Taco Casserole

Okay, so I've been in a rut lately with making new meals (partially because of lack of time for trying something totally new, also because we're counting pennies so I haven't been buying new ingredients that cost more-unless I know they'll get used, and moreso because my 4 year old has been getting a bit less adventurous-though by most "kid" standards, she is a very brave eater and tries almost anything). So, today, I had a full house of daycare kids but didn't want to make the same old meals anymore, so I created this gluten-free taco casserole and it was super tasty! Of the four kids who ate it, two cleaned their plate in seconds and asked for lots more and the other two ate their entire first helping-pretty good odds! I loved it also!

1 lb grass-fed ground beef
1 can organic black beans
1 jar organic salsa (of your choice)
1/4 cup water
2 T taco seasoning (buy a packet without msg or make your own with chili pepper, paprika, cumin, onion powder, and garlic powder)

1/3 cup shredded raw, organic sharp cheddar cheese

Topping:
1 cup Pamela's gluten-free baking mix (I'm sure you could use any gluten-free baking mix)
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 organic egg

1. Brown the ground beef, then add beans, salsa, water, and taco seasoning and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.
2. Mix together baking mix, almond milk, and egg until well combined.
3. Place meat mixture into a 8 x 11 casserole dish (9 x 13 would work well too) and sprinkle cheese on top.
4. Carefully spread the baking mixture on top of the meat/cheese to create a crust on top.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes of until crust is crunchy and golden brown.

I served mine over a small bed of lettuce (the kids didn't even notice) and topped with some homemade guacamole and the kids went wild-I heard lots of yums, ooh, mmmm, etc! Sorry I didn't get a picture before it got eaten, but trust me, it was worth it!

Here's a similar idea that I found online : http://www.preschoolersandpeace.com/pandpblog/2011/3/27/gluten-free-taco-bake.html