Description
Hearty easy taco casserole with fritos brings classic Tex-Mex comfort to dinner tables across America. Layers of seasoned beef, crispy chips, and melted cheese create a crowd-pleasing meal you will devour in minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein:
- 1 pound ground beef
Seasonings and Sauces:
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes with green chilies
Cheese and Dairy:
- 2 cups shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
- 1/2 cup sour cream
Beans and Chips:
- 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups Fritos corn chips
Optional Toppings:
- diced tomatoes
- green onions
- shredded lettuce
- jalapenos
- guacamole
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350F (175C) and prepare a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, thoroughly cook ground beef until no pink remains, approximately 5-7 minutes. Eliminate excess grease completely.
- Incorporate taco seasoning, water, diced tomatoes with green chilies, and black beans into the meat. Allow mixture to simmer and thicken for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Create a foundational layer of Fritos corn chips across the entire bottom of the greased baking dish, ensuring complete coverage.
- Evenly distribute the seasoned beef and bean mixture over the corn chip base, creating a uniform layer.
- Generously sprinkle shredded cheese across the entire surface, covering the meat mixture completely.
- Transfer the casserole to the preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until cheese melts and becomes golden and bubbly.
- Remove from oven and let rest for 3-4 minutes to allow flavors to settle and casserole to stabilize.
- Delicately spread sour cream across the top and embellish with optional garnishes like diced tomatoes, chopped green onions, sliced jalapenos, and shredded lettuce.
Notes
- Customize the heat level by choosing mild or spicy taco seasoning to match personal preference.
- Swap ground beef with ground turkey or plant-based crumbles for a leaner or vegetarian version.
- Crush Fritos more finely for a more integrated texture or leave them chunkier for extra crunch.
- Prep toppings ahead of time to make serving faster and easier, allowing everyone to customize their portion.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mexican-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg