Description
Comfort meets creativity in this Walking Taco Bake, blending Tex-Mex flavors with classic casserole charm. Layered with seasoned ground beef, crispy chips, and melted cheese, this dish promises a crowd-pleasing meal you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 pound (1 lb) ground beef
- 1 bag Fritos
- 1 8-ounce (8 oz) bag shredded Cheddar cheese
Vegetables and Aromatics:
- 1 sweet or yellow onion, diced
- 1 can kidney beans (15 ounces)
- 1 can Rotel or diced tomatoes with green chilies (10 ounces)
- Green onions, chopped
- Tomatoes, diced
- Fresh cilantro, chopped
Sauce and Seasoning:
- 1 can tomato sauce (15 ounces)
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- Pickled jalapenos, sliced
- Sour cream
Instructions
- Warm the kitchen oven to a moderate temperature of 350°F, preparing for a hearty southwestern-inspired casserole.
- Sauté ground protein with finely chopped aromatic onions in a spacious skillet, ensuring the meat browns completely and vegetables soften.
- Incorporate earthy kidney legumes, vibrant tomato puree, zesty diced tomatoes with green chile peppers, and traditional taco spice blend into the skillet, allowing flavors to meld and intensify for several minutes.
- Carefully transfer the robust meat mixture into a rectangular ceramic baking vessel, creating an even foundation for the upcoming layers.
- Generously blanket the protein mixture with shredded sharp cheddar cheese and crispy corn chips, ensuring complete coverage for maximum flavor and texture.
- Place the assembled dish into the preheated oven, allowing ingredients to fuse and cheese to transform into a golden, molten layer over approximately 20-25 minutes.
- Once removed from heat, crown the casserole with a colorful medley of sliced green onion tops, freshly chopped cilantro, diced ripe tomatoes, tangy pickled chile peppers, and a dollop of cool, creamy sour cream.
- Serve immediately while ingredients remain warm and cheese maintains its luxurious melted consistency.
Notes
- Customize heat levels by adjusting the amount of Rotel or adding extra jalapeños for spice lovers.
- Make this dish gluten-free by using corn chips and checking taco seasoning ingredients for wheat-based additives.
- Prep ingredients ahead of time to streamline cooking process and reduce evening meal stress.
- Swap ground beef with ground turkey or plant-based crumbles for a lighter, healthier alternative that doesn’t compromise flavor.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 37 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg