Make tonight taco night with this easy and Cheesy Taco Bake recipe.
Ground beef, a creamy salsa mixture, and refried beans are layered to create this cheesy taco bake casserole – a spicy treat any night of the week. This recipe will work great as party food, or for those times when everyone in the family is craving a cheesy Mexican dish for dinner.
Cheesy Taco Bake
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Best Taco Casserole
- Layered with all kinds of goodness, a taco bake like this can take the place of lasagna or a taco salad.
- What’s not to love about beans, seasoned ground beef, cheese, and salsa layered between soft warm tortillas.
- This dish is so flavorful, crispy, tasty, and easy to make.
- Make it Mexican night and serve it with someMexican corn salad, and some cheese soup.
- For a similar recipe made with crescent dough try this baked taco ring recipe.
Ingredients & Variations
TORTILLAS This soft round bread is the perfect replacement for lasagna noodles. Flour tortillas are the best option for this casserole. However, corn tortillas are a great alternative for those on a gluten-free diet.
FILLING The main protein in this dish is ground beef, seasoned with a little taco seasoning, but this can easily be replaced with some shredded chicken.
For the salsa, use hot, mild, or spicy depending on the desired level of spiciness. Refried beans are generally sold in a can. They are black beans that have been cooked down, salted, and formed into a paste.
CHEESE Pepper jack, cream cheese, and cheddar cheese are delicious additions. Make sure the cream cheese is brought to room temperature, then mix it in until smooth.
Pepper jack is a variation of Monteray Jack, so it can be used as a replacement. It is a semi-soft cheese that melts easily.
TOMATOES Rotel tomatoes are diced tomatoes that have been seasoned and mixed with chili peppers. These have more flavor than a simple can of diced tomatoes.
VARIATIONSTurn this into a baked taco salad, by serving with some shredded lettuce and taco sauce after baking. Or serve it inside a baked tortilla shell!
Top with some guacamole, sour cream, and salsa, or drizzle it with creamy guacamole dressing or zesty cheese sauce! Garnishes like chilies, jalapenos, or green onions will bring out the best in this crowd-pleaser of a dish.
How to Make Taco Bake Casserole
This recipe comes together in stages with three separate layers of goodness. Start by preparing each mixture then layering together before baking.
- Prep the ground beef, cream cheese, and refried bean and salsa mixture in separate dishes.
- Layer all the ingredients with tortillas and top with cheese(per the recipe below).
- Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Let the casserole sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Shortcut Tips & Tricks
Individual portions of this Taco Bake can be reheated in the microwave or in the oven.
- In the Microwave: Make sure to use a plate cover or a paper towel on top to keep cleanup to a minimum. Reheat for a minute at a time until heated all the way through.
- In the Oven: Grease a baking dish and sprinkle casserole with extra shredded cheese to freshen it up. Cover with foil and reheat for about 10-15 minutes at 350°F.
More Mexican Inspired Recipes
- Beef Enchiladas – 30 min meal!
- Baked Taco Ring Recipe – only 5 ingredients
- Mexican Dip – delicious hot crockpot dip
- Texas Caviar – loaded with fresh & flavorful ingredients!
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Cheesy Taco Bake
This taco bake recipe is a filling, cheesy and comforting dish.
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Prep Time 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes minutes
Total Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes
Servings 8 servings
Author The Shortcut Kitchen
Ingredients
- 4 flour tortillas 8 if using smaller fajita style tortillas
- 1 pound ground beef cooked and crumbled
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- ¼ cup water
- 1 can Rotel tomatoes with chiles
- 16 ounces cream cheese room temp (2 x 8 ounce packages)
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 can refried beans
- 2 cups pepper jack cheese shredded
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
Cook and crumble ground beef. Add taco seasoning, ¼ cup water, and can of Rotel (including the liquid from the can).
Heat until liquid has mostly boiled down, then remove from heat and set aside.
Beat cream cheese with mixer until smooth. Add salsa and mix until combined. Set aside.
Heat refried beans in a saucepan and add ½ cup salsa/cream cheese mixture until thoroughly combined. Remove from heat and set aside.
Coat a 9 x 13 pan with non stick cooking spray.
Spread ⅓ cup of ground beef mixture along bottom of baking dish. Top with 2-4 flour tortillas.
Layer half the bean mixture, half the salsa mixture, half the ground beef mixture, and half the cheese (in that order).
Layer 2-4 flour tortillas. Top with remaining bean mixture, salsa mixture, and ground beef.
Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and bake at 350°F for 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and slightly browned.
5 from 9 votes↑ Click stars to rate now!
Or to leave a comment, click here!
Nutrition Information
Calories: 511kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Cholesterol: 129mg | Sodium: 1348mg | Potassium: 508mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1630IU | Vitamin C: 7.3mg | Calcium: 506mg | Iron: 3.6mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course dinner
Cuisine Mexican
©The Shortcut Kitchen. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
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