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Overhead view of a white dinner plate with a serving of easy taco casserole, glass of water, red checkered kitchen cloth, and casserole ingredients in the background.
David Murphy

Easy Taco Casserole

Easy Taco Casserole adds a fun twist to Taco Tuesday! The taco-inspired ingredients, tortilla chips and gooey cheese is sure to impress!
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Additional Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 8 Servings
Course: Recipes
Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 pounds ground beef I used 90% lean
  • ½ medium sweet onion chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 8 ounce salsa of choice
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 1 oz packets taco seasoning (or 4 tablespoons of homemade taco seasoning blend)
  • 15 ounce can black beans rinsed and drained
  • 2 ½ cups shredded cheese blend divided
  • 3 ½ cups crushed tortilla chips divided
Additional topping ideas: lettuce, tomatoes, jalapeños, cilantro, black olives, sour cream

Instructions
 

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Once heated, add the ground beef, chopped onions, and minced garlic. Break apart the meat with a wooden spoon and brown until cooked through, about 5-7minutes. Drain any excess grease/fat if needed.
  3. Add the salsa, water, and seasonings. Mix together and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes.
  4. Remove the pan from the heat and immediately mix in the black beans and just HALF of the shredded cheese
  5. Add about 2 ½ cups cups of crushed tortilla chips in an even layer into the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish. Just enough to cover the bottom. Set aside the remaining crushed tortilla chips for later.
  6. Spoon the ground beef taco mixture evenly on top.
  7. Sprinkle on the remaining cheese.
  8. Place in the oven and bake uncovered for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
  9. Once it has finished baking, remove from the oven and top with the remaining crushed tortilla chips. Add your favorite toppings if desired!

Notes

  • Instead of adding toppings directly to the casserole dish, you can serve it on the side so everyone can choose what toppings they would like on their plate.
  • For a leaner meat, this recipe can be made with ground turkey instead of ground beef.
  • If you want it spicy, add a little bit of ground cayenne pepper when adding the seasonings. Or use a spicy salsa or a spicy taco seasoning blend.
  • Instead of tortilla chips, you can use doritos or fritos instead!
  • You can add veggies for the filling with the ground beef if desired such as bell peppers, mushrooms, or zucchini.

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