Easy Taco Casserole

Overhead view of a baked taco casserole in a square baking dish with a serving missing from the corner, with a spatula left in the pan.

3.67 from 3 votes

Easy Taco Casserole

Skip the taco shells and dig into this easy Taco Casserole layered with seasoned ground beef, soft flour tortillas, veggies, and plenty of melted cheese.

Prep Time15

Cook Time35

Resting Time10

Total Time1

Course: Main

Cuisine: Tex-Mex

Keyword: taco casserole

Servings: servings

Author: Katerina Petrovska

Ingredients

For The Casserole

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small poblano pepper diced
3 cloves garlic minced
1 pound lean ground beef
1 teaspoon chili powder or to taste
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¾ teaspoon salt or to taste
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste
2 large fresh tomatoes diced
9 ounces fresh baby spinach
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
butter for dish
4 eight-inch flour tortillas

For Serving, Optional

avocado Slices
cherry tomatoes
tortilla chips

Instructions

Prep. Preheat the oven to 350˚F and coat a 2-quart or 3-quart baking dish with butter. Set aside.
Sauté the peppers and garlic. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet set over medium-low heat. Add the diced poblano and cook for 3 minutes, or until just tender; stir in the garlic and cook for 15 seconds or until fragrant.
Cook the ground beef. Stir in the beef and season with chili powder, ground cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook until the meat is browned, stirring occasionally to break it up, about 6 minutes.
Add the vegetables. Stir in the diced tomatoes and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Add the fresh spinach and cook for 1 to 2 more minutes, or until wilted. Remove from heat.
Combine the cheese. In a bowl, mix the shredded cheeses and set aside.
Layer the casserole. Cover the bottom of the baking dish with a layer of the meat sauce. Top with 1 flour tortilla and sprinkle shredded cheese over it. Repeat the layers, and top each layer with the meat mixture and cheese before adding the next flour tortilla. Finish by spreading the remaining meat mixture on top and adding the remaining cheese.
Bake. Cover the casserole and bake for 30 minutes; remove the cover and continue cooking for 5 to 8 more minutes, or until bubbly.
Let it cool, then serve. Remove the taco casserole from the oven and let it stand for 10 minutes; garnish with avocado slices, cherry tomatoes, and tortilla chips, then serve.

Notes

Make Ahead: This casserole can be prepared 1-2 days ahead. Brown the meat and layer the casserole in a baking dish following the recipe. Cover tightly and refrigerate the unbaked casserole and bake as directed whenever you’re ready!
Seasoning: Make your own Homemade Taco Seasoning to use in place of chili powder.
Grate the Cheese: Use freshly grated cheese whenever you can, as the bags of pre-shredded cheese don't melt as nicely.
Grease the Baking Dish: Coating the baking dish with butter or Crisco makes scooping, serving, and cleaning much easier.
Store leftover taco casserole in the fridge for up to 4 days and reheat as needed. It can also be used as a beef burrito filling.
Freeze the casserole, before or after baking, for up to a month. Thaw in the fridge overnight before baking or reheating, adding extra time if needed.

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