Name: Taco Casserole
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef; Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper; 2 tablespoons safflower oil; 1 medium green bell pepper, diced (1 ½ cups); 1 medium white onion, diced (1 ½ cups); 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 2.5 teaspoons chili powder; 0.5 teaspoon dried oregano; 0.25 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes; 1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans, drained and rinsed; 4 cups yellow corn tortilla chips, slightly crushed; 1.25 cup freshly shredded Monterey jack cheese (3 ounces); 1.25 cup freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese (3 ounces); Thinly sliced radish, thinly sliced jalapeno, sliced black olives, sour cream, and fresh cilantro leaves for serving

Prep Time:

25 mins

Total Time:

30 mins

Servings:

6

Our crowd-pleasing taco casserole has it all: It bakes up quickly in a hot oven, and can be made ahead if you like. Made with ground beef, pinto beans, and canned tomatoes that are subtly flavored with chili powder, they taste just like inside-out nachos. The recipe is subtly spicy and ready for customizable toppings to amp up the flavor even further: Cue the hot sauce and sliced jalapeños, go a milder route with sliced avocado and lime juice, or take the crunchy approach with sliced radishes and cilantro.

taco casserole with toppings on the side — Mike Krautter

Make-Ahead Tips

Our taco casserole is an easy make-ahead dish:

Prepare the meat and bean filling up to two days ahead and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Preheat the oven and warm the filling in the skillet you will bake the casserole in. Make the tortilla chips mixture and use to top the casserole. Add extra cheese and bake as directed.

Variations

Use canned black beans in place of the pinto beans.
Replace the ground beef with ground dark meat turkey or a plant-based meat. With either of these swaps, you may need to use more oil as they have less fat than ground beef.
For a spicier taco casserole, swap half or all of the canned tomatoes for canned Rotel diced tomatoes and chiles.
Use fire-roasted tomatoes in place of the canned tomatoes for a smokier flavor.
Try different cheeses such as Pepper Jack or a Mexican blend in place of the Jack or Cheddar.

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons safflower oil
1 medium green bell pepper, diced (1 ½ cups)
1 medium white onion, diced (1 ½ cups)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 ½ teaspoons chili powder
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups yellow corn tortilla chips, slightly crushed
1 ¼ cup freshly shredded Monterey jack cheese (3 ounces)
1 ¼ cup freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese (3 ounces)
Thinly sliced radish, thinly sliced jalapeno, sliced black olives, sour cream, and fresh cilantro leaves for serving

Directions

Preheat oven; Brown ground beef:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon to break up meat, until meat is browned, 10 minutes. Transfer beef to a colander to drain. Discard excess oil.
Cook bell pepper and onion; add tomato paste:

Wipe out skillet, add oil, and return to heat. Add bell pepper and onion. Cook, stirring, until tender and browning, 7 minutes. Add tomato paste; cook, stirring, 1 minute.
Add beef, spices, tomatoes, beans:

Add back reserved beef, chili powder, oregano and cumin, tomatoes (with liquid), pinto beans, and 2 tablespoons water; bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.
Mix chips with 2 cups of cheese:

In a large bowl, combine tortilla chips, 1 cup Monterey jack, and 1 cup cheddar cheese.
Top casserole with chips and more cheese:

Top casserole with chip mixture followed by remaining 1/4 cup each of Monterey and cheddar cheese.
Bake and serve:

Bake until cheese is melted and golden in spots, about 3 minutes. Serve with radishes, jalapenos, olives, sour cream, and cilantro.