Description
Savory Mexican-inspired Cheesy Taco Casserole delivers a flavor explosion of ground beef, melted cheese, and zesty spices. Comfort meets excitement in this crowd-pleasing dish you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 pound (0.45 kilogram) ground beef
- 2 cups (473 milliliters) shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 cups (240 grams) crushed tortilla chips
- 1 (15 ounces / 425 grams) can black beans, drained
Seasoning and Flavor Enhancers:
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 (10 ounces / 283 grams) can diced tomatoes with green chilies
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) salsa
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) sour cream
Optional Toppings:
- Sliced jalapenos
- Green onions
- Avocado
- Lettuce
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F and prepare a casserole dish with a light coating of cooking spray.
- Sauté ground beef and diced onions in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking meat into crumbly pieces until thoroughly browned.
- Eliminate excess grease from the skillet, then introduce taco seasoning, fire-roasted diced tomatoes with green chilies, and drained black beans to the meat mixture.
- Allow the mixture to gently simmer for approximately 5 minutes, allowing flavors to meld and intensify.
- Create the first foundational layer in the casserole dish by evenly distributing crushed tortilla chips across the bottom.
- Spread the seasoned beef mixture directly over the chip layer, ensuring comprehensive coverage.
- Dollop smooth sour cream across the beef layer, creating an even distribution.
- Generously sprinkle shredded cheese over the sour cream, guaranteeing complete surface coverage.
- Repeat the layering process by adding another stratum of crushed tortilla chips, followed by remaining beef mixture, sour cream, and a final abundant cheese topping.
- Transfer the assembled casserole to the preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until cheese becomes completely melted and develops a tempting golden-brown bubbling texture.
- Remove from oven and garnish with additional crisp tortilla chip fragments and serve alongside fresh salsa and preferred accompanying toppings.
Notes
- Use lean ground beef or turkey for a healthier version of the casserole.
- Swap black beans with kidney beans or pinto beans for different flavor profiles.
- Add diced bell peppers or jalapeños to boost vegetable content and nutrition.
- Consider using low-fat cheese and Greek yogurt instead of sour cream to reduce calories while maintaining creamy texture.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 550
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg