Taco Meat

Today my lovely husband is out in a fishing competition. Apparently they are to target Flathead today. It is a competition organised in support of Prostate Cancer so he gets to fish and help someone. That's all good. Lucky for him it's a nice Autumn day out there.

None of that of course guarantees that he will be bringing home any fish. We hope so of course. Also he is fishing with a mate who has a family. Will there be enough fish for seven? Will they be all coming here for dinner? Will we be going to their place? None of these things really bother the fishermen.

So I am going to make a lovely trip to the nearby Organic Markets with my daughter shortly and then I will come home and make taco meat and throw it in the slow cooker. If needed I can make tacos for seven. If not I can freeze it.

So what are some great ways to use taco meat:


Obviously tacos.

Burritos

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• Mexican Lasagna (layer taco meat inbetween tortillas and top with cheese)
• Mexican crepes 
• Taco salad
• Taco cupcakes
• Nachos
• Mexican Mac and cheese - mix taco meat through macaroni cheese
• Mexican baked potato - topped with taco meat, cheese and sour cream
• Tamale Pie

Tamale Pie

What other ways can you think of to use taco meat?

 

Not tacos but tamale pie

My menu plan is as always a fluid document, more of a guide than a map I suppose.

Tonight we got home from clarinet lessons and I just didn't feel like honey mustard chicken. I did feel like tacos but I can't eat tacos without avocado and we didn't have one (most unlike us because we go though one or two a day but of course sometimes we run out).

So I thought Tamale Pie. We've had it before as in we had it four years ago. I did some googling and adapted a couple of recipes to suit my needs and ingredients.

Tamale Pie

1 cup cornmeal or polenta
2 cups chicken stock (real, bought or consomme or veggie stock)
1 teaspoon butter
1 cup grated tasty cheese (cheddar I suppose elsewhere)

1 onion, diced.
500g mince meat/ground beef
1 sachet taco seasoning (35g)
120g tinned corn
1 200g tin tomatoes
(If vegetarian you could substitute vegetarian chili).
Crust
1. Bring chicken stock to the boil and then over a low heat gradually add polenta in a thin stream stirring till smooth. When smooth and glossy stir in butter and then 3/4 of cheese. leave to cool a little.

Filling.
1. Soften onion in a little oil in a fry pan. Add mince/ground beef and brown. When browned add taco seasoning, tomatoes and corn. Let simmer 10-15 minutes.

Assembly
1. Spread 1/2 the polenta mix on base of casserole or pie plate.
2. Layer in filling.
3. Top with remaining polenta mix.
4. Sprinkle with reserved cheese.
5. Bake in moderate oven 40 minutes.

Serve with traditional taco toppings, chopped tomato, grated cheese, shredded lettuce, sour cream, jalapenos and of course avocado if you have it.

Note: You could add sliced jalapenos to the pie crust (I don't because I'm allergic to chili and end up with lips that look like I have had bad implants...not a good look).