Beef Nacho Casserole
This Beef Nacho Casserole features taco flavored ground beef, salsa, black beans, sour cream, cheese, and crunchy tortilla chips. It’s like your favorite plate of nachos in one single bite. This quick and easy meal will become a fast family favorite.
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Jump to RecipeIf you have spent any time on my website you know we love our Mexican inspired dishes. My new Beef Nacho Casserole, as simple as it is, might have just made the cut for our top 3 favorite Mexican meals of all time! This simple casserole is crazy easy to put together with only 7 main ingredients. It’s the perfect meal to make during a busy weeknight and your family will go nuts for it!
I had been on the hunt for a quick and easy taco flavored casserole, but I fell short when most recipes were calling for a cup of mayonnaise. Now, don’t get me wrong I like mayo in small quantities, but I really wanted to find a lighter option and still have richness and flavor.
Beef Nacho Casserole
While I wouldn’t call this a super healthy meal I did make some modifications to lighten it up a bit and maintain that great nacho flavor. I use a leaner ground beef (you could also use ground turkey) low sodium taco seasoning, black beans for a boost of fiber, and salsa and sour cream for a fresh and creamy taste.
7-Simple Ingredients For Beef Nacho Casserole:
- Lean ground beef
- Taco seasoning (packet or homemade)
- Mild salsa
- Black beans (low carb black beans)
- Sour cream
- Cheese
- Tortilla chips
Optional toppings:
- Green onions
- Tomatoes
- Lettuce
- Avocado
- Black olives
- Jalapenos (fresh or pickled)
Additional Ingredients and substitutions:
Beef Nacho Casserole is an easy meal to customize and add other ingredients that you might enjoy. Use ground turkey or chicken in place of ground beef. Pinto beans and kidney beans are a great option in place of black beans. Swap out plain tortilla chips for nacho flavored Doritos, oh man this is a good one!
This is also a great recipe to sneak in extra veggies for the picky eaters in your home. Sauté bell peppers, onions, and small diced zucchini with the ground beef. Frozen corn or carrots is the perfect veggie to incorporate into beef nacho casserole because most kids love them.
Step by Step How To Make Beef Nacho Bake:
Step 1. Preheat oven to 350℉. In a large skillet brown ground beef until no longer pink. Remove any excess grease from the pan then add taco seasoning. Stir to combine with the meat and cook another minute. Turn off the heat.
Step 2. To the seasoned ground beef add salsa, beans, and sour cream. Stir to combine. Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and add half of the beef mixture. Top with cheese and crushed tortilla chips. Repeat with the remaining meat mixture, cheese, and more chips.
Step 3. Bake casserole in the oven until hot and bubbly. Serve with your favorite nacho toppings.
Make ahead and Freeze Beef Nacho Casserole:
This casserole is great for making ahead and freezing for another night. Keep in mind the tortilla chips will not freeze and reheat the same so you can store this recipe two different ways.
- Divide the meat mixture between 2 separate freezer safe bags. Remove the excess air from each bag and seal. Smooth out or flatten the beef mixture in one single layer. This will unthaw faster and store much easier. When ready to bake, make sure meat mixture is completely thawed, then follow the steps in the recipe instructions for assembling and baking.
- Add all the meat mixture to a casserole dish ( I like to use disposable baking pans) and smooth out in a single layer. Place two layers of foil tightly over baking dish and freeze. To thaw, place the casserole in the refrigerator the day before you want to serve it. Once thawed, add cheese over the meat mixture, then crushed tortilla chips. Follow oven temp from the recipe instructions and bake an additional 10 minutes.
Other Casseroles You Might Enjoy:
Let’s eat!
Beef Nacho Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 packet low sodium taco seasoning, or 3 tablespoons homemade
- 1 1/2 cups prepared mild salsa
- 1 (15) ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 2 cups crushed tortilla chips, divided
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese, divided
Toppings
- sliced green onions
- chopped tomatoes
- shredded lettuce
- sliced black olives
- fresh avocado
- jalapenos, fresh or pickled
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350℉. Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Heat a skillet to medium high heat and add beef. Cook breaking into crumbles until no longer pink, about 8-10 minutes. Remove any excess grease. Stir in taco seasoning and cook another 1-minute. Turn off the heat
- To the seasoned meat add salsa, beans, and sour cream. Stir to combine. Add half the meat mixture to prepared baking dish and spread in a single layer. Add 1 cup of cheese then 1 cup of crushed tortilla chips. Repeat the layers with the remaining ingredients ending with the chips.
- Bake casserole in the oven for 25-minutes or until hot and bubbly. Add desired toppings and serve.
Notes
- Divide the meat mixture between 2 separate freezer safe bags. Remove the excess air from each bag and seal. Smooth out or flatten the beef mixture in one single layer. This will unthaw faster and store much easier. When ready to bake, make sure meat mixture is completely thawed, then follow the steps in the recipe instructions for assembling and baking.
- Add all the meat mixture to a casserole dish ( I like to use disposable baking pans) and smooth out in a single layer. Place two layers of foil tightly over baking dish and freeze. Place the casserole in the refrigerator to thaw the day before you want to serve it. Once thawed, Add cheese over the meat mixture, then crushed tortilla chips. Follow oven temp from the recipe instructions and bake an additional 10 minutes.
Nutrition Facts | |
---|---|
Servings: 5 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 556 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 29.7g | 38% |
Saturated Fat 14.6g | 73% |
Cholesterol 126mg | 42% |
Sodium 1473mg | 64% |
Total Carbohydrate 30.7g | 11% |
Dietary Fiber 2.4g | 9% |
Total Sugars 3.6g | |
Protein 39.7g | |
Vitamin D 0mcg | 0% |
Calcium 304mg | 23% |
Iron 18mg | 100% |
Potassium 483mg | 10% |
Nutrition
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Is the amount of tortilla chips in recipe before being crushed or after?
Hi Mary! The amount is after being crushed. Thanks for asking, and I reworded that in the recipe notes to make it more clear. 😉 We hope you enjoy it!