Using tofu in this tasty taco casserole keeps your budget in check while adding fiber and plant based protein
Buying in bulk can be a great way to save money on your food budget. Can be. Not always.
For example: buying a 10-pound bag of carrots for one person.
Unless I want to be orange, I don't think it's physically possible to eat 10 pounds of carrots before they go bad. (I don't own a juicer or I'd totally juice them. RIP 7 pounds of carrots).
It's so easy to get sucked into the trap of buying in bulk to save money. Kind of like the time I bought a box of 4 packages of tofu.
For a girl that loves bacon as much as I do, one might be surprised that I actually bought a box of tofu, but I really do like tofu if it's prepared the right way.
However, it's not the first protein I jump to eating. I don't wake up and think "I can't wait to make something with tofu today!"
So I'm not exactly positive what persuaded me to buy a box of it; it was probably because the expiration date was 6 weeks in advance. Or maybe it was the lady at Costco that was passing out samples. Or maybe it was because I went to Costco hungry. (Biggest mistake EVER! Never go to Costco hungry unless you have more than one refrigerator and an extra closet for food storage).
[clickToTweet tweet="Need a casserole for #MeatlessMonday or Taco Tuesday? This #vegetarian #casserole works for both!" quote="Need a casserole for #MeatlessMonday or Taco Tuesday? This #vegetarian #casserole works for both!"]
Anywho, the expiration date is this week, so I've been making tofu like cray (and actually coming up with some pretty tasty meals like this casserole).
With October 4th being Taco Day and all "hello, ultimate #TacoTuesday!" I figured I'd make some type of taco meal with tofu. I wasn't feeling a basic taco, and I had some corn tortillas on the cusp of going bad. So I made a casserole with tofu and tortillas.
And it's an amazing casserole that is a glorious, veggie-filled meal for the cooler days to come. It also makes you realize that tofu is an awesome protein to buy in bulk to try (or not forget about if you've tried it before).
Thank you, Tofu Taco Casserole, for renewing my faith in tofu and making me happy that I bought it in bulk.
Those people that say tofu is gross can shove it, or I have a better idea: they can shove this taco casserole in their mouth and realize what they're saying is completely untrue.
P.S. If you're really into food holidays, October 4th is also Vodka Day. Tacos & vodka? That can totally work! Mojitos + Tacos = a really good day.
Tofu Taco Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced (1 1/4 cups)
- 1 medium bell pepper diced (1 1/4 cups)
- 14 ounces extra firm tofu or firm, crumbled
- 4 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp coriander optional
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper optional
- 15 ounce no salt added diced tomatoes undrained
- 4 ounce can chopped green chiles undrained
- 6 small corn tortillas sliced in half
- 1 1/4 cup shredded cheese 5 ounces
- 2 TBSP chopped fresh cilantro for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*F.
- Add the olive oil to a large skillet, and sauté the onions and bell peppers for 5 minutes until soft.
- Stir in the tofu, making sure it is crumbled and resembles ground beef, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in chili powder, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, sugar, salt, coriander and cayenne pepper if using. Make sure to stir well until the veggies and tofu are completely coated with seasoning.
- Pour in tomatoes and their juices plus the green chiles. Stir well. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until most of the liquid has absorbed.
- Place 4 tortilla halves on the bottom of an 8 inch square baking dish. (Tip: Place the straight edges of the sliced tortilla along the edges of the casserole dish, so the round parts of the tortillas slightly overlap)
- Cover with half of the taco mixture (about 2 1/2 cups). Sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheese. Top with 4 more tortilla halves (2 whole tortillas).
- Cover with remaining mixture. Sprinkle with 1/4 cups cheese. Top with remaining 4 tortilla halves and cover the tortillas with the remaining 3/4 cup cheese.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until cheese is bubbly. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with cilantro if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
What to use in this recipe:
Meme
Doesn't this recipe look good?! You should probably pin it for later:
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