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Mexican Casserole

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close up overhead shot of a baking dish of Mexican Casserole
Hearty ground beef is baked with spices, chips, and cheese then topped with cool sour cream for this amazing and easy Mexican casserole recipe.
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Table of Contents
  1. Mexican Casserole Ingredients
  2. Substitutions And Additions
  3. How To Make This Mexican Casserole Recipe
  4. How To Serve This Easy Mexican Casserole
  5. Storing This Creamy Taco Casserole
  6. More Recipes You’ll Love
  7. JUMP TO RECIPE

Quick and simple, this hearty and zesty Mexican casserole is one of our favorite dinners. Ground beef is layered with spices, salsa, chips, and lots of cheese before being baked and topped with sour cream for a tasty and easy meal you’ll love.

close up shot of a spatula of Mexican Casserole

Mexican Casserole Ingredients

Mexican Casserole raw ingredients that are labeled
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The savory filling of spiced ground beef combined with beans, vegetables, and cheese is topped with a crispy layer of tortilla chips that provides the perfect crunch.

With its combination of creamy and crunchy textures and bold-flavored ingredients, Mexican casserole is an irresistible dish that will have you coming back for seconds, and maybe even thirds.

You’ll need:

  • 1 pound of ground beef
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon of garlic, minced
  • ½ teaspoon of garlic salt
  • 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning (or your favorite taco seasoning package)
  • 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup of corn, frozen
  • 4-ounce can of green chiles
  • 1 (9.25-ounce) bag of corn chips (reserve ½ cup for topping)
  • 2 cups of sour cream
  • 1 (24-ounce) jar of salsa, your favorite style
  • 2 cups of cheddar cheese
  • Optional serving toppings: black olives, chopped tomatoes, shredded lettuce, green onions, guacamole, even more sour cream, cilantro, or crushed corn chips.

PRO TIP:

If you want to increase the spiciness, you can use spicy salsa or add 1 teaspoon of chili powder.

Substitutions And Additions

SPICY: Like it extra zesty? Add jalapeños, chili powder, or a dash of red pepper flakes!

CHEESE: You could also use spicy pepper jack or a Mexican blend of cheese instead of cheddar for an added kick to this easy dinner recipe.

GROUND MEAT: For this easy casserole recipe, you could also make it with shredded rotisserie chicken, ground chicken, sausage, chorizo, pork, or ground turkey.

VEGETARIAN: You could also make this great dish vegetarian and omit the beef or other meat completely. If you do this, you could add more black beans or add in refried beans as well. You could make it with rice as well to make it heartier.

VEGETABLES: You could add additional veggies like zucchini, squash, bell peppers, or mushrooms to this taco casserole recipe. This is also a great recipe to add a can of Rotel to.

CHIPS: Instead of corn chips, you could also use Doritos or Fritos or tortilla chips if you’d like for this delicious casserole. You could also add layers of corn tortillas or flour tortillas.

How To Make This Mexican Casserole Recipe

This tasty casserole has plenty of flavorful ingredients that all come together to create this savory meal in no time. Let’s walk through the process together.

OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS

Prepare this dish ahead of time, simply assemble and place it in the fridge or freezer until you are ready to bake. 

STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

STEP TWO: In a large skillet, brown ground beef with chopped onions and garlic. Drain off any extra grease.

PRO TIP:

For an even quicker cooking time, the ground beef and onions can be cooked ahead of time. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to a month.

beef, onions, and garlic in a skillet

STEP THREE: Add the garlic salt and taco seasoning to the meat and stir to mix.

seasonings added to the meat mixture in the skillet

STEP FOUR: Stir in the beans, corn, and green chilies and stir until heated through. Set aside.

beans, corn, and green chilies added to the meat mixture in the skillet

STEP FIVE: Fill the bottom of the pan with corn chips.

