Skillet Taco Pie

This recipe was the chance for the $5 Dinner Mom to redeem herself.  After two less-than-stellar performances, I really wanted there to be a good one.  We love taco-ish stuff, so this seemed like a good bet.  

Skillet Taco Pie
1 lb ground beef
1 can (15 oz) corn, drained (I used 1 cup frozen)
1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained
2 tbsp taco seasoning
About 5 oz tortilla chips, crushed (I didn't measure)
1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 avocado, sliced (omitted by me)

In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef & drain.  Reduce heat to medium and add the corn and tomatoes.  Mix in the taco seasoning and let simmer for 3-4 minutes.  Take several handfuls of tortilla chips and crush them over the top of the beef mixture in the skillet, enough to cover all the meat with a thin layer.  Then sprinkle the cheese over the top of the chips.  Reduce heat to low, cover, and allow cheese to melt.  Serve with avocado slices on top.

I adapted this slightly, because I was afraid that if I covered the whole thing with tortilla chips, the leftovers would be gross, with soggy tortilla chips.  So I put the meat mixture on each person's plate, sprinkled with cheese (except not Nathan's), and then served the chips on the side.  This made it less pie-like, but more user-friendly.

I thought this would just be like disassembled tacos, but it was actually different.  The corn and tomatoes were a nice change, and the green chilies made it just a bit spicy, but not enough so that nobody liked it.  Steve took the leftover meat and leftover chips to work the next day, so my plan worked.  The cookbook will live to see another day.