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Easy Taco Casserole Recipe

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If there ever was such a thing as a party casserole, this is it! It’s a mixture between a main dish and an appetizer. Why make tacos when you can make a whole dip-like, casserole-style, layered masterpiece with juicy beef, melty cheese, and crunchy taco shells? This scoopable Tex-Mex masterpiece has all your favorite flavors and is ready in about 40 minutes.

Best Taco Casserole Recipe

What is a Taco Casserole?

A taco casserole has all the ingredients you like in a hard-shell taco but layered inside a casserole dish. This one has:

  • Ground beef
  • Chopped onions and garlic
  • Chopped green bell pepper
  • Taco sauce
  • Diced green chiles
  • Taco seasoning
  • Hard taco shells
  • Mexican cheese blend
  • Your favorite toppings such as pico de gallo, sliced black olives, sour cream, sliced avocado, and chopped jalapenos

Is a Taco Casserole Easy to Make?

It is easier than making a bunch of tacos one by one! All you have to do is:

  1. Brown the ground beef along with the chopped onions and minced garlic in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
  2. Mix in the chopped green bell pepper, diced green chiles, taco sauce, and taco seasoning. Simmer until almost all the liquid has evaporated, about 8 minutes.
  3. Assemble the casserole: place half of the broken taco shells in the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish.
  4. Add half of the meat mixture over the broken shells
  5. Top the meat with half of the shredded cheese.
  6. Repeat the layers ending with shredded cheese.
  7. Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 20 minutes.
  8. Top with your favorite toppings and serve while hot.

Taco Casserole Variations:

  • Don’t like beef? Use ground turkey or chicken.
  • If you like it spicy, add more jalapenos and a dash of hot sauce to the meat mixture.
  • If you are an absolute cheese lover, add more cheese or use two different kinds of cheese.
  • Instead of adding slices of avocado as a topping, try spreading guacamole on top.
  • Don’t have hard taco shells? Use Fritos instead!

Best Taco Casserole Recipe

Other Mexican-style Casseroles For You:

  • Beef Enchilada Casserole
  • Salsa Chicken Rice Casserole
  • Easy Baked Burrito Casserole
  • Beef Taco Casserole
Best Taco Casserole Recipe

Easy Taco Casserole Recipe

Why make tacos when you can make a whole dip-like, casserole-style, Tex-Mex meal?
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 18kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 lb lean ground beef
  • ½ cup chopped onion
  • 2 minced garlic cloves
  • ½ cup chopped green bell pepper
  • ½ cup taco sauce
  • 1 ½ tbsp taco seasoning
  • 1- 14 oz can diced green chiles
  • 12 hard taco shells broken up in small pieces
  • 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
  • Your favorite toppings: pico de gallo, avocado, sour cream, sliced jalapenos, and sliced black olives

Instructions

  • Brown the ground beef along with the chopped onions and minced garlic in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
  • Mix in the chopped green bell pepper, diced green chiles, taco sauce, and taco seasoning. Simmer until almost all the liquid has evaporated, about 8 minutes
  • Assemble the casserole: place half of the broken taco shells in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish.
  • Add half of the meat mixture over the broken shells
  • Top the meat with half of the shredded cheese.
  • Repeat the layers ending with shredded cheese.
  • Bake until the cheese is bubbly, about 20 mins.
  • Top with your favorite toppings and serve while hot.

Notes

  1. If you don’t have lean ground beef, drain the fat after browning it.
  2. If you want a lighter version, use ground turkey.
  3. Break up the taco shells as small as possible without totally crushing them, so they can be evenly distributed.
  4. Evaporate as much liquid as possible from the meat mixture so your casserole won’t turn out soggy.
 
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Nutrition

Calories: 18kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 18g
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5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)
Recipe Rating




Diana

Monday 29th of July 2024

Great dish! We were hungry for Mexican but wanted something fast. Huge hit! Hardly anything left which is a little sad. Looks like it would be great leftover. :)