Tacos and burritos are my favorite foods, and I always love a new variation on epicness. This vegetarian taco pie is easy to make, delicious and filling. I substituted vegetarian meat, but the original recipe calls for 12 oz ground beef. The original recipe also uses Queso Fresco. While I love Queso Fresco, there’s just nothing better than a bite of gooey melty Mexican cheese (Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Asadero & Quesadilla).
Active time: 35 min // Total time: 50 min
You’ll need:
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 7 large corn tortillas, halved
- 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 package MorningStar Farms Grillers Crumbles or Chickn Strips
- 1 (14.5-oz.) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (15-oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped and divided
- 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
- Sour cream to garnish
- Lime to garnish
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium-high in a large skillet. Cook half of tortillas, flipping as they cook, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Add another tablespoon of oil and repeat with remaining tortillas. Set aside.
2. Add remaining tablespoon of oil to skillet. When oil is shimmering, add onion and garlic and cook until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add salt, cumin, and chili powder and cook for another minute. In the same pot, add ground beef or vegetarian substitute and break apart with a spoon. Stir mixture until meat is browned and no pink remains, about 4 minutes (you can also cook in a separate pot then pour into main skillet).
3. Add tomatoes, chiles, and black beans. Simmer until mixture thickens and most of the liquid has cooked off, about 10 minutes.
4. In a pie plate greased with cooking spray, layer half of the cooked tortilla halves on the bottom of the pie plate. Spread half of the meat mixture on top of the tortillas. Sprinkle the surface with 1/4 cup fresh cilantro. Cover the meat and cilantro with half of the shredded cheese. Repeat layering with remaining tortillas, meat, cilantro, and cheese. Cover pie plate with aluminum foil and bake for 12 minutes.
5. Allow to cool slightly before serving and garnishing with sour cream, whole cilantro leaves, and a fresh squeeze of lime juice.
Source: Adapted from a recipe by Southern Living