Tasty Taco Bake with Crescent Rolls

What’s for dinner tonight? Sometimes I ask myself that question and often come up blank! Taking a peek into what’s in the refrigerator might throw out a few ideas, but other times it’s just nice to stumble upon a great recipe and make that. And that’s exactly how I discovered this tasty taco bake with crescent rolls.

I love Mexican and Tex-Mex flavors and this offers a wealth of them. You can choose from either beef or pork as the meat you use. Either will work. In fact ground chicken or turkey would probably work just as well. They are leaner than their beef and pork alternatives but I’ve never had this recipe come out dry.

I like to use either Mexican blend cheese or cheddar cheese to make this easy taco bake. Use whatever you happen to have in the refrigerator. Sometimes it’s nice to combine two different sorts of cheese for more depth of flavor. Try mozzarella with Mexican blend or a sharp cheddar with Pepper Jack.

Taco seasoning makes light work of flavoring this tasty taco bake recipe. Pillsbury crescent rolls make light work of the crust. After cooking the meat and combining it with the other ingredients, top the crust with this mixture and sprinkle the cheese on top.

How to Serve this Easy Taco Bake Recipe

I love adding fresh tomato, onion, scallions and sour cream on top before serving. If you’re not sure everyone wants those, you can also offer the toppings separately at the dinner table.

What to Serve with It 

So what about side dishes, you might be wondering. This dish already contains meat, cheese, vegetables, and a crust, so technically a side dish isn’t required. However, I usually like to put together a side dish or two, just to round out the meat.

Something I really love is elote. Pronounced eh-LOH-tay, this is a Mexican version of corn. It’s served as a snack in little cups south of the border, but it also makes a delicious and colorful side for any Mexican style main dish. Do you like corn? Then you’re going to really love this Mexican side dish for taco bake.

To cook elote, you need to cook corn on the cob. It’s great on the grill because then you get a nice smoky flavor, but you can also broil or bake it. Brush a layer of mayonnaise or some sour cream over the hot cooked corn and then sprinkle on chili powder, cilantro and some cotija cheese. I love these with a lime wedge to squeeze over.

Other serving ideas include Mexican rice, a basic tossed green salad or even some steamed green vegetables such as broccoli or zucchini. Three-bean salad is also good.

To make that, drain 3 types of canned beans and mix with oil, vinegar and some salt and black pepper. Oh, and minced red onion goes really well in there too.

Ingredients for Tasty Taco Bake with Crescent Rolls

• Peeled, deveined shrimp 
• Garlic cloves
• Uncooked penne or your favorite pasta shapes
• Oil
• Salt
• Cooking cream
• Chopped sun-dried tomatoes
• Water (from the pasta cooking water)
• Shredded mozzarella or sharp cheddar cheese
• Garlic cloves
• Ground paprika
• Basil 
• Red pepper flakes (optional)

How to Make Taco Seasoning 

If you prefer to make your own taco seasoning instead of using the kind from the store, that’s absolutely fine. Combine a tablespoon of chili powder with a teaspoon each of garlic powder, cumin and paprika, ¼ teaspoon each of salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes, and ½ teaspoon of onion powder and dried oregano.

You can double or triple the rations to make more. Stored in an airtight spice jar, this mixture keeps for up to a year so it’s worth making. A pinch can be added to everything from omelets to pasta dishes, casseroles, or anything else you want.

How to make Tasty Taco Bake with Crescent Rolls

Variations for Mexican Taco Bake 

Just like with every recipe, there are ways of making this slightly different to suit your palate. Perhaps you are a fan of spicy food in which case you might like to add some drained canned jalapeño slices to the meat mixture.

Cayenne pepper or chili powder can also give a spicy flavor so you could also add those. If some of the family like it mild while others are more partial to spiciness (isn’t that always the way!) you can always serve hot sauce at the table so the spice fans can doctor up their own.

This easy taco bake should definitely be on everyone’s regular meal rotation. It’s quick and easy to make and the leftovers are easy to microwave the next day for lunch. It’s a simple recipe which doesn’t require a lot of different ingredients. I guarantee everyone in the family is going to enjoy every last bite of this Mexican style casserole. Try it – you’ll love it!