My family adores all Mexican inspired food, including Chipotle chicken, vegetarian fajitas, and this hearty Mexican casserole. You can never go wrong with a casserole, especially when it’s loaded with plenty of meat, tortillas and cheese! This Mexican casserole is a huge hit with both kids and adults, and is great for feeding a crowd.
Mexican Casserole Ingredients
This casserole consists of easy to locate ingredients including ground beef, tortillas, taco seasoning, vegetables, cheese and enchilada sauce.
How do you make Mexican casserole?
Start by cooking the ground beef in a pan. Add the onions, then stir in taco seasoning. Next, add tomatoes and corn to the beef mixture. Layer tortillas, the beef mixture, shredded cheese and enchilada sauce into a baking dish. Repeat the layers, then sprinkle extra cheese over the final layer. Bake until the casserole is bubbly and the cheese is melted. Add any toppings of your choice, then serve.
Tips for the perfect dish
To make this casserole in advance, assemble all the layers, then cover the casserole dish with foil and refrigerate for up to one day. When it’s time to eat, follow the baking instructions in the recipe, but add 15 minutes more to the bake time to compensate for starting with a cold casserole. You can serve your casserole as-is, or add some toppings such as cilantro, lettuce, sour cream, avocado or sliced olives. For an extra special touch, whip up a homemade topping such as Chipotle guacamole, salsa fresca, or corn salsa. Need a side dish to serve with your casserole? Try my easy cilantro lime rice. I recommend using 90% lean ground beef. It has plenty of flavor without a lot of grease. If you use beef with a higher fat content, you may need to drain off any excess grease after it’s cooked. This recipe works best with freshly grated cheese. The bags of shredded cheese at the grocery store are often coated with preservatives and anti caking agents and do not melt well.
Flavor variations
Sometimes I make this casserole with different ingredients, depending on what I have on hand. You can easily customize this recipe to your family’s tastes!
Protein: Swap out the ground beef for ground turkey, or use cooked shredded chicken instead. You can also turn this into a vegetarian dish by using a can of black beans and a can of pinto beans. Tortillas: While I typically make this recipe with corn tortillas, flour tortillas will also work just fine. Cheese: No cheddar on hand? Try using Monterey Jack, colby or pepper jack instead. Vegetables: Feel free to add other veggies to the filling such as cooked zucchini, roasted green chilies, mushrooms or bell peppers. Flavorings: Stir in some favorites such as olives, or add hot sauce for a spicy kick. You can also use green enchilada sauce instead of red.
Once you see how easy and delicious this Mexican casserole is, you’ll find yourself making it on a regular basis!
More casserole recipes you’ll love
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