Name: Easy Cheesy Taco Skillet
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1.5 lbs ground beef; 1 red bell pepper, chopped; 1 green bell pepper, chopped; 1 zucchini, chopped; 8 oz mushrooms, chopped; 1 onion, chopped; 2 large tomatoes, chopped; 1/2 jalapeño, finely chopped; 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 1.5 Tbsp chili powder; 2 tsp onion powder; 2 tsp cumin powder; 2 tsp paprika; 2 tsp dried oregano; 1/4 tsp black pepper; 1/2 tsp red chili flakes; 1.5 Tbsp tomato paste; 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese; Salt to taste

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Got 30 minutes??

If so, I’ve got your dinner covered. Looking to entertain with minimum time cooking? If so, I’ve got you covered. They won’t stop scooping it. Your child won’t eat veggies? If so, I got you covered. This one disguises tons of veggie power for your little ones. This cheesy gooey skillet is versatile and you can serve it with endless options and variations. It’s one meal fit for any time of the day, from breakfast to lunch to dinner. From special get togethers to regular weekday meals, this one’s a winner. By accident, it turns out to be a low carb keto dream. All win-win!!

The Big Game is coming up. Even if life isn’t back to normal yet, that’s one occasion that screams for tasty food. If you are on the lookout for an easy option that will make a crowd, even if only the one you live with, happy go with this skillet.

This one cooks in less than 30 minutes, then take it straight to your table. No more extra dishes, no more slaving in the kitchen unnecessarily before or after the game. And it’s loaded with veggies. Any type that you have in your fridge goes great with the meat and topped with cheese. Plus it has all the Mexican flavors that everyone likes. From tacos to burritos to taco bowls to tortilla chips… and some more. Read along, we will tell you all…

Here’s what you need

Ground beef
Veggies – Today we are using red bell pepper, green bell pepper, zucchini, mushrooms, onion and tomatoes
Tomato paste – It makes a lot of difference. If you don’t have this, add more fresh tomatoes.
Garlic
Homemade taco seasoning – Chili powder, onion powder, cumin, paprika, dried oregano, red chili flakes, black pepper.
Jalapeño – Optional.
Cheddar cheese – Plenty
Salt
Oil

How to cook this in 30 minutes

Dice all the veggies into small bite sized pieces. Chop the garlic fine. Heat up the oil and stir in chopped onions, bell peppers, zucchini and mushrooms. Sauté for 3-4 minutes.

Add in garlic, jalapeño, ground beef and salt and combine well, breaking the meat as you go along. Once the beef turns brown, add in chopped tomatoes along with all the taco seasoning ingredients and mix well. Cook for a couple of minutes.

Stir in tomato paste and cook till the meat is cooked, stirring in between. This shouldn’t take more than 8-10 minutes. Adjust seasonings according to your liking.

Spread the grated cheddar cheese all over the meat mixture, cover with a lid and cook till the cheese melts into gooey melty yum. Serve immediately by taking your skillet straight to table.

What toppings? So many possibilities…

Sprinkle on some chopped scallion like we did, or chopped iceberg lettuce.
Top it with avocado or guacamole. For a tangier avocado option, try my recipe for Venezuelan guasacaca.
Sour cream.
Some nice salsa. For something really fresh, try my pico do gallo, or for something fiery my salsa taquera.

How to serve this taco skillet

As an appetizer. All you need to do is open the tortilla chip or tortilla scoop packet.
Dinner options. Scoop it into tacos, burritos and burrito bowls. Or serve it along with your favorite rice.
For breakfast. It’s a great Mexican inspired breakfast. All you need is to top your bowl full of this cheesy meat with a couple of fried eggs. Yum!
Keto options? Make a hearty fulfilling bowl with some cauli rice and top with this skillet with avocado and sour cream. So satisfying. Or have it along with eggs or some zucchini chips.
Make taco soup out of leftovers. If you end up with leftovers, add in some beef broth next day and enjoy another dish altogether… taco soup. 🙂 You can stir in some hearty beans or keep it keto with some cauliflower rice.

Variations

Play with veggies. Any veggie can find its way into this skillet. Corn, peas, yellow squash, olives, carrots or even spinach… all good.
Add in some kind of beans to make it heartier.
Play with cheese. Instead of cheddar, use a blend of different cheeses like mozzarella. I can see feta on top also going great.
Add in some kind of cooked noodles, like elbow macaroni or any shape. It’s like a Mexican variation of my Johnny Marzetti!

Leftovers

This one you can store well for 3-4 days in an airtight container in your refrigerator. Just heat it back up in the microwave or in a skillet.
This can also make great meal prep. Cook the skillet without adding cheese, then freeze in individual portions, either in airtight containers or freezer rated ziploc bags.

When you are ready to use, just take out a portion and thaw it in the fridge or microwave. Add the cheese and melt it in the microwave. Or you can thaw the beef mixture on the stove top and add on the cheese at the end.
I told you in the beginning, so many options and ways to vary this skillet. I love multifaceted meals that make our lives easy and interesting.

I am hoping a lot of get togethers and happy times are coming our ways once we go out of our lockdown lives. With vaccines on the horizon, family times, get togethers with friends, potluck and parties will all come back with a vengeance. In the mean time…