Taco Bake

In my search for bariatric friendly recipes taco seems to be a reoccurring theme in the flavor department. I came across quite a few taco themed dishes but i think this one might be one of my favorites. Funny enough I came across the recipe I modified to make this while searching for a pizza alternative.

Taco Bake

Servings: 8

Total cooking time: 50 Minutes

This recipe is modified from the original which can be found here.

Ingredients:

4 ounces fat free cream cheese, softened
3 egg whites or 6T egg white substitute
1/3 cup fat-free half-and-half
1 packet taco seasoning
8 ounces reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 lb 96% lean ground beef
1/2 cup tomato sauce

Special Ingredient Notes:
Remember, like I said last time, it is healthier and cheaper to buy your cheese as a block and shred/grate it yourself.

Directions:

Beat the cream cheese and egg whites until smooth.
Add the cream and 1 teaspoon of seasoning from the packet.
Grease a 9"x13" baking dish; spread the crust mix over the bottom as evenly as possible. It will be runny.
Bake at 375ºF, 25-30 minutes.
Let stand 5 minutes.
Brown the ground beef.
Drain fat.
Mix the remaining taco seasoning together and tomato sauce together and then mix together with ground beef.
Spread mixture over the cream cheese base.
Top with cheese.
Reduce oven to 350ºF and bake for 20 minutes.
Allow to cool slightly as I found this makes slicing and serving easier.