Description
A comforting, cheesy casserole made with ground beef, cheese, and pantry staples, perfect for easy family dinners and ready in under an hour.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound ground beef (80/20 recommended)
- 1 packet taco seasoning or 2 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 150g)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (15 oz)
- 1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies (10 oz)
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (200g)
- 3 cups crushed tortilla chips (about 90g)
- 2 green onions, sliced
- Sour cream (optional, for serving)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Dice onion, mince garlic, slice green onions, and crush tortilla chips. Drain and rinse black beans.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed.
- Add diced onion to the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Stir in taco seasoning and ½ cup water. Simmer for 2 minutes until thickened.
- Add black beans and diced tomatoes with green chilies (including juice). Cook for 1-2 minutes until heated through.
- Spray or lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish. Spread half of the crushed tortilla chips evenly on the bottom.
- Spoon half of the beef mixture over the chips, then sprinkle 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese on top.
- Repeat layers with remaining chips, beef mixture, and cheese.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Optionally broil for last 2 minutes for a crispier top, watching carefully to avoid burning.
- Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with sliced green onions and serve with sour cream if desired.
Notes
Use fresh garlic and onions for best flavor. Drain excess fat after browning beef to avoid greasiness. Simmer taco seasoning with water to keep filling moist. Let casserole rest after baking for better slicing. Customize cheese blend for creaminess. For a crispier top, broil last 2 minutes carefully. Leftovers keep well refrigerated up to 4 days; reheat gently with added moisture to avoid dryness. Avoid freezing assembled casserole; freeze beef filling separately.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Mexican-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of casserole
- Calories: 450
- Sodium: 600
- Fat: 25
- Saturated Fat: 12
- Carbohydrates: 28
- Fiber: 6
- Protein: 28
Keywords: cheesy beef taco casserole, easy family dinner, ground beef casserole, taco casserole, weeknight dinner, one dish meal