Shake up Taco Tuesday with a taco recipe that combines everyone's favorites—seasoned beef, tortilla chips, and all the toppings—in one baking dish. The chips are layered just like noodles in a lasagna and will still keep some of their crunch after baking. As for toppings, the sky's the limit! Anything you'd pile on a plate of nachos is fair game here. Add this casserole to your list of go-to Tex-Mex recipes for any night of the week. It's ready in under an hour, and your family is guaranteed to love it. All that's missing is a margarita!
What's intaco casserole?
This recipe has three parts. First, there's the meat mixture made of ground beef, peppers, onion, tomatoes, black beans, and corn. Then there's Mexican-style cheese, and finally tortilla chips. The three components get layered into a casserole dish and baked, then topped with your favorite taco toppings.
Can you use frozen corn in taco casserole?
You sure can! Fresh or frozen corn works great in this casserole. If using fresh, there's no need to cook the corn first. If using frozen, you don't even have to thaw it before adding the corn to the ground beef mixture. Just toss the frozen kernels right in.
What do you serve with taco casserole?
All this ground beef recipe needs is a load of toppings sprinkled on top! Think shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, sour cream, avocado, black olives, cilantro, and hot sauce for a boost of heat. Keep it simple or pile on lots!
What is in taco seasoning?
Taco seasoning is a bold blend of chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, and a few other spices. You can make your own or pick up a packet at the store for this recipe.
Are poblano peppers spicy?
Large, dark green poblano peppers are mildly spicy, about halfway between the heat of an Anaheim pepper and a jalapeño. Removing the seeds before cooking helps to tame the heat a bit more. You can also swap the poblano for a milder Anaheim pepper (long and light green).
Do you really need to grease the baking dish?
Coating your baking dish with cooking spray is probably the easiest step to forget, but it's worth doing. Greasing the dish keeps the cheese from gluing to the corners of the casserole and makes scooping and serving easier. As for another big bonus: it makes cleanup easier!
Can I make taco casserole ahead of time?
The answer is mostly yes! The ground beef, pepper, and onion mixture can be made up to two days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Wait until just before baking to assemble the casserole so the chips still have some crunch. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days—the chips will soften overtime, but the casserole will still be delicious.
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Yields:
6 - 8
serving(s)
Prep Time:
30 mins
Total Time:
55 mins
Ingredients
Casserole
- 1 Tbsp.
vegetable oil
- 2
red and/or yellow bell peppers, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced
- 1
yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1
poblano pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped
- 3
garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 1/2 lb.
lean ground beef
- 1
(1-oz.) packet taco seasoning
- 1
(10-oz.) can mild diced tomatoes and green chiles (such as Rotel), drained
- 1
(15-oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 c.
corn kernels, fresh or frozen
- 1 1/2 tsp.
kosher salt
Nonstick cooking spray
- 1
(13-oz.) bag round tortilla chips, plus more for serving
- 1
(8-oz.) bag shredded Mexican-style cheese blend
To Serve:
Shredded lettuce
Pico de gallo
Avocado
Cilantro, chopped
Sour cream
Sliced black olives
Hot sauce
Directions
- Step1For the casserole: Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Step2In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the bell pepper, onion, poblano, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the ground beef and taco seasoning packet. Cook, stirring often to break into small crumbles, until browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes and green chiles, black beans, corn, and salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until well combined, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Step3Lightly grease a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange the tortilla chips in a slightly overlapping single layer in the bottom of the baking dish (about 35 chips in a layer). Top with about half of the ground beef mixture in an even layer. Sprinkle evenly with half of the cheese. Repeat the layers once, ending with cheese on top. Reserve the remaining chips for serving.
- Step4Bake the casserole until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown on top, 16 to 20 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before topping and serving.
- Step5To serve: Top with shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, avocado, cilantro, sour cream, black olives, and hot sauce. Serve with extra tortilla chips.
Tip:Round tortilla chips work great for making an even layer, but any sturdy tortilla chip will work.
Recipe bySloane Layton
Sloane Layton is a trained chef, recipe developer and regular contributor to ThePioneerWoman.com. An avid bread baker and pastry connoisseur, when she’s not proofing sourdough, she enjoys traveling, and is always on the hunt for the flakiest croissant.
