Savory Saturday- Taco Bake

The 1st, 3rd, & 5th weekends of the month (and other various times depending on the time of year) I must cook for 6. I realize someone out there is probably talking to the screen and telling me to stop whining but I don't really care much. 5 of the people in my house are male and of those 4 are still growing. So with 2 teens, 1 preteen, and 1 tween (Or whatever) I work to find dishes that everyone will eat. We have some food allergies to work with, some people who live for snack food, and some who are downright picky!

Red, Little Professor, Razark, and I are generally up for about anything. LP does NOT dig Indian food at all but he did TRY it first. Stunt kid is allergic to seafood, shellfish, and tree nuts. On top of that he doesn't like rice unless it is from the rice cooker(What the Fenway?), he doesn't like peas much, and other random things that come and go. For instance, he will eat my lasagna (Stouffer's) but he isn't keen on Razark's Mom's lasagna. Odd since her lasagna is absolutely delicious. Oh and my child, born in Galveston, Texas, doesn't like guacamole or macaroni and cheese. See WTF above.
Gamer doesn't eat rice, peanut butter, guacamole, mushrooms, & probably something else I am forgetting. If you want him to be happy just be sure to have cereal and milk available for at least 2 meals a day. If you really want to see him happy then have salad with dinner. Fruit salad, Caesar salad, tossed salad, potato salad, and/or pasta salad are all acceptable.

So, anyway, I am bringing to you a recipe that everyone at home loves and it not too expensive to make. Also, it is a snap to double it and make 2 pans of it.

TACO BAKE

Well today's recipe is called affectionately around here Taco Bake. I don't know if it really has a "real" name as I have never used the actual recipe for this. I am told it was once printed on the Campbell's Tomato Soup can, but I never saw it. It reminds me of a taco lasagna if you need to label it. Here's what it takes:

1 Reg. Sized bag of Doritos (nacho flavor or spicy, I wouldn't use cool ranch…yuck!)

1 Can Campbell's Tomato soup

1 sm/med. Jar of any type of salsa

1 lb. Hamburger

1 pkg. Taco seasoning mix

1 pkg. Mexi-mix shredded cheese (or any shredded cheese you like)

1 "can" full of milk (empty soup can)

Take a 9 x 13 inch pan and lay Dorito chips flat covering the bottom and then shmoosh (<- technical term) them flat. Lay aside and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a deep skillet brown hamburger, drain grease, return to skillet and mix in taco seasoning as if you were making the meat for tacos. Once incorporated add to the meat mixture the can of soup, can of milk, and salsa, mix well. Here's the "tricky" part. Take the rest of the Doritos and roll up the end of the bag and beat them til they are little pieces with a rolling pin, plastic glass, your head….whatever is working for you at the time. Add all of these to your skillet with the liquids and mix up well. Let this bubble. After it's started making a mess by bubbling and "splashing" your stove top pour on top of Doritos in baking pan. Sprinkle with the cheese and bake until cheese it melted or between 10-15 minutes.

Depending on your tastes you could add black olives, jalapeños, sour cream….really whatever you like. Slice in squares and lift from pan to plate. This is SOOOOOO good (especially the next day) and I have to pace myself between times that we make it or we would have it all the time. Also depending on the "heat" of the salsa and the chips will depend on the spicy-ness of it.