Recipe #2 - Cheesy Taco Bake

I really have no excuse for waiting 3 weeks to post, other than the fact that we've been enjoying a bit more takeout and frozen pizzas than we have home-cooked meals. Well, I found my inner-chef calling again today, and this time with a craving for something cheesy and a little bit spicy.

I came across a recipe for a Cheesy Taco Bake, something similar to what I'd made and loved a few years ago. This one would require the use of my Kitchen Aid mixer to create a more challenging egg white and cream cheese crust, so I decided this was the recipe for tonight.

Ingredients

Crust
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 egg whites
1/3 cup half and half
1/2 teaspoon taco seasoning
8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

Topping
1 lb ground turkey, 93% lean (I used lean ground beef instead)
3 teaspoons taco seasoning
1/4 cup tomato sauce
4 ounces chopped green chilies
8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions
1 For the crust, beat the cream cheese and eggs until smooth.
2 Add the cream and seasoning.
3 Grease a 9"x13" baking dish; spread the cheese over the bottom.
4 Pour in the egg mixture as evenly as possible.
5 Bake at 375ºF, 25-30 minutes.
6 Let stand 5 minutes before adding the topping.
7 For the topping, brown the hamburger; drain fat.
8 Stir in the seasoning, tomato sauce and chiles.
9 Spread over the crust.
10 Top with cheese.
11 Reduce oven to 350ºF and bake another 20 minutes or so until hot and bubbly.
12 Serve with the toppings of your choice.



I have to say, I was a bit nervous for the egg white and cream cheese crust. But it turned out absolutely delicious and complimented the taco topping well. 25 minutes and the edges were a perfect golden brown. I served the taco bake over-top a bed of lettuce with optional sides including tomatoes, jalapenos, salsa and sour cream.