This is DonRodolfo's fault. He asked for a sleeve-friendly taco recipe so here's mine. Pics on the blog at http://sleevers.wordpress.com/2013/10/05/taco-casserole-high-protein-gluten-free-low-carb/

Yesterday was national Taco day and I wanted a taco. Well, let’s be honest, I just wanted a taco and it happened to be National Taco day which was a great excuse!

I’ve been wanting to try this very simple casserole that would be family-friendly. Unlike many of my recipes, this does rely on ready-made seasonings and a can (gasp!) but what the heck. It still tasted great! I made this with no chips or taco shells.

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground beef

1 tbsp taco seasoning (I use a big jar from Costco)

1 c fat-free refried beans (Rosarita’s can).

1/2 c grated cheese

4 campari tomatoes chopped

Garnish

Sour cream

Guacamole

Salsa

Chopped Onions

Chopped lettuce

Method

1. Brown ground beef and add taco seasoning. Mix well.

2. Heat oven to 400 degrees

3. Layer taco meat in a pan. I used a glass one because I thought it would be pretty to see the layers. The boys came into the kitchen attracted by the smell and dug into it before I could take a picture so…maybe use whatever you want.

3. Empty half a can of the refried beans. Add enough water to liquefy slightly. You want this to be like a thick pancake batter so you can spread it around properly. Once this is done, spread on top of the taco meat.

4. Cover mixture with cheese, and chopped tomatoes. My dog loves raw tomatoes so I had to chop an extra one. YMMV.

5. Bake in oven for 20 mins or until cheese is melted. If you want the top browned, turn your oven to broil and have at it. My kids were too hungry to wait.

6. Serve with garnishes on the side and let each diner pick their toppings.

Sounds scrumptious!

YEEEEEEEEEEEEES!! FINALLY!! SOMETHING I CAN EAT! THANKS FOR SHARING!!

YEEEEEEEEEEEEES!! FINALLY!! SOMETHING I CAN EAT! THANKS FOR SHARING!!

Try the pumpkin caramel bake as well. soft food, high protein. Not as good as a real desert, but beats a protein shake!

OMG!! ANYTHING IS BETTER THAN A BROKEN SHAKE! My tummy is on REJECT with those so I'm looking for other things to eat. I can't drink or eat the same thing too much because my tummy won't like it anymore but I've been CRAVING tacos....YUMMO!! I'm def gonna try that pumpkin bake!! THANKS!!