Tortilla Casserole shakes up Tortilla Tuesday by simply baking everyone’s favorite seasoned beef, tortilla chips and all the toppings in one oven. The chips are layered like lasagna noodles so they stay crunchy even after baking. The toppings are also flexible. Use avocado, sour cream, shredded lettuce, or add pickled jalapenos or your favorite salsa. Add this dish to your list of Mexican recipes to enjoy any night of the week.
What is in taco seasoning?
Taco seasoning is a bold blend of chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, and several other spices. You can make this recipe yourself or buy a pack at the store.
How spicy are poblano peppers?
Large, dark green poblano peppers have a slightly spicy flavor, with a spiciness somewhere between Anaheim chilies and jalapenos. Removing the seeds before cooking helps reduce the heat. You may also replace the poblano peppers with Anaheim peppers (long, thin, green).
Do I need to grease the oven tray?
Spraying the oven tray with cooking spray may be the most often forgotten step, but it’s worth doing. Greasing the tray keeps the cheese from sticking to the corners of the casserole, makes it easier to scoop, and makes serving easier. Another major benefit is that it makes cleanup easier.
Taco Casserole
Yield : 6 to 8 servings
Preparation time : 30 minutes
Total time : 55 min.
Ingredients
For the Casserole:
- 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
- 2 red and/or yellow bell peppers, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced
- 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 poblano pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
- 1 1-oz. packet taco seasoning
- 1 10-oz. can mild diced tomatoes and green chiles (such as Rotel), drained
- 1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 c. corn kernels, fresh or frozen
- 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 1 13-oz. bag round tortilla chips, plus more for serving
- 1 8-oz. bag shredded Mexican-style cheese blend
To Serve:
- Shredded lettuce
- Pico de gallo
- Avocado
- Cilantro, chopped
- Sour cream
- Sliced black olives
- Hot sauce
Directions
1 – For casseroles. Preheat oven to 375°. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers, onion, polenta, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Add ground meat and tortilla seasoning packet. Cook, stirring frequently, until browned in small pieces, 6 to 8 minutes. Add canned tomatoes, bell bell pepper, black beans, corn and salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until well blended, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
2 – Lightly coat a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange tortilla chips in a single layer (about 35 per layer), slightly overlapping the bottom of the baking dish. Spread about half of the ground beef mixture evenly over the chips. Sprinkle evenly with half of the cheese. Repeat, adding a final layer of cheese on top. Reserve the remaining chips for serving.
3 – Bake in preheated oven for 16-20 minutes, until cheese is melted and surface begins to brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving with topping.
4 – Serve. Top with shredded lettuce, tomato sauce, avocado, cilantro, sour cream, black olives, and hot sauce, if desired. Garnish with crunchy tortilla chips.
