Taco Bake (Tex-Mex Shepherd's Pie)
Taco Bake puts a Tex-Mex twist on the comfort food classic of shepherd's pie, with seasoned ground beef and black beans topped with cheesy green chile mashed potatoes and a refreshing avocado tomato salad!
Servings 6 servings
Calories 505kcal
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds russet potatoes peeled & cut into 1 ½-inch chunks
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup milk warmed
- 4 tablespoons butter at room temperature
- Garlic salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 cup extra-sharp grated cheddar cheese DIVIDED
- 1 (4-ounce) can diced mild green chiles drained
- 1 pound ground beef 90% lean
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons taco seasoning homemade recommended OR 1 package store-bought
- 1 (16-ounce) jar salsa mild, medium, or hot, depending on your preference
- 1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans rinsed & drained
- 2 Roma tomatoes diced
- 1 large avocado diced
- 1 lime halved
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Garlic salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the potatoes in a medium pot and cover with 1 inch of cold water. Stir in salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are very tender when pierced with a fork but not falling apart. Drain the potatoes and return to the pot. Use a hand-held masher to roughly mash the potatoes. Add the milk and butter and season with garlic salt and pepper, to taste. Mash the potatoes until smooth and then stir in ⅔ of the cheese and the diced green chiles. Cover the mashed potatoes and set aside.
- Arrange a rack in the center position of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F.
- While the potatoes are cooking, crumble the beef into a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until browned; drain and discard the drippings. Add the garlic to the beef and stir for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Sprinkle the taco seasoning over the beef and pour the jar of salsa over the top; stir to combine. Cook for a few minutes, stirring regularly, until the mixture comes to a simmer and thickens.
- Remove the skillet from the heat, gently stir in the black beans, and transfer the mixture to a 2-quart baking dish. Top with the mashed potatoes, spreading into an even layer all the way to the edges, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until beginning to turn golden brown. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
- In the meantime, place the diced tomatoes and diced avocado in a large bowl. Squeeze the juice from both halves of the lime over the top, sprinkle with the cilantro, season with garlic salt and pepper (to taste), and gently toss all of the ingredients to coat and combine. Top each serving of Taco Shepherd's Pie with a big scoop of Avocado Tomato Salad.
Nutrition
Calories: 505kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 87mg | Sodium: 1586mg | Potassium: 1465mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1259IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 260mg | Iron: 5mg