This recipe is part of the gluten and dairy free menu adaptations I did to the Once A Month Mom February 2010 menu.  I have also included it in my May 2012 Southwestern Flavors Ground Meat Mini Freezer Menu (free printable freezer labels are on that post).  We like to serve this with a big salad with avocados, and diced tomatoes and topped with Cilantro Dressing.

To make a vegan dish, replace ground beef with 4 cups cooked lentils and 2 cups cooked quinoa mixed together.

For printable labels for your freezer meal, go to the May 2012 Southwestern Flavors Ground Meat Mini Freezer Menu.

Easy Taco Bake (Doubled recipe with freezer instructions)

Serves 16-20

adapted to be gluten and dairy free by Angela @ test.angelaskitchen.com – inspired by Kate @ Stolenmomentscooking.com  

Containers needed:  4 deep dish 8×8 pans or 2 9×13 pans

To make taco bake base:

3 pounds ground beef

2 cups onion, chopped

1 cup green pepper, chopped

30 ounces tomato sauce

6 cups fresh spinach leaves (about 10 oz. bag), chopped or 10 oz frozen spinach, thawed with water pressed out

4 cups frozen corn

3 – 14 .5 oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed

4 teaspoons cumin

2 teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon crushed red chili pepper flakes

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

To make Taco Bake topping:

1 1/2 cups brown or white rice flour

2  cups tapioca flour

1  cups potato or corn starch

2 Tablespoons xanthan gum

2 Tablespoons baking powder

1 1/2 tsp salt

3 eggs (**egg free variation below)

1  cup oil

1 1/2 cups gluten and dairy free unsweetened milk substitute

1  cups sparkling water

Brown the ground beef, onion and green pepper; drain grease.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in beans, tomato sauce, spinach, seasonings and corn. Stir until spinach wilts.  Spread into 4 8×8 pans or 2 9×13 pans.

Make taco bake roll topping:  Mix dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately except for the sparkling water.  Combine dry and wet in a heavy duty mixer or bowl with a spoon.  When batter is well combined, add the sparkling water.  Mix until combined.  The texture of the batter should be rather thick and sticky. Dividing between pans, spread batter over the meat mixture smoothing to edges.  Use very wet hands to smooth batter as needed.  Cover and freeze (before baking).

To serve:  Thaw.  Uncover and bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes, until golden brown.

To do egg-free:  In the taco bake roll topping, replace egg with 3 tablespoons ground flax (I used golden flax) and 9 tablespoons water cooked together.  Wisk over medium heat until thickened and gooey egg-like  consistency.  Allow to cool closer to room temperature before using in recipe.