Crispy Baked Tacos

We’re back!!!! Happy Taco Tuesday! Any excuse to make tacos weekly is alright by me. And if you haven’t ever had Crispy Baked Tacos, I’m about to rule your world. Or at least your Tuesday so let’s get to it.

You guys. Crispy. Baked. Tacos. This recipe is pretty basic. Basically awesome that is. Easy + simple = my new favorite Taco Tuesday recipe. These are off the charts tasty and off the charts satisfying. You could literally prepare these tacos blindfolded- they’re that easy- and they are the ideal weeknight dinner. I always have the ingredients for these in my pantry and/or fridge and my whole gang loves this dinner. Win, win if you ask me!

Quality over quantity.

I first heard the saying from an exercise teacher who’s classes I attended in the 90’s. She’d (gently) yell at us, “quality over quantity, ladies!” For example it was about doing 8 really good push-ups instead of 20 shitty ones. Or maybe it was pushing ourselves a bit by doing 12 bicep curls with 15 lb weights instead of 30 bicep curls with the 8 pound weights like we would usually grab. The philosophy has stuck with me over the years and it isn’t just exercise that I apply it to. It’s in all areas of my life- exercise, friends, buying clothes or things for the house…it allows me to keep things in check. I only do or buy or use what I need but make a conscious effort to make it quality. Even if it means spending a little more money up front. You get what you pay for, you know? Expect for friends. I don’t buy my friends. 🙂

And you know what? I probably follow this motto most in the kitchen. I’m especially preachy when it comes to food. (Just ask the few friends that I do have!) I firmly believe that when you start with quality ingredients, you get better results. Period. I have no problem spending a little extra on groceries- we budget for it and aren’t afraid to cut some other areas of our spending to accommodate. Because when you start with the goods to begin with you a) don’t need to use as much and b) it’s easier to create simple recipes because you let individual ingredients shine. Bottom line, things just taste better when you’re choosey about your ingredients.

Take this tacos for example. I used local, organic ground chuck, homemade beef stock and a few ground spices to make the meat filling. The tacos are then baked in a hot oven making the corn tortillas toasty and crispy- an absolute must! Shredded cheddar, fresh lettuce, cilantro, diced tomato and a squeeze of lime are optional but what’s a taco if you can’t load it with all the goodies. Plus it’s kind of what makes these tacos the shiz. But the real pièce de ré·sis·tance is Vermont Creamery’s creme friache. Um hello, little taco lovers.

I’ve used creme fraiche in Carrot Cake because baking with creme fraiche is my secret weapon, Slow Cooker Chicken Chili because the creme fraiche won’t curdle, and my kiddo’s favorite summer dessert, Fresh Fruit Tart with Creme Fraiche Whipped Cream because the creme fraiche adds the most amazing tang and depth to the whipped cream. But you know what? Creme Fraiche is really best just as it is. Because creme fraiche is like the most luscious sour cream you’ve ever had. It’s rich, it’s velvety and it is the best taco topper out there. You can quote me on that.

Happy Taco Tuesday, friends, and thanks for reading! xo, Kelley

Crispy Baked Tacos

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• Yield: 8-10 tacos 1x

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Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef, 90% lean
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3/4 cup low sodium beef broth
• 8–10 hard, corn taco shells
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

taco toppings:

• diced tomato
• sliced scallions
• shredded iceberg lettuce
• fresh cilantro
• lime wedges
• Vermont Creamery Creme Fraiche

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375F degrees.
2. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add ground beef and cook, breaking meat up, until ialmost cooked through about 6-8 minutes.
3. Add crushed garlic, dried oregano, chili powder, salt, cumin tomato paste and beef broth; stir to thoroughly incorporate. Reduce heat to low and simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Line a 9×13 baking dish with taco shells. Fill each shell with approximately 1/3 cup of meat mixture. Top each taco with a healthy pinch of cheese.
5. Bake tacos for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and top with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, scallions, fresh cilantro and a healthy dollop of creme fraiche.
6. Enjoy!

This post is part of year long series sponsored by Vermont Creamery. As always, all opinions are my own. Thank you for reading and supporting the brands I trust and work with as it allows me to bring you new content and recipes like this!