Party Tortilla Bake with Ground Meat and Cheese Recipe
This is a “layered cake” style bake made from tortilla wraps, ground meat, and cheese. In Poland it often appears at house parties instead of classic pizza, because it’s easy to cut into wedges and serve to guests. The flavors are slightly inspired by Tex-Mex cuisine, but the whole dish is adapted to Polish tastes – not too spicy, but very cheesy.
This party bake looks like a cake but tastes like a combination of quesadilla, lasagne, and Polish mushroom-and-cheese zapiekanka – layers of tortillas, meat, tomato sauce, and cheese create a showy yet familiar dish. The Tex-Mex-inspired spices are noticeable but not overpowering, so the dish appeals even to those who don’t like very spicy food. It’s one of those options that disappear from the table faster than you can put out a second bowl of chips.
Chef's tips
Make sure the meat sauce isn’t too runny – it should be thick, almost like a tortilla filling, otherwise the “cake” will collapse when sliced. It’s a good idea to press the tortillas down gently as you build the layers so everything binds together and cuts like a cake after baking. If your oven browns strongly from the top, you can shorten the final minutes or cover the top with paper so the cheese doesn’t burn but browns nicely.
How to serve
Serve it cut into wedges on a large board, with bowls of sour cream, natural yogurt, tomato salsa or guacamole for dipping. It pairs perfectly with homemade lemonade, beer or cola-based drinks – it’s great for board-game nights or watching a match with friends. Leftovers can be reheated the next day in a covered frying pan – the tortilla then develops pleasantly crisp edges.
Ingredients
- wheat tortillas about 25 cm in diameter - 5 pieces
- ground meat e.g. turkey or pork-and-beef mix - 400 g
- onion diced - 1 piece
- red bell pepper diced - 1 piece
- canned tomatoes chopped - 200 g
- canned sweetcorn drained - 100 g
- yellow cheese grated - 200 g
- oil for frying - 1 tablespoon
- sweet paprika ground - 1 teaspoon
- hot paprika ground, amount to taste - 0.5 teaspoons
- garlic finely chopped - 2 cloves
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (top and bottom heat). Lightly grease a round baking tin (e.g. a cake tin) with oil.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan. Add the onion and fry for 3–4 minutes over medium heat until softened and slightly translucent.
- Add the ground meat and fry for 8–10 minutes, breaking up any lumps with a spoon, until it turns completely brown and is no longer raw.
- Add the bell pepper and fry for 3–4 minutes until slightly softened.
- Add the garlic, sweet paprika and hot paprika, stir and fry for 1 more minute.
- Add the canned tomatoes and sweetcorn. Simmer for 5–7 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat.
- Place one tortilla on the bottom of the tin. Spread some of the meat filling over it and sprinkle with grated cheese.
- Cover with another tortilla and repeat the layering: filling, cheese, tortilla. Continue until you use up the ingredients, finishing with a tortilla topped with cheese.
- Cover the tin with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, remove the foil and bake for another 8–10 minutes, until the cheese on top is browned.
- After removing from the oven, wait 10 minutes so the bake can firm up slightly. Then cut it into wedges like a cake.
Storage
Store covered in the fridge for up to 2–3 days. Reheat portions in the oven or in a covered frying pan over low heat until hot; the tortilla will become pleasantly crisp around the edges.
