Salsa beef bake

Every bit of this recipe is appealing – it’s simple, inexpensive and yummy. I came up with it recently when I was at a loss for what to make for dinner. Don’t you feel that way, sometimes? I had some individual packs of Bisquick in the pantry, some leftover salsa, some cheese and some ground beef. I tried entering the ingredients in one of those recipe finder sites, but had trouble making it work. The site kept trying to take me in involved directions. So then, I came up with this:

Salsa beef bake

One 15.5 ounce package baking mix (I used Bisquick)
½ cup salsa
1 cup grated cheese (I actually used sliced Muenster)
1 pound ground beef

In a medium bowl, mix baking mix, one egg and two tablespoons water. Press the crust ingredients in a 8x8-inch pan that has been coated with non-stick spray. Top with half the cheese. In a large skillet, brown the ground beef and drain off excess fat. Add the salsa to the meat and mix well. Top the crust and cheese with the ground beef mixture. Top with the remaining cheese. Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes. Let the dish sit for about 10 minutes before cutting. Six servings.

Here's the recipe, step by step:

Prepare a single package of baking mix (15.5 ounces) according to package directions – mix it with an egg and two tablespoons of water. Spread the mix in an 8x8-inch pan, then top with cheese.

Brown a pound of ground beef, drain excess fat and add about ½ cup salsa. Mix well and top the crust with the ground beef mixture.

Top the dish with the remaining cheese, then bake at 400 degree for 20-25 minutes.

This was an easy dinner, made with ingredients that I had on hand. Serve it with sliced fruit.