Spicy Beef Taco Bake

---

SERVES 6 TO 8 • TO PREP 1 HOUR • STORE UP TO 24 HOURS • TO FINISH 1 HOUR

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: Our spicy beef taco bake packs all the great texture and flavor of taco night into an easy one-dish meal. We used 93 percent lean ground beef instead of the usual 90 percent because we found that excess grease pooled on the bottom of the dish overnight. We flavored the beef with onion, garlic, chili powder, and oregano, blooming the seasonings in oil to bring out their complex flavors. A good amount of chili powder and Ro-tel tomatoes gave this dish a multilayered heat that built up during the overnight sit. We included refried beans to give this meal another hearty layer of flavor. Layers of Colby Jack cheese helped to bind the beans and the meat. Taco shells broken into pieces and even more cheese made the perfect topping. If you can’t find Ro-tel tomatoes, substitute one 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained, and one 4-ounce can chopped green chiles, drained, reserving 6 tablespoons of the tomato juice and 2 tablespoons of the chile juice. Colby Jack cheese is also known as CoJack; if unavailable, substitute Monterey Jack cheese. Be sure to buy 93 percent lean ground beef or the finished casserole will be too greasy. Serve with your favorite taco toppings such as shredded lettuce, sour cream, chopped red onion, and/or salsa. See the sidebar that follows the recipe.

1	tablespoon vegetable oil
1	onion, chopped fine
	Salt and pepper
3	tablespoons chili powder
4	garlic cloves, minced
2	teaspoons minced fresh oregano or ½ teaspoon dried
1½	pounds 93 percent lean ground beef
2	(10-ounce) cans Ro-tel Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, drained with ½ cup juice reserved
2	teaspoons cider vinegar
1	teaspoon packed brown sugar
1	(16-ounce) can refried beans
¼	cup minced fresh cilantro
4	ounces Colby Jack cheese, shredded (1 cup)

TO FINISH AND SERVE
12	taco shells, broken into 1-inch pieces
2	ounces Colby Jack cheese, shredded (½ cup)
2	scallions, sliced thin

TO PREP

1. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and ½ teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in chili powder, garlic, and oregano and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add ground beef and cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes.

2. Stir in half of tomatoes, reserved tomato juice, vinegar, and sugar. Bring to simmer and cook until mixture is very thick, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

3. Mix remaining tomatoes, refried beans, and cilantro together, then spread in 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle ½ cup Colby Jack over top. Spread cooled beef mixture in dish and sprinkle with remaining ½ cup Colby Jack.

TO STORE

4. Wrap dish tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.

TO FINISH AND SERVE

5. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Unwrap dish, scatter taco shell pieces over top, and sprinkle with Colby Jack. Cover dish tightly with greased aluminum foil and bake casserole until hot throughout and bubbling around edges, about 25 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake until topping is spotty brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with scallions and serve.