Soft Taco Stack

I’ll admit it.  I do not use my new slow-cooker enough.  I really don’t.

That is why I am going to try and make a habit of participating in Thoughtless Thursdays over at Pots and Plots.

For this edition of Thoughtless Thursday I made a Soft Taco Stack.  It is all the components of tacos, just arranged differently and cooked more slowly.  What you end up with is something like a Tex-Mex lasagna.  It’s spicy, hearty and takes only twenty minutes to prepare and four hours to slow-cook, or conversely you can bake it for 40 minutes in the oven.  Not to shabby! 

You can use any kind of ground meat you prefer for this dish.  I opted for ground lean turkey this time around because, if read my last post you know that I ate a whole cow over the weekend.  Ok, maybe not the whole cow, but enough that I needed something a little lighter. 

This dish also uses my own taco seasoning blend.  I bring this up because last week a few Twitter friends were wondering why I had not posted it yet.  Well, here it is in all its glory!  You will never buy the packets again, I promise you that.

This is easy, tasty, and perfect for a busy weeknight. 

Soft Taco Stack   Serves 4-6

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1 pound ground lean beef, turkey or chicken

1 recipe taco seasoning (below)

1 cup diced onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1 recipe taco seasoning

1 can Rotel tomatoes, drained

3/4 cup water

6 corn tortillas

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded jack cheese

Taco Seasoning  Yield enough to season 1 pound of ground meat

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon coriander

1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons kosher salt (or 1 teaspoon table salt)

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or less to taste

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the oil and wait for it to heat to a shimmer.  Add the onion and cook for three minutes, until softened, then add the garlic.  Cook for one minute.

Add the ground meat and allow to cook through.  While it cooks mix the taco seasoning.

Once the meat is cooked through drain off any excess fat then add the taco seasoning, Rotel tomatoes, and water.  Stir well and allow to simmer for ten minutes, or until the water has mostly evaporated and the meat is coated in a thick sauce.

Divide the meat into thirds.  Place the first third on the bottom of your slow-cooker insert.  Lay three corn tortillas over the meat, then half of the shredded cheeses.  Repeat this process until the complete.

At this point you can refrigerate until ready to use, or place directly into your slow cooker and cook on low for four hours. 

Serve with sour cream.