Dinner Was Possible, Thanks To The Impossible Pie

Impossible Taco Pie

Have you ever played that game of "how long can I skip going to the grocery store?" I didn't plan to play this game, but Monday when I meant to go grocery shopping I didn't get there. And Tuesday I was going early but Daddy-O had other plans, so I thought, "One more day won't matter." I found a container of Swiss beef in the freezer and made cheese grits to put with that.

By Wednesday my sinus woes had kicked up again and I didn't feel like cooking. I still had to go to handbell practice so I picked up something from a drive-thru on the way home. When we wished for something sweet and there was no ice cream in the freezer, I made a deep dive in the pantry and found a box of chocolate pudding. I haven't made pudding in ages. But the date was still good and I used the microwave directions on the box and we had dessert.

By last night when I didn't get home until suppertime, I was having to look harder for something to make. I found taco meat in the freezer but couldn't find any tacos shells. Well, other than an opened package that I know had been there far too long. No tortillas, either. But while I was in the pantry, I spied a box of Bisquick that was near the end of its shelf life. It needed to be used. And I remembered I could do the "impossible."  I also had a couple of romaine leaves in the fridge, a packet of taco sauce left from a taco kit and a few "if you don't use these right now, they need to go in the trash" tomatoes. Ta da, supper!

My impossible pie isn't exactly like the one you find if you google "impossibly easy taco pie." I looked up Impossible Cheeseburger Pie here on my blog and adjusted the filling to use what I had here. I liked the corn and beans mixed into this. Because I had the taco meat already prepared in the freezer, this was a really quick dinner last night.

IMPOSSIBLY EASY TACO PIE

1 lb. lean ground beef or ground turkey 
1 packet taco seasoning1 small onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1/3 cup black beans
1/3 cup corn1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (or other kind)
1/2 cup original Bisquick mix
1 cup milk
2 eggs
optional toppings: sour cream, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, taco sauce

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9-inch glass pie plate with PAM.

In a large skillet, cook ground beef over medium heat until brown, breaking meat apart as you cook it. Prepare taco meat according to directions on taco seasoning packet. Spread in pie plate. Sprinkle with onion, black beans and corn. Sprinkle with cheese.

In a small bowl, stir milk, egg and Bisquick with a fork or whisk until blended. (I used an immersion blender in a tall container.) Pour into pie plate over meat and cheese. Bake about 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown and knife inserted in center comes and clean. Let it stand for about 10-15 minutes before cutting.


These impossible pies can be a life saver. I've used all kinds of fillings, usually leftovers, and assorted cheeses for the topping. But the Bisquick mix stays the same. Google "impossibly easy pies" to find

My refrigerator is basically empty now. Except for milk and eggs and cheese. Today will be a good time to wipe it all out. As I searched the pantry I threw out some expired items. It's good to take a few days and play this "no shopping game" every so often. Our freezer still has a few choices in it but it was good to eat some of the food that had been there the longest. Frozen cooked food doesn't become unsafe if it stays frozen a long time, but the quality will decrease. Find a way to keep up with and use what you have frozen.

Could I play this game longer? Sure. We might not be eating what we want, but I could still make dinner. But I can't avoid the store much long. I'm running out of paper products.