Loaded Fiesta Potato Bowls

These days preparing a meal for everyone is complicated and I've been in a slump.  Chris and I are trying to keep our carbs down and our protein up, the young adults have their own thing and then there's the baby (15, 6'1" & 160 lbs and long distance running).  Sometimes there's two for dinner and sometimes there's 8!  Anyway, I made all new meals all week just to do something different and this one was a real hit, not too time consuming and made from scratch.  I don't know where it lands on the carbs with the potatoes but you can't win them all!

Loaded Fiesta Potato Bowls

4-5 russet potatoes (we like red potatoes), peeled and sliced 

olive oil, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, chili powder & cayenne pepper

2 lbs ground beef

1 yellow onion (3/4 for the meat, 1/4 for the topping)

taco seasoning for 2 lbs

2 T butter

2 T flour

1 t each salt, pepper, chili powder

1 cup milk

8 oz freshly grated cheddar cheese

juice of 1 lime

1 roma tomato

handful cilantro, chopped

salt & pepper to taste

Taco Bell sauce (we used herdez chipotle cream)

Preheat to 425 while you cut up your potatoes.  Sprinkle with olive oil and mix.  Evenly sprinkle with seasonings and mix.  Set timer for 40 minutes and when it goes off just turn the oven off till you need the potatoes.

Brown your meat.  Add diced onion.  Add taco seasoning.  Put the lid on and set aside.

In a saucepan melt butter and whisk in the flour.  Add seasonings and let thicken.  Add milk and heat until warm enough to add cheese gradually to melt.  Set aside

Diced tomato, cilantro and add remaining onions.  Add cilantro and lime juice, salt and pepper.  Stir.

Assemble:  Potatoes->Meat->Cheese->Tomato Mixture (pico, basically), Desired sauce (I could eat this without the sauce all together, but some of our crew loved it with).