Sheet Pan Taco Bake
This sheet pan taco bake has seasoned ground beef, onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses enveloped in tortillas and baked until crunchy and golden. Great party food for feeding a crowd.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 medium (about 1 1/2 lbs) white onions, finely chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 pounds 90% lean ground beef
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 3 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
- Three (1-ounce) packets taco seasoning or your fave homemade taco seasoning
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 8 burrito-size flour tortillas, warmed
- 3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
- 3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- Five (5-inch) tostadas or corn tortillas*
- Sour cream and salsa, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (191°C). Generously spray a large (13 by 18-inch | 33-by 46-cm) rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Have a second baking sheet at the ready.
- In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and browned, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Add the ground beef and cook, stirring to break it up as it cooks, until no longer pink, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Stir in the cilantro, tomatoes, taco seasoning, and lime juice. Remove the skillet from the heat and let cool.
- Turn the baking sheet so its long sides run horizontal to the edge of your counter. Place 1 flour tortilla in the center on the left-hand side of the baking sheet so it’s half on the sheet and half on the counter. Working clockwise, place 2 more tortillas along the top side of the baking sheet so they overlap evenly to cover the whole top edge. Place 1 tortilla in the center of the right-hand side of the baking sheet, then place 2 more tortillas along the bottom edge of the baking sheet so they meet with the first tortilla. Place 1 tortilla in the center of the baking sheet to cover the gap. The baking sheet should be entirely covered at this point.
- Sprinkle half of each cheese evenly over the portions of the tortillas that are covering just the bottom of the baking sheet.
- Using a slotted spoon, scoop the beef mixture onto the cheese and spread it into an even layer. Arrange the tostadas evenly over the beef, with one in each of the four corners and one placed in the center. Sprinkle the remaining cheeses evenly over the tostadas.
- Starting with the first flour tortilla on your left-hand side, fold the overhanging tortilla edges back over the filling so they cover the filling. Place the remaining tortilla over the cheese in the center of the baking sheet. Spray the tortillas with cooking spray.
- Place another baking sheet on top of the taco bake, then place an ovenproof weight, like a large cast-iron skillet, on top of the baking sheet.
- Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the weight and top baking sheet and bake until the tortillas are golden and crisp on top, 10 to 15 minutes more. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and set it on a wire rack. Let rest for 5 minutes.
- Using oven mitts or kitchen towels to protect your hands, place a cutting board upside down over the taco bake, then, holding the cutting board and baking sheet together, flip them so the taco bake falls out of the baking sheet onto the cutting board.
- Remove the baking sheet and cut the crunch wrap into squares. Serve with sour cream and salsa on the side.
Notes
*How to turn your corn tortillas into tostadas
If ready-made tostadas aren’t available at your grocery store or local Latin American market, you can easily make tostadas from corn tortillas. Place your corn tortillas in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and brush lightly on both sides with a mild vegetable oil. Bake in a 400°F (200°C) oven for 5 minutes, flip the tortillas, and continue to bake until golden and crisp, 5 to 10 minutes more.Nutrition
Serving: 1portion | Calories: 896kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 60g | Fat: 53g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 193mg | Sodium: 1794mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g