Taco night is the best, but it can be a pain to heat up the tortillas, make all of the fillings, and assemble each taco, one after the other. When you’ve got a family to feed, it can feel just plain tedious. The answer? This easy taco casserole.
Made with ground beef, taco seasoning, black beans, salsa, cheese, and your choice of toppings, it’s somewhere in between taco casserole and nachos. You can easily tweak the recipe to suit your tastes, swapping the cheese for cheddar or pepper Jack, using hot salsa or adding pickled peppers for some heat, and topping with chopped avocado or guacamole.
The crunchy chips add lots of texture when layered with the meat and beans, and the whole dish comes together in just 20 minutes. Kids will love the crowd-pleasing flavors and textures, and they’ll have fun adding their toppings before digging in.
2 Quick Tips for Making Taco Casserole
- The taco seasoning packets have a thickening agent that helps to absorb some of the liquid in the salsa. This helps to thicken the liquid so the chips are coated without fully absorbing the sauce.
- Use sturdy, thick-style tortilla chips and not restaurant-style chips. I like the GreenWise brand.
Make It Ahead
This taco casserole comes together in no time, but you can break up the prep to make dinnertime even quicker. Make the ground beef mixture ahead of time, storing it in the fridge for up to three days. Just don’t add the chips until you’re ready to bake so they don’t get soggy.