STEP SIX: Spoon the ground beef mixture over the chips.

ground beef mixture spooned over the chips in the baking dish

STEP SEVEN: Drop the sour cream by the spoonful over the meat mixture and spread it around.

sour cream spread over the ground beef mixture in the baking dish

STEP EIGHT: Pour the salsa over the sour cream. Sprinkle the cheese over the top.

salsa poured over the sour cream then topped with shredded cheese

STEP TEN: Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the cheese melts.

mexican casserole after being baked in a baking dish

STEP ELEVEN: Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

How To Serve This Easy Mexican Casserole

You can serve this cheesy, tasty, baked Mexican casserole with our cornbread recipe or Spanish rice as a great side dish.

This yummy casserole is a great alternative to tacos on Taco Tuesday or any night of the week that you are up for Mexican-inspired food.

Add all of your favorite toppings to this casserole, including salsa, guacamole, extra cheese, and tomatoes.

In the mood for Mexican? Then you’ve got to try our chicken enchiladas or this easy layered Mexican salad.

Storing This Creamy Taco Casserole

This is a great meal to make ahead of time and enjoy on a busy weeknight. Here’s how to store it.

IN THE FRIDGE: You can keep the leftovers of this casserole in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.

IN THE FREEZER: Prep the meal in a freezer-safe container or throw away foil dish, then freeze the entire dish before baking. You can then bake at 350°F for 30 to 40 minutes when you’re ready.

You can also freeze individual portions that are leftover after dinner in a freezer-safe container. You can warm it up in the oven or in the microwave for a fast lunch.

overhead shot of a plate of Mexican Casserole topped with tomatoes and olives

There is nothing better than simple, hearty comfort food at the end of a busy day, and this takes less than 15 minutes to put together. One taste, and you’ll know why this spicy, ultimate Mexican casserole recipe is such a favorite for our whole family.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can you make Mexican casserole ahead of time?

You can make this delicious recipe ahead of time as it freezes really well. Wrap it in plastic wrap or in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.

Can I use different ground meat in this recipe?

There are plenty of meat options to choose from when making this casserole. Ground pork, turkey, chicken, shredded chicken, or sausage are all great choices.

Can I make this dish vegetarian?

If you leave out the ground meat and increase the amount of beans in this dish, you’ll have a great vegetarian option.

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close up overhead shot of a baking dish of Mexican Casserole

Mexican Casserole

5 from 1 vote
Hearty ground beef is baked with spices, chips, and cheese then topped with cool sour cream for this amazing and easy Mexican casserole recipe.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 10

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
  • ½ teaspoon garlic salt
  • 2 tablespoons taco seasoning, or your favorite taco seasoning package
  • 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup corn, frozen
  • 4 ounce can green chilies
  • 9.25 ounces corn chips, reserve out ½ cup for topping
  • 2 cups sour cream
  • 24 ounces salsa, your favorite style
  • 2 cups cheddar cheese
  • olives, chopped tomatoes, shredded lettuce, green onions, additional sour cream, crushed corn chips (optional serving toppings)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray the bottom of a 9×13-inch pan with nonstick spray.
  • In a large skillet, brown the ground beef with the chopped onions and garlic. Drain off any extra grease.
  • Add the garlic salt and taco seasoning to the meat and stir to mix.
  • Stir in the beans, corn, and green chilies and stir until heated through. Set aside.
  • Fill the bottom of the pan with corn chips.
  • Spoon the ground beef mixture over the chips.
  • Drop the sour cream by spoonfuls over the meat mixture and spread around.
  • Pour the salsa over the sour cream. Sprinkle the cheese over the top.
  • Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese melts.
  • Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Video

Notes

  • If you want to increase the spiciness, you can use spicy salsa or add 1 teaspoon of chili powder.
  • Prepare this dish ahead of time, simply assemble and place in the fridge or freezer until you are ready to bake. 
  • For an even quicker cooking time, the ground beef and onions can be cooked ahead of time. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to a month.

Nutrition

Calories: 353kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 391mg | Potassium: 343mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 589IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 225mg | Iron: 2mg
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Proudly Prepared by the Spaceships Kitchen

This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!

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