Ground Beef Fajita Casserole Recipe: A High-Protein Mexican Food Dinner (30 Minutes) by Donna John

A chicken fajita casserole is EatingWell's most-clicked recipe right now. The popular Mexican-inspired casserole recipe is made with boneless chicken thighs, bell peppers, onions and spices. Having a freezer full of ground beef, I decided to play around with the popular recipe and make it my own. This ground beef fajita casserole recipe is loaded with Tex-Mex flavors, seasoned beef, fajita-style vegetables, cheese and corn tortillas. This high-protein recipe was a winner Mexican food dinner.

You don't need a long list of complicated ingredients to make this high-protein skillet casserole recipe. Here are the gluten-free ingredients you need from your fridge and pantry: ground beef (you could use ground chicken or ground turkey instead), a red bell pepper, a yellow bell pepper (check out the health benefits of bell peppers), onion, chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, a lime for juicing, corn tortillas, Mexican cheese and optional fresh cilantro. (For me, cilantro is never optional!)

The casserole starts on the stovetop and ends in the oven. After browning the ground beef in half of the spices, the vegetables join the party and are seasoned with the remaining spices. After a quick cook on the vegetables, in goes the fresh lime juice and corn tortilla strips. Top with the shredded cheese and bake for about 10 minutes. So easy!

Use whatever type of Mexican cheese you like for this recipe. I used Quesadilla, but other great options are Monterey Jack, pepper-jack, a Mexican blend or even regular cheddar cheese. And remember that freshly grated cheese melts better than pre-shredded cheese in a bag, so grate your own if you can.

This ground beef fajita casserole is delicious all on its own, but you could add toppings like sour cream, cilantro, jalapenos, avocado or guacamole or even fresh pico de gallo. I served it for dinner with black beans seasoned with the same spices that were in the casserole.

Cuisine: Mexican / Tex-Mex / American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef (or ground chicken or turkey)
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
• 1 onion, cut in half then sliced
• 4 teaspoons chili powder
• 3 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• juice from 1 lime
• 6 corn tortillas, cut into strips
• 1 cup Mexican cheese, shredded
• cilantro, chopped (optional)

Here's how to make it: 

1. Stir together the chili powder, garlic powder and cumin in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
   
2. Put the ground beef into an oven-proof skillet. Sprinkle in half of the seasoning blend. Cook, breaking the meat up as you stir, until browned, about 4 to 5 minutes.
   
3. Add the onions and peppers. Sprinkle in the remaining seasoning. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. (If you like softer vegetables, cook longer.)
   
4. Add the lime juice. Stir. Gently stir in the tortilla strips.
   
5. Top with the grated cheese.
   
6. Bake in a preheated 400-degree F oven for about 10 minutes.
   
7. Garnish with cilantro, if desired.
   
8. Serve. Top with your desired toppings like sour cream, jalapenos, avocado or pico de gallo. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat in the microwave.
   

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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