Instructions

1. Prepare your seasoned ground beef mixture with beef, taco seasoning mix and water. While the beef cooks, consider adding a small, chopped onion, minced garlic and some chopped green chilies for added flavor. Then add just a little chunky salsa, if you like. Taste the mixture to ensure that you like it; the meat mixture constitutes the core of your taco bake. If you're unsure whether to add spicy ingredients to your taco bake, serve them as side dishes so that people can scoop them up and add them to their plate at will.

2. Select the “crust” of your taco bake. Consider breaking up crunchy taco shells or using large tortilla chips in a 13-by-9-inch baking pan or laying large, soft, flour tortillas in a springform pan. This step is purely a matter of preference, but the soft tortillas serve to absorb excess liquid as the dish cooks.

3. Arrange your taco bake ingredients in assembly-line order on your counter so it is simple to put together. For example, put your taco bake crust in line first, followed by the drained and seasoned ground beef mixture. Consider adding refried beans, although it's best to do so only on the bottom layer, so subsequent layers don't sink under the weight. Line up black beans, black olives or green onions, if you choose to add them, followed by some shredded Mexican-style cheese. Heat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

4. Decide now whether you want to make a two- or three-level layered taco bake. This decision helps you divide the ingredients appropriately to ensure that you have enough for all the layers.

5. Spray your 13-by-9-inch baking pan or springform pan with nonfat cooking spray, then add your crust of choice. Build your first layer by adding the meat, the refried beans -- if you choose to add them, and only on this layer -- followed by black beans, olives or green onion and then the cheese. Create the subsequent layer or layers in the same manner, following the orderly ingredient line-up on your counter.

6. Bake your taco dinner for about 30 minutes, or until the cheese on top is melted. If you've used a springform pan, let it cool on your counter for about 15 minutes before removing it and putting it on a plate.

7. Serve your taco bake with side dishes of fresh diced tomatoes, guacamole, chopped lettuce and sour cream, if you like.