We are a full two weeks into our one-month spending freeze and so far, so good. I thought for sure we would run out of food in a week but at this point both our freezer and pantry are still brimming, which makes me think a.) we may have had too much stuff and b.) we could probably extend our spending freeze for another month without even coming close to running out of food.

DIG DEEPER

Meal planning eliminates dinnertime stress and overspending. Rather than navigating weeknight meals without a plan, go in with a plan and dinner is served. Simple!

 

In all honesty, the hardest part about figuring out what to cook is the mental block of thinking there is nothing to make, when in fact there are all sorts of ingredients to choose from. The other night Husband suggested we have tacos, which sounded great until I realized we only had 3 stale taco shells, so I decided to improvise and came up with this vegetarian Taco Casserole instead.

It was a HIT! The girls chowed it and husband thought it was one of our best vegetarian meals ever, which is saying something since he is far more of a meat-and-potatoes than tofu kinda guy. It was also super easy & pretty much foolproof–a great one to have the kids help with.

Even if you’re not vegetarian, cutting out meat a couple times a week is a great way to save on groceries. That said, you could easily substitute ground beef if you really want meat. 🙂

 

Ingredients
1 package vegetarian crumbles (or 1 pound ground beef, if preferred)
3 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1 cup water
2 packages taco seasoning
1 can black beans, rinsed & drained
1 15oz can diced tomatoes
1 can corn, drained
1 cup Bisquick
1/2 cup sour cream
3 eggs
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese + 1 additional cup
1/2 cup tortilla chips or taco shells, crumbled into small pieces (stale is okay)
sour cream & salsa to garnish (optional: lettuce, tomatoes, olives, etc.)

Combine butter brown vegetarian crumbles, water, taco seasoning, tomatoes, black beans and corn in large saucepan

Step 1:  Melt butter in large saucepan over medium high heat; brown vegetarian crumbles 5-7 minutes. Add water and taco seasoning, then add tomatoes, black beans, & corn. Stir until well blended then remove from heat.

Mix Bisquick, sour cream, eggs and shredded cheese in bowl until well blended

Step 2:  Mix Bisquick, sour cream, eggs, & 2 cups shredded cheese in bowl until well blended.

Spread out Bisquick mixture evenly over beans in casserole dish

Step 3:  Grease 9×13″ pan; pour in bean mixture. Spread out Bisquick mixture evenly over beans. Bake in 375 degree oven for approximately 30 minutes, until top is golden.

Sprinkle tortilla chips and shredded cheese on top of taco casserole

Step 4: Remove from oven; sprinkle crumbled tortilla chips and remaining shredded cheese; bake 5 more minutes until cheese is melted. Top with sour cream and salsa, if desired.

This family pleasing quick & easy taco recipe whips up in just 15 minutes, and is ready to eat in just 45! Great go-to meal for busy weeknights.

Print

Quick & Easy Taco Casserole

A quick & easy recipe using ingredients you probably already have on hand that the whole family will love!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword Quick & Easy Taco Casserole
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 8 people

Ingredients

  • 1 package vegetarian crumbles or 1 pound ground beef, if preferred
  • 3 tablespoons butter or olive oil
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 packages taco seasoning
  • 1 can black beans rinsed & drained
  • 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
  • 1 can corn drained
  • 1 cup Bisquick
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese + 1 additional cup
  • 1/2 cup tortilla chips or taco shells crumbled into small pieces (stale is okay)
  • sour cream & salsa to garnish optional: lettuce, tomatoes, olives, etc.

Instructions

  1. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium high heat; brown vegetarian crumbles 5-7 minutes. Add water and taco seasoning, then add tomatoes, black beans, & corn. Stir until well blended then remove from heat.
  2. Mix Bisquick, sour cream, eggs, & 2 cups shredded cheese in bowl until well blended.
  3. Grease 9x13" pan; pour in bean mixture. Spread out Bisquick mixture evenly over beans. Bake in 375 degree oven for approximately 30 minutes, until top is golden.
  4. Remove from oven; sprinkle crumbled tortilla chips and remaining shredded cheese; bake 5 more minutes until cheese is melted. Top with sour cream and salsa, if desired.

This family pleasing quick & easy taco recipe whips up in just 15 minutes, and is ready to eat in just 45! Great go-to meal for busy weeknights.

Ruth Soukup

Ruth Soukup

Founder at Living Well Spending Less
Ruth Soukup is dedicated to helping people everywhere create a life they love by follwing their dreams and achieving their biggest goals. She is the host of the wildly popular Do It Scared podcast, as well as the founder of Living Well Spending Less® and Elite Blog Academy®. She is also the New York Times bestselling author of six books, including Do It Scared®: Finding the Courage to Face Your Fears, Overcome Obstacles, and Create a Life You Love, which was the inspiration for this book. She lives in Florida with her husband Chuck, and 2 daughters Maggie & Annie.
Ruth Soukup