Description
This Walking Taco Casserole is a fun, cheesy family dinner loaded with seasoned ground beef, beans, crunchy corn chips, and fresh taco toppings. It’s easy to assemble and perfect for a casual weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.5 lbs (680g) ground beef (80/20 lean)
- 1 packet (1 oz / 28g) taco seasoning
- 1 can (10 oz / 283g) diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
- 1 can (15 oz / 425g) black beans or refried beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 oz (115g) cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups (225g) sharp cheddar or Colby Jack cheese, freshly shredded and divided
- 4 cups crushed Fritos corn chips or Doritos, divided
- 2 cups iceberg lettuce, finely shredded
- 1 cup Roma tomatoes, diced
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup sliced jalapeños or chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef until no pink remains. Drain off excess grease.
- Stir in the taco seasoning and diced tomatoes with green chilies. Simmer for 3 minutes until thickened.
- Reduce the heat to low and stir in the black beans or refried beans and softened cream cheese until melted and completely smooth.
- Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish and spread 2 cups of crushed corn chips across the bottom.
- Pour the seasoned beef and bean mixture evenly over the chips.
- Top with 1.5 cups of shredded cheddar cheese.
- Bake uncovered at 350°F (175°C) for 15 minutes until bubbly.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle the remaining 2 cups of crushed corn chips and 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese over the top.
- Return to the oven for 5 minutes until the cheese is melted and the chips are warm and crisp.
- Let the casserole stand for 5 minutes.
- Top individual servings with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream, and sliced jalapeños or chopped cilantro before serving.
Notes
Add the fresh lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, and other cold toppings just before serving so they stay crisp and fresh. Use Fritos or Doritos depending on your preferred crunch and flavor.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 650
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 1050mg
- Fat: 40g
- Saturated Fat: 17g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18g
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 7g
- Protein: 31g
- Cholesterol: 105mg