Taco Casserole in the Crockpot

I happen to be a Mexican food lover. When I was a kid, my mom used to make taco casserole in the oven. Being a crockpot lover, I wanted to create this childhood recipe for the crockpot.

All of the recipes I found called for ground beef. I really prefer ground turkey so that's what I use. Start with one to one and a half pounds of ground meat. You can also try a combination of ground meats. The smaller the crockpot, the less meat you'll need. Grab a skillet large enough for the meat and some onions, pepper and garlic.

Crockpot

Brown the ground beef or turkey with one medium onion, chopped, one clove of garlic minced and a half cup of chopped green pepper. If you want to add a bit of red or yellow peppers for coloring, chop up a little bit of those too. Once the vegetables become transparent and the meat is cooked, drain the grease from the meat.

You can turn the heat off, but use your skillet as a mixing bowl. Add in one fifteen ounce can of tomato sauce, one teaspoon of chili powder and about 3 drops of Tabasco sauce. Depending on your taste, you can add more or less Tabasco sauce. I prefer my food a bit milder, so I use just enough for some flavor. Mix this all together.

Now it's time to begin putting it together in the crockpot. You'll be creating layers. Depending on the size of your crockpot, you'll have four to six layers. Start with a layer of meat mixture on the bottom. Next spread some frozen corn on top of the meat. If you only have canned corn, you can use that though I prefer the frozen variety. You'll use about one quarter cup of corn per layer. Your next layer will be canned chili with beans. You'll use a total of about two cans. But remember, you're using only a little bit on each layer. My daughter is not fond of beans, so we mix one can of chili with beans and one can of chili without beans. This makes the overall bean count less per serving. On top of this layer, you'll put nacho cheese tortilla strips. Finally, on top of that sprinkle grated cheese. I like both Mexican blend cheese and also grated cheddar. Place cover on crockpot and cook on low between six and eight hours. The larger crockpots will use more time than the smaller crockpots.

Once you serve this up, consider placing sliced olives, chives or slices of avocado on top.

Taco Casserole in the Crockpot

Audrey's mom always entertained when she was growing up. Audrey learned to prepare for large groups and has often entertained 15-30 people in her home at a time. You can find more great recipes at http://www.recipe-barn.com

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