Recipe: Quasi taco pie

Tacos date back to the 18th century in the Mexican silver mines. Today, it’s a fast-food staple and a combination of American and Mexican cuisine.

With no tortilla, this recipe is a twist on tacos — a great dish for the camp oven and one the kids will enjoy.

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup butter
2/3 cup milk
1 packet Taco seasoning mix
2 1/2 cups instant potato flakes (approx 2 packets). You could also use left over mashed potatoes but you need to omit any butter and/or milk
1 onion – finely chopped
1 to 2 cloves garlic – crushed (or use readymade)
500g minced beef
1/2 cup salsa
Shredded lettuce
Tomato – chopped
1 cup grated cheese
Sour cream
Guacamole – optional

METHOD
Preheat oven to (180°C or 350°F) or preheat camp oven and place a trivet in the bottom.

BASE

• In a pan, melt butter, add the milk and 1 to 2 tbs of the Taco seasoning and mix to combine (amount of seasoning depends on how much flavor you want in the potato mix).
• Remove from heat and add potato flakes and mix until well combined.
• Press the potato mixture into the bottom of a 25cm (10-inch) pan.
• Place in the oven and bake for approx 7 to 10 mins or until it turns golden brown (for the camp oven, place the dish on a trivet and bake).

FILLING

• Heat a little oil in a pan and add onions and garlic. Cook over a med/high heat for a few minutes, then add the minced beef and sauté until browned. Make sure you break up the mince so there aren’t any lumps.
• Drain any excess liquid.
• Add the salsa to the cooked mince along with the remaining taco seasoning and continue to mix well.
• Bring to the boil and cook for a few minutes.
• Spoon the mince mixture into the baked potato pie base, place in the oven (or camp oven) and bake for 15 mins or until the crust is golden brown.
• Let the pie cool for 5 mins, then top with the cheese, lettuce and tomatoes.
• Cut into slices and serve with some sour cream and guacamole. Or you could spread the sour cream and guacamole on top of the baked mince and then cover with cheese, lettuce and tomatoes.

VIV'S HINTS
Add crushed Taco chips to the top before serving.

For an extra ‘kick’ add some chilli. You can also include some drained corn kernels and finely chopped red capsicum to the mince mixture.

For more tasty ideas, visit 4X4 Australia's Bush Cooking recipes.