Taco Bake – Cheesy Casserole

By admin On Oct 2, 2024

If you’re looking for an easy weeknight dinner everyone will love, I’ve got you covered!

This taco bake casserole has layers of seasoned beef, refried beans, and gooey cheese packed with bold Tex-Mex flavors.

Best of all, this dish uses ingredients you likely have on hand already!

Plated taco bake with toppings and a casserole dish.

You can prep up to a day ahead and bake when ready!
It’s easy to make and a great way to feed a crowd.
Family-friendly with flavor in every bite.
It’s budget-friendly; add extra veggies or tortilla chips to stretch it further.

Ingredients for a taco bake including a bowl of salsa, a bowl of refried beans, and a skillet of browned ground beef, corn, bell peppers, taco seasoning,

What You’ll Need for This Taco Bake Recipe

Beef: Use lean ground beef, chicken, or turkey in this recipe.
Vegetables: I use a combination of my fave southwest inspired veggies like corn and bell peppers. Any finely chopped vegetable can be added.
Refried Beans: Canned refried beans add great texture, and they also add fiber and satisfy hungry bellies longer. Adding a little sour cream adds tang and creaminess.
Salsa: Salsa makes this dish saucy and adds flavor. Use hot, medium, or mild, based on your preference.
Cheese: A Mexican cheese blend includes cheddar, Monterey jack, asadero, and quesadilla cheeses. Mix and match any cheeses you like including cotija, pepper jack, or Colby.
Chips: Use any brand of plain tortilla chips or even Fritos corn chips. Don’t worry if some are broken, they’ll be perfect in every bite! In a pinch, broken taco or tostada shells can be used instead.

Looking down on a casserole dish with crumbled tortilla chips for a taco bake.

Looking down on a taco bake casserole with the refried beans layer

How to Make a Taco Bake

This taco bake casserole has minimal prep with maximum flavor!

Cook beef. Mix in seasonings and veggies (recipe below).
Combine refried beans and sour cream.
Layer chips, meat, beans, and cheese, with a final topping of cheese.
Oven bake until bubbling hot.

Add desired toppings.

Looking down on a taco bake casserole with lettuce and tomato toppings.

Veggies: shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, jalapenos
Sauces: sour cream, salsa, guacamole, salsa verde
Other: shredded cheddar cheese, sliced black olives, cilantro

Storing Taco Bake

Keep leftover taco bake covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop and serve with fresh tortilla chips and cheese.
Freeze portions in zippered bags for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat as noted above, adding fresh chips and cheese.

More Tasty Casseroles to Try

Did your family love this Taco Bake? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!

image of Everyday Comfort cookbook by Holly Nilsson of Spend With Pennies plus text

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Taco Bake

Layers of spicy ground beef, tortilla chips, refried beans, and cheese are baked together for hearty flavor in every bite!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 8

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a deep 9×13-inch baking dish.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and onion, cooking while breaking up with a spoon until no pink remains. Drain any fat.
Add the bell pepper, corn, ½ cup water, and taco seasoning. Stir and let simmer until the water mostly has evaporated, about 4 minutes. Stir in the salsa and remove from the heat.
In a medium bowl, combine refried beans and sour cream.
Place half of the tortilla chips in the bottom of the dish. Spoon half of the beans in tablespoons over the tortilla chips. Top with half of the meat mixture and 1 cup of cheese. Repeat the layers with the remaining tortilla chips, bean mixture, meat mixture, and the remaining 2 cups of cheese.
Bake the casserole uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and browned.
Add toppings and serve.

Add any toppings as desired. We love lettuce, tomatoes, green onion, and additional sour cream.
Refrigerate up to 4 days.
Freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating in the microwave or oven.

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Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Beef, Casserole, Dinner, Entree, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine American, Mexican

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