Description
Hearty walking taco casserole brings Mexican-inspired comfort directly to dinner tables with bold southwestern flavors. Layers of crispy chips, seasoned ground beef, and melted cheese create a crowd-pleasing meal you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein:
- 1 pound ground beef (or ground turkey)
- 1 packet (1 ounce) taco seasoning
Vegetables and Beans:
- 1 (10-ounce) can rotel (diced tomatoes with green chilies), drained
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed (optional)
- ½ cup diced tomatoes
- ½ cup shredded lettuce
- ¼ cup sliced jalapenos
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 avocado, diced
Dairy and Chips:
- 2 cups crushed tortilla chips (fritos or doritos work great!)
- 2 cups shredded mexican blend cheese
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup water
Instructions
- Warm the culinary workspace by setting the oven to 375F (190C) and lightly coating a 9×13-inch baking vessel with a thin layer of cooking spray.
- Transform ground beef in a spacious skillet over medium thermal intensity, breaking the meat into crumbly fragments until it reaches a rich, caramel-brown hue. Eliminate excess lipids through careful draining.
- Infuse the meat with zesty taco seasoning, introduce a splash of water, integrate spicy Rotel tomatoes, and incorporate black beans, allowing the mixture to meld and simmer for a brief 2-3 minute interval.
- Construct the casserole’s foundation by dispersing a generous layer of crisp, crushed tortilla chips across the baking dish’s base.
- Generously cascade the seasoned meat mixture atop the chip foundation, creating an even, robust layer.
- Shower the surface with a lavish blanket of shredded cheese, ensuring complete coverage of the meat landscape.
- Transfer the assembled dish to the preheated oven, allowing it to transform for approximately 15 minutes until the cheese melts into a molten, bubbling masterpiece.
Notes
- Customize the spice level by choosing mild or hot taco seasoning based on your heat preference.
- For a leaner version, swap ground beef with ground turkey or chicken without sacrificing flavor.
- Make this dish gluten-free by using corn tortilla chips and ensuring your taco seasoning is gluten-free certified.
- Prepare ingredients ahead of time to streamline the cooking process and reduce overall kitchen time.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 550
- Sugar: 35 g
- Sodium: 220 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 70 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg