Mexican Casserole

Mix up and bake this family-pleasing Mexican Casserole in just over thirty minutes! Full of tasty meat and beans, and topped with chips and cheese, it’s perfect for any night of the week!

Cinco de Mayo is coming up, and that means Mexican food! Thank goodness for those tacos and burritos and other super tasty things that we can quickly make and eat! Now I’m not sure if this Mexican Casserole is something that your abuela would have whipped up, but it does combine classic Mexican flavors and ingredients, and is ready in little more than 30 minutes! All you have to do is cook up some hamburger, open a couple of cans and a couple of bags, and you are done. Well, you actually have to do a LITTLE more, but not much.

Ingredients for Mexican Casserole

• lean ground beef
• salt
• pepper
• garlic powder
• cumin
• chili powder
• tomato sauce
• salsa
• white beans (Great Northern)
• shredded cheddar cheese
• corn chips

Tips for Making Mexican Casserole

• Feel free to use ground turkey or chicken in place of the ground beef. You can also use shredded rotisserie chicken or chicken breasts. This is a great way to use up leftover meat.
• Adjust the spices to your liking. Want things a little hotter? Add some cayenne or chipoltle powder.
• Use any type of beans in place of the white beans. Black beans, red beans, or pinto beans work well.
• Use pepperjack cheese in place of the mozzarella for some variety and kick.
• Use pre-shredded cheese. I buy mine at Costco, and the cost is the same per ounce as a block of non-shredded cheese.
• Instead of traditional red salsa, try using green salsa. This goes particularly well with chicken.
• You can prepare this casserole beforehand and keep it in the refrigerator until ready to bake.

To make this casserole, all you are going to do is cook up the meat and mix it with the spices, tomato sauce, and salsa. Then crush up some tortilla chips and put them in the bottom of a casserole dish. Layer with the meat mixture, beans, and cheese, then top with more crushed chips and shredded cheese. Then just bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Take the lid off for the last ten minutes so that the cheese gets bubbly, and there you have it!

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Mexican Casserole

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

45 mins

 

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: 6

Author: Melissa Howell

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 (15 ounce) can Great Northern Beans, drained
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup crushed corn chips

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Cook the ground beef over medium heat on the stove, about ten minutes. When beef is no longer pink, drain the fat, and then add all the spices along with the tomato sauce, salsa, and beans.

3. Put a layer of broken or crushed corn chips in a casserole dish. Pour the beef/bean mixture on top.

4. Sprinkle with half of the shredded cheese.

5. Put another layer of corn chips over the top. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the chips.

6. Cover the casserole with foil or a lid and bake for 30-40 minutes. Remove the foil or lid for the last ten minutes to allow the cheese to get bubbly.

7. Garnish with green onions and sour cream if desired.

For more great Mexican recipes, try these!

Grilled Avocados

Secret Ingredient Pico de Gallo

Easy Chicken Fajitas

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