OVEN BAKED TACOS

My cute little boy just turned 4 years old. He really is such a sweet boy, except for an occasional tantrum here and there.
A couple of weeks ago, we had tacos for dinner and he threw a crazy tantrum after biting into his hard-shell taco and having it break into a million pieces and then having all the filling fall out! It was ugly.
However, he loved the first few bites . . . and if my kids like a food, you better believe that we will be having it again and again.
So, I had to get smart and figure out a way to keep that filling inside the taco . . .

I had seen Oven Baked Tacos floating around the internet and decided to take my own spin on them. I had heard that baking the tacos softens the shell just a little bit and helps solidify the filling, so I put it to the test and it passed with flying colors! The filling stayed in place, the shells didn’t break into a million pieces, and we were able to eat dinner without one single tear . . . which makes these Oven Baked Tacos a perfect 10 in my book!

Ingredients
2 lb ground beef
1 can refried beans
1 can of tomato sauce
1 packet taco seasoning
1 oz shredded cheese
12 tortillas/taco shells

Directions
Start with the taco shells, buy them in the store or make em yourself. If you make them yourself, I don’t think you will ever go back to purchasing taco shells. All you need is some tortillas and cooking spray. We used some small, soft “taco” tortillas. We used the flour kind but corn is fine too.

First, you want to steam them… Wet some paper towels and wring them out well. Layer the tortillas with the wet paper towels on a plate and then microwave (we did 6 at a time). Keep an eye on them, it should be about 30 seconds until they are steamed. Then lightly spray each side with cooking spray and drape each tortilla over two bars of the oven rack. It is wise to put a baking sheet below them to catch any oil from the cooking spray. Bake at 350-375 degrees for 7-10 minutes. You will be able to tell that they are browning & getting crispy. Take them out and set them aside!

Okay, now for the filling All you need is ground beef (2 pounds), 1 can of refried beans, 1 can of tomato sauce, 1 packet of taco seasoning, shredded cheese, & your favorite taco toppings.

Brown the ground beef in a large skillet. COMPLETELY drain all grease and return to skillet. Over low heat, add refried beans, taco seasoning, and about half to two-thirds of the tomato sauce (you can eye this to see whats best, you don’t want the filling to be too runny or your tacos will be soggy on the bottoms). Blend well and scoop into the tacos (which should be “standing” in a lightly greased casserole type dish). Then just sprinkle the cheese over the top and bake. I think I did my at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes.