Our regular followers know we love beef and tacos and pies. This recipe brings all of those favorite things together into a flavorful savory dinner dish.

Recently while making sweet pies, I needed to make a second batch of homemade crust because I had lots of leftover filling. That’s the challenge with making pies from scratch. The crust and filling often don’t match perfectly in quantity.

No problem!

When I made extra crust, I had lots leftover and decided to make a savory pie for dinner. This was a night when a side dish I’d already planned helped me decide how to proceed with the main dish. I had made a slow-cooker cheese and black bean dip to serve with chips because I had tons of leftover Velveeta from making this macaroni and cheese recipe we love.

So, we already had a Mexican thing going. That, and the presence of a whole extra pie crust, led me to whip up this Taco Pie on the spur of the moment.

I believe I do my best cooking when I improvise on the fly. It’s the one thing I enjoy doing without a plan, especially when I’m cooking for my wife who’s so warm and receptive to my kitchen experimentation.

This is a super easy way to enjoy a dinner that’s a little bit hamburger casserole, a little bit taco, a little bit Sloppy Joe and a little bit savory pie. Test it out and let us know if you enjoy it as much as we do! As always, you can leave out most any of the ingredients you don’t particularly enjoy, perhaps with the exceptions of the seasoned meat and cheese. Add what suits your tastes. The only rule is enjoy!

 

Taco Pie

What you need:

1 pie crust*

1 pound ground beef

2 cups Mexican blend cheese

1/4 cup ketchup 

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 t chili powder

1 t garlic salt

1 t paprika

 

What you do:

*Make homemade pie crust recipe you prefer, roll out a store-bought crust OR take crescent rolls and press evenly into pie plate.

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Brown ground beef, drain, wipe pan clean, and sauté onions and peppers.

3. In a bowl, mix beef, onions, peppers, 1 cup of cheese, ketchup, cilantro, paprika, chili powder and garlic salt. Spread mixture into crust.

4. Cover with 1 cup of cheese.

5. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until crust is cooked and cheese is melted nicely.

Serve it up!