Baked Beef Taco Casserole Recipe: This Mexican Food Dinner Is An Anomaly (7 Ingredients, 35 Minutes) by Donna John

This easy recipe that went through my newsfeed had me at tacos and casserole. However, the baked beef taco casserole recipe from Taste of Home needed to be tweaked a bit to fit my dinner needs and a question arose about taco shells sitting in beans. Stay with me here...

Photo credit (all photos): Donna John

The tweaking to reduce this casserole from making 12 tacos to six was simple, but the other required a scroll through the comments section at the bottom of the Mexican-inspired casserole recipe. It seemed that the taste overrode the unique assembly of the taco casserole:

"My family really enjoyed this. It had a lot of great flavor and was fairly inexpensive to make. Yes the bottom of the tacos stayed soft [because] they were standing in the refried bean mix but the that didn't bother us"

"It was very yummy, and my family enjoyed it very much! Quick easy and simple. The taco did fall apart a bit, making it a deconstructed taco, but otherwise good."

After reading those comments, this budget-friendly recipe was on the dinner menu. And yes, the taco shells got soft on the bottom, but I loved the combination of crunchy and soft. We enjoyed every bite of this flavorful, budget high-protein dinner.

Here is your shopping list for this Tex-Mex casserole dinner recipe (my tweaked version to reduce the servings): ground beef (read about the health benefits of protein), a packet of taco seasoning, a can of tomatoes with green chiles, a can of refried beans (if you have homemade refried beans, use those), a Mexican cheese blend (or cheddar, Monterey Jack, pepper-jack or your favorite), fresh cilantro (if you have the cilantro soap gene, you can omit) and taco shells. Also grab whatever you like to top your tacos with.

Serve this quick and easy Mexican ground beef taco casserole recipe as a fun alternative on taco night. We loved the flavors of the taco meat filling and the elevated, creamy refried beans on the bottom. A one-dish dinner that just needs a bowl of guacamole or Spanish rice to be a complete Mexican food meal.

Cuisine: Mexican / Tex-Mex / American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 ounce (1 packet) taco seasoning
• 10 ounces (1 can) tomatoes with green chiles, undrained (divided)
• 16 ounces (1 can) refried beans
• 1 1/2 cups Mexican cheese blend, grated (divided)
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 6 taco shells

Optional Taco Toppings

• lettuce, shredded
• tomatoes, chopped
• sour cream
• fresh or pickled jalapenos
• avocado or guacamole
• green onion or red onion, chopped

Here's how to make it: 

1. In a mixing bowl, add the refried beans, 1/2 cup of the grated cheese, cilantro and half of the can of tomatoes with green chiles.
   
2. Stir well to combine. (You can season with salt and pepper, if desired.)
   
3. Spread into an 8x8-inch or 9x9-inch baking dish.
   
4. Cook the ground beef until cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes. (If you have a lot of grease, you can drain the meat.)
   
5. Add the taco seasoning and remaining tomatoes with green chiles. Stir well and cook for about 1 minute.
   
6. Set the taco shells into the baking dish on top of the beans. (For a gluten-free dinner, use gluten-free taco shells.) Divide the meat mixture between the taco shells. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 400-degree F oven for 15 minutes.
   
7. Uncover the casserole.
   
8. Top the tacos with the remaining grated cheese.
   
9. Bake, uncovered, for another 5 minutes to melt the cheese.
   
10. Sprinkle with more fresh cilantro, if desired.
    
11. Use a spatula to scoop out the tacos and beans onto dinner plates. Serve with desired toppings.
    

Recipe cooking times, nutritional information and servings are approximate and provided for your convenience. However, 30Seconds is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe, nor may you have the same results because of variations in ingredients, temperatures, altitude, errors, omissions or cooking/baking abilities. Any nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and it is up to the individual to ascertain accuracy. To ensure image quality, we may occasionally use stock photography.

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