Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spoon a couple tablespoons of salsa from the jar into the bottom of an 8×8-inch baking dish and spread it to coat the bottom.
• Cut the 8 ounces cream cheese into thirds, then cut each third into small cubes. Set the cubes aside.
• Place the 1 pound ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat. Break the beef into small pieces and brown for about 5 minutes.
• Add the 1 packet taco seasoning and 2/3 cup water to the browned beef. Stir well and simmer for about 2 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Turn off the heat.
• Divide the 9.75-ounce bag of Cool Ranch Doritos into three roughly equal portions. Break each portion with your hands (or press gently) as you place it in the pan so each layer is an even bed of chips.
• Divide the remaining salsa (the jar minus the couple tablespoons already used) into three equal portions. Divide the 3 1/2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese so you have three 1-cup portions for layers and 1/2 cup reserved for the top.
• Assemble the casserole in the baking dish: a. Press one-third of the broken Doritos into an even layer on top of the initial salsa-coated bottom. b. Spread one-third of the taco meat evenly over the Doritos. c. Scatter one-third of the cream cheese cubes over the meat. d. Sprinkle 1 cup of shredded cheese over the cream cheese. e. Spoon one-third of the remaining salsa over this layer. f. Repeat steps a–e two more times so you have three Doritos/meat/cream cheese/cheese/salsa layers in total.
• Sprinkle the reserved 1/2 cup shredded cheese evenly over the top layer.
• Bake uncovered at 350°F for about 25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the chips around the edges are very crisp.
• Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the 1/4 cup chopped scallions, let rest a few minutes, then cut into 9 squares and serve warm.