Kraft Fresh Take: Spicing Up Taco Casserole #cbias #spon

The following #KraftFresh sponsored post has been brought to you by Collective Bias. As always, my thoughts, opinions, and food-tastic enthusiasm are my own. Thank you and enjoy!

I love the kitchen. It is, without a doubt the center of our home. And oh how I love to blend, craft, create, broil, boil and bake. {Notice I did not say cook, but more on that in a bit.} Because learning recipes from my Mom and Grandmothers, their hands measured and eyes gauged the ingredients. Cookbooks were guides and more like suggestions then outlined mandates.

Another thing I realized, was that there are few people in this world that love to both cook AND bake. So while I can whip up a mean biscuits and gravy; I don’t cook much worth a lick. Now baking…well, that’s a different matter.

Wife’s making her #famous Taco Casserole today…I’m drooling already! @roasted_beanz

— Peter.J  {Twitter}

I love to bake. When searching for our next rental home, I enter “double oven” as a filter. So when I got the chance to spice up my favorite taco casserole with Kraft Fresh Take packages I couldn’t wait. Traditionally, these cheese and breadcrumb mixtures are added to meatloaf or coated on fish or chicken. But why kick it up a notch and add it to a baked casserole?

And this taco casserole is all about the layers. I take a round 2-quart baking dish and two sizes of soft flour tortillas. Then I stack up ground beef, onions, refried beans, whole black beans, black olives, and a host of sweet peppers. The end result, is meal made in mouth-watering heaven.

For this delectable dish, I used the Southwest Three Cheese Kraft Fresh Take package. Well, I actually used two packages of this Tex-Mex blend. The first Kraft Fresh Take package of seasoned breadcrumbs  were added to the meat instead of a taco seasoning. While the shredded cheese was sprinkled throughout the layers. On top, a second Southwest Three Cheese package was mixed together to crown the top tortilla with a host of sweet pepper rings and black olives.

Personally, I loved the added flavor the Kraft Fresh Take mix brought out. Its southwest inspired seasoning highlighted garlic, cumin, and red chili pepper. So we cooked up our ground beef with saute’d onions and minced garlic. I added lemon juice to our refried beans and layered in lots of sweet peppers. The Colby and Cheddar cheese was finely shredded and brought everything together as they melted.

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Ready to test out the Kraft Fresh Take meal kit yourself? You can find it at your local Walmart {just like I did} in the refrigerated cheese section. With a great selection of choices, you’re sure to find a flavor that will tickle your taste-buds! Also good through July 31st of this year {2013}, you can save a $1.00 when buying both the Kraft Fresh Take and chicken from the meat department.

The Fresh Possibilities tour has hit the road, putting Fresh Take into the hands and mouths of the people. bit.ly/WnLsGv #FreshTake

— Rachel (@roasted_beanz) May 25, 2013

Also be on the look-out for FREE samples of great Kraft Fresh Take goodies when you watch for the Kraft Fresh Possibilities Tour food truck. It will be making stops across the country through the end of July. To see if they’re making a stop near your hometown, check out the Fresh Possibilities Tour website.

And while your all engaged on checking out cool and neat things to try this summer, you’ll find Kraft Fresh Take is also included in the Live SoFab summer digital magazine. A bright interactive guide, you’ll find a host of pages highlighting the top trends and great tips for making the most of your summer days.

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and their client. All my thoughts, opinions, and overall foodie enthusiasm are my own. Thank you.