Cabin Cooking: Taco Pie

Wayne is First Cook at the cabin, but as Second Cook I get to do meals that involve the oven vs. the BBQ. For a change of pace this week, I made Taco Pie from a recipe I found in a magazine. But as usual, I made some modifications.

TACO PIE MARGY STYLE

8 corn tortillas (use flour if you prefer)
1 chorizo sausage
1/2 pound hamburger
1 sweet pepper
1/2 large onion
1 small can diced tomatoes
1/2 can red kidney beans
1/2 package taco mix
1/4 to 1/2 cup water
1/2 cup salsa (optional)
1 cup grated cheese

If you are using pre-cooked chorizo, dice it before browning. If you are using fresh, remove it from the sausage casing before cooking. Lightly brown chorizo and hamburger in a skillet. Remove any excess fat.

Add diced onion and pepper. Saute until limp. Add tomatoes, salsa (for a little extra kick), and kidney beans.

Sprinkle half a package of dry taco mix over the mixture. Add enough water to make a thick mixture. Cook  until it blends together and starts to bubble.

Brush one side of 6 tortillas with margarine and warm briefly in the oven to soften. Spoon a small amount of the taco mixture on the bottom of a large oven proof pan. Arrange 5 of the tortillas around the edge and use one to cover the center. Make sure there's enough moisture under the tortillas, especially if you are using the corn variety. They can bake up hard if you don't.

Sprinkle half of the grated cheese over the tortillas. Fill the pie pan with the prepared mixture.

Brush one side of 2 tortillas with margarine and cut them into strips. These will brown and get crispy on the top. Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees then sprinkle the remaining grated cheese on top. Return to the over for an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

Remove from the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes before cutting. Top with sour cream and a sprinkle of chopped cilantro. There you have it. It's a taco, it's a pie, it's Taco Pie (Margy Style). -- Margy