Taco pie? Yep! A tortilla crust, your favorite taco filling, topped with cheese and baked in the oven until the tortillas are crispy and the cheese has melted. My kids go crazy when they hear we are having taco pie!
Quick, easy and wholesome taco pie, sounds good right? Did I get you at quick and easy? Well, it gets better. You can fill it with your favorite mixture; beans, corn, veggies. And you can (even) add shredded chicken or pork, ground beef or even steak. And then top it with cheese and slide it into the oven so it melts!
What is a taco pie?
A taco pie is a fun way of having tacos. Your Taco Tuesday will be served in a casserole or pie pan (with removable bottom for easy lift) with your favorite taco filling and lots of melted cheese.
How I make this taco pie?
The taco pie filling
I start by cutting all the veggies in small cubes. Usually I use red onion, bell pepper and zucchini for my taco pie filling.
Once everything is cubed, I heat up a high rimmed skillet or cast iron pan and add a bit of oil to it. I start by adding the onions and minced garlic. Once the onion turns translucent, I add the ground beef (but often I make a vegetarian taco pie, so I skip this part), salt, pepper and seasoning. Once the ground beef is cooked, I add the veggies and sautée them. If I use shredded chicken, pork or steak strips, I add them to the pan at this point. I combine everything by stirring it all with a wooden spatula. Now the filling is ready. I turn of the heat and continue with the ‘pie crust’.
The taco pie crust
To make the pie crust I simply layer (homemade whole wheat) tortillas in a lightly greased pie pan (with removable bottom) or casserole dish. I make sure they overlap enough and there is enough space/height for the refried beans, the filling and cheese layer.
The first layer
I spread refried beans on the bottom of the pie. If you don’t like this, you can skip it. I do it to make sure the tortillas don’t get soggy from the moisture in the filling. The (thin) layer of refried beans prevents the liquid from the filling from seeping into the tortilla layer.
The second layer
Now I add the filling that I just made in a skillet to the pie pan and spread it out over the refried beans. So now there are two layers; the refried beans and on top of that the filling.
The third layer
The last layer of this taco pie is cheese. I usually use a mix of cheeses. In these pictures I used mozzarella and cheddar, but you can use other types of cheeses to your liking.
Bake the taco pie in the oven
Since the filling has been made in a skillet already, the taco pie doesn’t have to bake in the oven for long. Just to get the crust crispy, the filling to heat up a bit more and the cheese to melt. I bake the taco pie in a preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, until the edges are crispy and the cheese is melted. Sometimes I turn on the broiler the last 3-5 minutes to get the cheese to turn golden brown. Just keep an eye on the tortilla crust!
Taco pie garnishing
When the taco pie comes out of the oven it is immediately ready to serve. I top it with our favorite garnishing; guacamole, chopped cilantro, sometimes cherry tomatoes and a dollop of sour cream.
We all love taco pie here in our household. We hope you (and your family) do too. It is
quick and easy to make – made with wholesome ingredients – a fun take on tacos – adjustable – and so delicious!
Looking for more Mexican inspired recipes? How about these carne asado tacos with cherry tomato pico de gallo, sesame panfried avocado and shrimp tacos, roasted cauliflower tinga tacos with avo-crema, grilled mahi mahi- and pineapple tacos, or these healthy but oh so yummy summer nachos?
Quick, easy and wholesome taco pie
Equipment
- 1 pie pan or casserole dish (optional with removable bottom for easy lift out of the pan)
Ingredients
Taco pie crust
- 1 tbsp avocado oil (for greasing the pan)(or other oil like coconut or olive oil)(or use spray)
- 6-8 medium size (homemade whole wheat***) tortillas
First layer
- ½ cup refried beans (enough to cover the bottom of the taco pie)
Taco filling (second layer)
- 1 medium (red) onion (diced)
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1 lb ground beef (or sub shredded chicken or pork)(optional; you can keep it vegetarian)
- 2-2½ tsp taco seasoning (to taste)(or mix it yourself**)
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- 1 red bell pepper (diced)
- 1 small zucchini (diced)
- 1 small can corn (drained)
- 1 can (black/red) beans (drained)(or homemade*)
Third layer
- 1½-2 cups grated cheese (I used mozzarella and cheddar, but you can use other cheese of your liking as well)
Garnishing (optional)
- ¼ cup guacamole (and/or more on the side)
- 1 handful cilantro (chopped)
- 1 small jalapeño (cut into rings, seeds removed)
- ¼ cup cherry tomatoes (cut in half)
- ¼ cup sour cream
Instructions
Taco pie filling
- Heat up a high rimmed skillet or cast iron pan and add a tbsp of oil to it. Once hot, add the onions and minced garlic.
- Once the onion turns translucent, add the ground beef (if you are using ground beef), salt, pepper and seasoning.
- Once the ground beef is cooked, add the veggies – bell pepper and zucchini – and sautée them. Then add the corn and the beans. If you use shredded chicken or pork, add them to the pan at this point as well. Combine everything by stirring it all with a wooden spatula.
- The taco pie filling is ready; turn of the heat and continue with the 'pie crust'.
The taco pie crust
- Brush or spray oil in your pie pan or casserole to grease it.
- Now layer the tortillas in it. Make sure the tortillas overlap enough and are sticking out the pan a bit so it will hold all of the refried beans, filling and cheese.
The first layer; refried beans
- Add the refried beans on the bottom of the pie and spread it out with a knife or the backside of a spoon. If you don't like this, you can skip this step. It does help to make sure the tortillas don't get soggy from the moisture in the filling.
The second layer; the filling
- Now add the taco pie filling to the pie pan and spread it out over the refried beans.
The third layer; the cheese
- Divided the grated cheese over the filling. The taco pie is now ready to go into the oven.
Bake the taco pie
- Bake the taco pie in a preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, until the edges are crispy and the cheese has melted. You can turn on the broiler the last 3-5 minutes to get the cheese to turn golden brown and crispy, but that is optional. If you do, just keep an eye on the tortilla crust so it doesn't burn!
Garnishing the taco pie (optional)
- When the taco pie comes out of the oven it is immediately ready to serve. Top it with your favorite garnishing; guacamole, chopped cilantro, jalapeño, cherry tomatoes and a dollop of sour cream.
Notes
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
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