Taco Casserole

From Ortega

1 lb ground beef (or turkey)
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup (8 oz bottle) taco sauce - I used Southwest Salsa instead because that's what I had on hand
3/4 cup water
1 can (4 oz) diced green chilies
1 pkg (1.25 oz) taco seasoning mix
1 pkg (12) taco shells, broken and divided
2 cups (8 oz) shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Garnish suggestions: chopped tomatoes, sliced green onions, sour cream, sliced jalapenos, lettuce

Preheat oven to 375. Grease 11x7 baking dish

Cook meat and onion until meat is browned; drain. Stir in taco sauce, water, chilies and seasoning mix. Cook over low heat for 3-4 min.

Layer half of broken taco shells on bottom of greased baking dish. Cover with half of meat mixture; sprinkle with half of cheese. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Bake for 20-25 min or until bubbly and cheese is melted. Makes 8 servings.

Alternative - instead of adding broken shells to dish, cook without and then use shells (or tortilla chips) to scoop the casserole.

(Recipe and photo courtesy of Erin Lawson)