Mexican Taco Potato Bake

This is a relatively easy recipe and my family likes it. Sometimes I'm too lazy to put together all the fixings for tacos and the family finds this to be the next best thing. If you're like me, you have run out of interesting things to do with ground beef, this was one of my brainstorms. It's a hard recipe to screw up, if you like green peppers throw some in whatever veggies you feel work. I always serve it with sour cream, salsa and hot sauce on the side. Enjoy! ** Note: The amount of hashbrowns is an estimate, I always just "eyeball it" if the mixture seems too saucy add more hashbrowns.

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 1  lb lean ground beef
• 2 1⁄2 lbs hash browns (finely diced potatoes)
• 1 (1 1/4ounce) packet  taco seasoning
• 2 (10 ounce) cans  cheddar cheese soup
• 2  tablespoons  vegetable oil
• 1  finely chopped onion
• 1  teaspoon  minced garlic
• 1⁄2 cup milk
• 1  cup  shredded cheddar cheese (I use the taco blend cheese)

Directions

1. Brown the ground beef in large skillet.
2. Add 1 cup water and taco seasoning to beef and let simmer until all liquid is evaporated.
3. While meat is simmering, in a medium saucepan add oil onions and garlic. Cook until onions are somewhat tender. Add the cheddar cheese soup and the milk.
4. Stir until smooth.
5. Once the meat and sauce are cooked add both to a large bowl with the bagged hashbrowns. Mix ingredients well. If mixture seems dry add a little more milk.
6. Add mixture to a greased 9x13 baking dish, cover with aluminum foil and place in 375 degree oven. Bake for 45 minutes. Take the foil off and sprinkle with cheese. Place back in oven for 15-20 minutes more until cheese is melted and nicely browned. Serve with sour cream, salsa and hot sauce.