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Taco casserole being scooped up from a casserole dish.
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Taco Casserole

This Taco Casserole Recipe is loaded with all of your Mexican favorites and topped with Doritos, Fritos, or Tortilla Chips! It’s easy to assemble days ahead of time and bake later for an easy dinner!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Servings: 6
Calories: 547kcal
Author: Stephanie

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. ground beef I use 80% lean
  • 1 small yellow onion diced
  • 1 oz. taco seasoning equivalent to 2 Tablespoons
  • 16 oz. refried beans
  • ¾ cup sour cream *see notes
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • ¼ cup black olives sliced
  • ¾ cup crunchy toppings such as tortilla chips Doritos, and/or Fritos

To garnish:

  • Green onions (optional)
  • 1/3 cup lettuce shredded
  • 1/3 cup tomatoes diced

Instructions

  • Let the sour cream come to room temperature while you prepare the meat. This will prevent it from curdling when baked as it won't be going from cold to hot right away.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Add the ground beef and diced onions to a large pan and cook and crumble over medium heat until the meat is cooked through.
  • Drain excess grease.
  • Add ¾ cup water and taco seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Let it cool for 8-10 minutes.
  • Spread the refried beans in an even layer in a lightly greased 9 x 13-inch casserole dish.
  • Spread the sour cream over the refried beans, followed by the slightly cooled beef, then the cheese.
  • If you’re preparing this head of time, let it cool and cover and refrigerate until ready to bake.

Baking:

  • If baking right away: Bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is hot and melted.
  • If baking after the casserole has been refrigerated: Bake, covered, for 25 minutes. Remove the cover and bake for an additional 5 minutes.

Add the toppings:

  • Top the casserole with black olives and crunchy toppings. (Add additional cheese if you like as well.)
  • Bake uncovered for 8 minutes.
  • Garnish with green onions, diced tomatoes, and/or shredded lettuce and serve!

Notes

*Avoid using light sour cream as this can cause it to curdle and separate. Also ensure that it gets to near room temperature when adding to the casserole.
*A combination of Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese works well too!

Crock Pot Taco Casserole

  • This recipe is easy to assemble within a Crock Pot and heat right away or up to 2 days later.
  • You'll still need to brown the ground beef first, then layer the ingredients per the recipe instructions.
  • Save the crunchy toppings and shredded lettuce/green onions until you're just ready to serve.
  • Heating right away: High 2-3 hours or Low 4-5 hours
  • Heating from a cold state: Let it sit out for 35 minutes prior to heating to prevent the sour cream from curdling. Heat on high 4-5 hours or Low 6-7 hours
This Crock pot allows you to sear/brown meat right on the stove top. It also switches to warm once the cooking time is up.

Nutrition

Calories: 547kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 1273mg | Potassium: 359mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1175IU | Vitamin C: 4.9mg | Calcium: 374mg | Iron: 3.2mg