Beef Taco Casserole

One can never have enough taco casserole recipes. I love taco dinner ideas because who doesn’t love tacos, right? Taco casserole is not authentic Mexican cuisine, but more like a Tex-Mex meal.

The use of hard taco shell corn tortillas is an American invention and the use of ground beef was made famous by food chains like Taco Bell. We grew up on this, so for me, it means comfort food.

Sometimes we don’t have time to make individual tacos, so a casserole is the best next thing, and this one is amazing. It is so fast and easy to make, and the best thing about it is that hard taco shells are used in between layers instead of nachos, Fritos, or tortillas. And you can add your favorite toppings!

Want more Mexican-inspired casserole recipes? Beef Enchilada Casserole is a great one, Easy Baked Burrito Casserole Recipe is easy to make and delicious, and Taco Casserole Recipe is way easier than making individual tacos!

How To Make Taco Casserole?

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a large skillet cook the ground beef with the onions, bell peppers, and taco seasoning, until no pink is left in the meat
2. Pour in the enchilada sauce and green chiles and simmer the mixture until most of the liquid has evaporated.
3. Place half of the broken taco shells in the bottom of a 7 x 11-inch baking dish.
4. Spoon half of the meat mixture on top of the taco shells.
5. Sprinkle half of the shredded cheddar on top of the meat mixture.
6. Repeat these three layers and top with chopped tomatoes and sliced jalapenos.
7. Bake for 30 mins or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Let it stand for a few minutes before serving.

Make-Ahead Method

You can make this casserole ahead of time in two ways.

First, you can make the meat mixture and refrigerate it overnight and assemble the casserole before baking it, or you can assemble the whole thing, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight.

Take it out of the fridge before baking it and add 10 minutes to the baking time.

Cooking Tips

1. You can use a Mexican cheese blend instead of cheddar for a change.
2. Do not break the taco shells too small. You don’t want powdered shells.
3. If you don’t like jalapenos, use sliced black olives instead. Serve with sour cream, avocados, more jalapenos, and fresh cilantro.

Continue to Content

Beef Taco Casserole

Yield: 6 - SERVINGS

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Why make individual tacos when you can make them in a casserole?

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Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• ½ yellow onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1- 10 oz can enchilada sauce
• 1- 4 oz can green chiles
• 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
• 1- 16 count box of hard taco shells broken and divided
• 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• Favorite toppings: I used chopped tomatoes, sliced jalapenos and sour cream

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a large skillet cook the ground beef with the onions, bell peppers, and taco seasoning, until no pink is left in the meat.
2. Add the enchilada sauce and green chiles and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated
3. In the bottom of a 7 x 11-inch baking dish, place half of the broken taco shells
4. Spoon half of the meat mixture evenly on top of the taco shells
5. Sprinkle half of the shredded cheese on top of the meat mixture
6. Repeat the layers and top with chopped tomatoes and sliced jalapenos. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly

Nutrition Information:

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 541Total Fat: 33gUnsaturated Fat: 33gCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 33.4g

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