The Super Bowl may have passed, but now it’s time for March Madness! What better time to serve up a great taco salad casserole to basketball fans parked in front of your television. Easy to make, it’s a fan favorite and crowd pleaser.

Consider it a tasty slam-dunk!

TACO SALAD CASSEROLE

Total Time: Prep: 25 min. Bake: 15 min. Yield: 4 servings

1 lb. ground beef

¼ c. chopped onion

¼ c. chopped green pepper

1 envelope taco seasoning

½ c. water

1 c. crushed tortilla chips

1 can (16 oz.) refried beans

1 c. (4 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese

Toppings: chopped lettuce and tomatoes, sliced ripe olives, sour cream and picante sauce

Directions:

In large skillet, cook beef, onion and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Drain if necessary. Stir in taco seasoning and water. Cook and stir until thickened, about 5 minutes; set aside.

Place chips in a greased 8” square baking dish. In a small bowl, stir refried beans; spread over chips. (I added a bit of water to the refried beans to make them easier to spread.)

Top with beef mixture and cheese.

Bake, uncovered at 375° for 15-20 min. or until heated through. Top with lettuce, tomatoes and olives and serve with sour cream and picante sauce.

Taco seasoning: If, like me, you find yourself without the taco seasoning you may want to use this recipe as a substitute:

1 T. chili powder

½ t. garlic powder

¼ t. onion powder

¼ t. crushed red pepper flakes

½ t. dried oregano

½ t. paprika

1 ½ t. ground cumin

1 t. sea salt

1 t. black pepper

Makes about 3 T. Store in airtight container.