Taco Pie

Here's a recipe that I whipped up on Saturday for lunch. It's adapted from one of Doris Christopher's Pampered Chef Cookbooks, Stoneware Sensations. Knowing that everyone likes tacos, I thought this would be quick and delicious.

Crust:

1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoons cornmean, divided - I used white cornmeal because it's what I had but yellow cornmeal would have given the crust a nicer golden color

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup milk

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Filling:

1 pound ground beef

1 packet taco seasoning

1/2 cup chunky salsa

1 cup (4 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded iceburg lettuce

1/2 cup chopped tomato

1/4 cup pitted, sliced ripe black olives

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray Pam in a 9" pie plate (stoneware, if you have it). Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the cornmeal evenly onto bottom and sides of prepared pie plate.

For crust, combine the remaining 1/4 cup cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Add milk and oil; stir until mixture forms a ball. Transfer to a lightly floured surface. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out crust to a 10-inch circle. Place in prepared pie plate; shape edge to form rim (my crust circle didn't get big enough to go the entire way to the rim, which is ok).

For filling, cook ground beef in a large frying pan until no longer pink. Add taco seasoning and water (according to the packet's instructions), reduce heat and let mixture thicken for a few minutes. Stir in the salsa. Spoon beef mix into pie crust; sprinkle with the cheese. Bake about 13 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted.

Top pie with lettuce, tomato, and olives, as well as any other favorite taco toppings (sour cream, guacamole, beans, jalapenos, extra salsa or taco sauce, etc.).

There is only lettuce on 1/2 because my brother doesn't like tomato chunks and black olives!

This would be very tasty and super simply to throw together on a busy night because all the ingredients are pantry/fridge staples. And it's less messy than struggling with cracking shells and torn tortillas. Enjoy!