Walking Taco Casserole

This casserole will be your new favorite way to have all your taco flavors! Served up in a simple one-dish meal, loaded with ground beef, salsa and lots and lots of cheese. Make for a potluck or easy weeknight dinner!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Tex-Mex

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings

Calories 1105kcal

Author Emmeline Kemperyd

Equipment

Casserole Dish 9×13-inch (23x33 cm)
Frying pan
Measuring cups
Spatula*

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter or oil olive oil or neutral cooking oil + a bit more for greasing the dish
1 lb ground beef
4 tablespoon taco seasoning store bought or homemade
1 8 oz jar salsa I like hot; use what suits you
1 cup sour cream
1 cup cream cheese natural or garlic & herb flavored
1 cup shredded cheese
1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half
¼ cup pickled jalapeños roughly chopped; optional
3 cups tortilla chips crushed; divided

To Serve

½ loosely packed cup cilantro finely chopped; more or less according to taste
sour cream optional
pickled jalapeños optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 440 °F and lightly grease a 9×13-inch (23x33 cm) baking dish.
Heat oil or butter in a pan over medium-high heat then add in ground beef. Cook 3-5 minutes until browned, then add taco seasoning and cook 1 more minute while mixing.
1 lb ground beef, 4 tablespoon taco seasoning, 1 tablespoon butter or oil
Add salsa and simmer 2 minutes.
1 8 oz jar salsa
Lower the heat to medium and mix in sour cream and cream cheese. Mix until melted, then remove from the heat.
1 cup cream cheese, 1 cup sour cream
Crush 2 cups tortilla chips and place in the bottom of the greased pan, then pour over the meat mixture. Add tomatoes and jalapeños followed by the remaining chips. Top with shredded cheese.
1 cup shredded cheese, 1 cup cherry tomatoes, ¼ cup pickled jalapeños, 3 cups tortilla chips
Bake in the middle of the oven at 440 °F for 20 minutes, until browned and set.
Top with chopped cilantro, and serve! You can also serve with some extra sour cream and/or jalapeños added on top or on the side.
½ loosely packed cup cilantro, sour cream, pickled jalapeños

Notes

You can adapt this recipe to suit what you enjoy, but I would recommend always including at least the following:

Tortilla chips
Ground beef or other filling (beans, vegetarian meat options, chicken, etc.) with some kind of taco seasoning and/or salsa
Sour cream & cream cheese
Shredded cheese

Make sure it doesn't burn. Keep an eye on it! If your oven runs hot you might need to tent with foil for the final few minutes in the oven.

Adjust the spice level to suit you and your family. You can make this anything from very mild with a mild salsa and no jalapeños to extra spicy with lots of jalapeños and habanero salsa.

Let it rest 5 minutes before serving. This makes it easier to serve as it will keep togther better.

Storing, Freezing & Reheating Instructions

Storing: Store leftovers in the fridge in a covered casserole dish or an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Freezing: Freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Reheating in the oven: Reheat the whole casserole in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 350°F (175°C). If it starts to burn, tent with aluminum foil.

Reheating in microwave: Reheat leftovers in the microwave in 1-minute increments.

Nutrition