking dish and sprinkle with 1/2 cup more cheese. Scatter the taco shell pieces over the top, then sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese.
- Bake until the filling is bubbling and the top is spotty brown, about 15 minutes. Let the casserole cool for 10 minutes, then sprinkle with the scallions and serve.
- Prepare the ground beef filling through step 3, then let cool to room temperature before continuing to assemble the casserole in step
- Cover the casserole with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Remove the plastic wrap and bake as directed in step 5, increasing the cooking time to 20 minutes.
to make ahead
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