Ground beef and sauce, surrounded by buttery pastry and draped in melted cheddar cheese. You’ll never believe this Taco Bake only takes 30 minutes to make!
What do I love about a taco bake? Every single possible thing. But what I love about this specific taco bake is that I get a whole bunch of Mexican deliciousness baked into a buttery, crescent dough crust in just 15 minutes. It’s like a stromboli of a casserole—but fast and easy!
See, your usual Mexican casserole has you lining some tortillas on the bottom of a casserole dish and layering your beef and all your Mexican add-ons all atop them. But not this one. It’s like a surprise inside a surprise because that browned taco-seasoned beef, aromatics, and red sauce are just tucked inside a buttery, browned baked crescent roll shell that’s shaped just like a present. A present that’s covered with a melty, stretchy blanket of cheese.
So, kids love, love, love it.
Why this is the most amazing taco bake in the world
Chloe and Zoe found this taco bake to be “vewy, vewy yummilicious” and in fact, so filling they had to go lie down and rest like “poor, old Nana Rhonda.”
You’ve got to pretend to be old around kids, or they’ll exhaust you, right? It’s very, nap-inducing, too. Chloe and Zoe didn’t make it through three episodes of Paw Patrol before it was beddie bye time for two wee princesses.
And kids love eating this taco bake because it’s like getting a toy in a Happy Meal, there’s a present in that pastry they can’t wait to open, called yummy, taco meat draped in pastry and cheese. All that’s left for you to do is take a big bow!
How do I store leftovers?
To store this casserole, keep it in an airtight container, or wrap it tightly in a layer or two of plastic wrap, letting that wrap kind of float atop your casserole to keep the air out and the flavor in. You can refrigerate the casserole up to 4 days, or freeze it up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Serving suggestions
If I’m eating Mexican, I’m eating Mexican—and that means I’m surrounding each savory, spicy, Mexican or Tex-Mex themed-entrée with equally flavorful complementary authentic dishes. For instance, this Easy, Cheesy Mexican Rice, this creamy Mexican Pasta Salad, and some kind of easy Sheet Pan Nachos. I’d also serve a really indulgent, icy dessert like this amazing Frozen Custard, which is such a cool, sweet complement after all this spicy dining.
Taco Bake
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper diced
- 1 package taco seasoning mix
- 3/4 cup water or as needed per taco seasoning instructions
- 1 16-ounce can refried beans
- Cooking spray
- 2 packages refrigerated crescent rolls 8-ounces each
- 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 10-ounce bag shredded lettuce
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook for 3 minutes, then add the onions and peppers. Cook for about 4 more minutes until the meat is browned and crumbly, and the veggies are softened. Drain off any excess fat.
- Combine the taco seasoning mix with water. Mix in and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the seasoning is thoroughly blended with the beef.
- Remove the skillet from heat and stir in the refried beans until the mixture is smooth and even.
- Heat your oven to 350°F. Gently apply cooking spray to an 8×11-inch baking dish. Firmly press the crescent roll dough into the dish’s base.
- Spoon the beef and bean mixture over the dough, then fold over the edges of the dough slightly to cover the filling. Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese evenly on top.
- Bake for about 15 minutes until the dough turns golden and the cheese melts. After baking, add shredded lettuce on top and let it cool for a few minutes before serving.
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