Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Fast and Festive Taco Casserole {GF} ~ Printable Recipe


I don't know about your family but mine loves anything which remotely imitates a taco. The best part about this recipe is that you don't have to fry up all those tortillas to get that taco-ey taste!


Cook together in a large pan (I used a 5.5 quart pan like this) :
  • 2 lbs. ground beef 
  • 1 c. onion, diced
  • 1/2 c. bell-pepper, diced

When beef is cooked through (and no longer pink), add the following ingredients to your pan (and do not drain the liquid, that is a key player in the taco-taste):
  • 2 c. cooked beans, undrained (pinto, black or kidney) (We use and love black for this.)
  • 2 c. tomatoes, diced 
  • 1 c. corn, frozen or canned
  • 1 package of chili seasoning
  • 1/2 c. water 

Let this mixture simmer together for 5 minutes and begin preheating your oven for 350 degrees.



Meanwhile, grease a 9 by 13 inch casserole dish and sprinkle about 2 cups of coarsely crushed tortilla chips at the bottom (very flexible, I even threw in some leftover random corn chip crumbs that my husband brought home from a road trip).



Once the beef and bean mixture is finished simmering, layer and spread evenly over the chips, the following ingredients in order: 
  • beef/bean mixture from above
  • 2 c. shredded cheese (I used mozzarella but you can use your favorite.)
  • 1 c. coarsely crushed tortilla chips 
  • 1 c. (more) shredded cheese
  • 1 small can of sliced or chopped olives (Black is prettier and preferred but I used green because it is all we had at the time.)
  • optional: fresh chopped parsley or cilantro

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes (uncovered) until bubbly on edges and cheese on top begins to brown (like photo shown below).

Serve with a green salad or a platter of ranch dip and veggie sticks.

Optional: Garnish each serving with a dollop of guacamole, sour cream, fresh parsley, cilantro and/or chives (or just enjoy as is!).


Suggestions and Variations:

Divide recipe into (2) 8 by 8 pans and freeze the extra casserole prior to baking for a future meal if you have a smaller family. 

As this is a very flexible recipe, you could use less cheese, more cheese, less chips, more chips, etc. according to your family tastes or dietary needs. Here are some other suggestions to prepare this recipe using some of the ingredients you may have on hand:
  • Use ground turkey or ground chicken instead of beef.
  • Use a can of diced tomatoes (with juice) instead of the fresh tomatoes (and omit the water in the recipe).
  • If you like really spicy food, try replacing two cups of salsa for the fresh tomatoes.
  • Try one packet of taco seasoning instead of the chili seasoning packet.
  • Use 1/3 cup of homemade chili/taco seasoning in lieu of the purchased seasoning packet.
  • Use corn chips to replace tortilla chips (just make sure it is a corn-based chip to get good results).

Simply click on the link HERE to download your recipe (then save and/or print out the recipe from there). Also, if your family enjoys these types of meals, you may also like to try our Chili Cheese Fries!


"A good dinner sharpens wit, while it softens the heart."
~ Daran.

50 comments:

  1. Oh, my! This looks SO yummy! I can't wait to try it. Our little boy LOVES tacos, so this will please him immensely! Thank you for sharing and for adding all of the wonderful alternate ideas, too. I appreciate you and all you put into this wonderful blog. :)

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    1. Thanks Cheryl! If your son loves tacos, he will love this! It is a family favorite over here! :)

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  2. Oh my, Jes! This sounds SO yummy. I'm printing off the recipe as I type! Thank you so much for sharing!

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    1. I hope your family enjoys it as much as we do Dianna. Thanks for visiting! :)

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  3. We love this kind of dish for a quick meal, and this one sounds delicious. My husband can't get enough Mexican type food lately, nor can I. o.O Thanks so much for sharing the recipe.
    Have a great Wednesday!

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    1. We aren't much of gourmet chefs around here... Just some simple, from scratch meals are what we are all about :)

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    1. Bon Appétit! (Pretend like I said it in spanish in honor of the "taco"...)

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  5. This looks WONDERFUL!!!!! I will have to try it! :) You have a great blog! <3

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    1. Thank you Joy! :) It really works for our family! I hope you folks like it!

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  6. I was just wondering what I should make for supper and you answered my question :) Thanks for the delicious recipe. Hugs to you!

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  7. I love this recipe! I have made several different versions of it through the years, sometimes I make it with corn tortillas, and sometimes with a bag of crushed Doritos chips as well. I have to tell you - a bag of crushed Doritos chips with the recipe you posted is ah-mazing! Thanks for sharing your recipe today - we are kindred spirits it seems, Mexican anything is always a hit at our house :)

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    1. Oh, yes! Mexican foods are our favorites too! The random crumbs from the road trip were leftover Dorritos that I threw in so I believe you! :)

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  8. JES, This is beautiful and looks really simple. I'm putting it on next week's menu right now. Thanks for the idea.

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    1. You are most welcome Deborah! Happy menu planning :)

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  9. This looks delicious!!! I like making casseroles... put everything together.... less prep, less mess and dishes. :) This looks like a winner. Thank you. By the way, your pictures are great... the hamburger, onions and peppers look so fresh and appealing. :)

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    1. Thank you Joy! I do agree with you about casseroles! They are a homemakers friend :)

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  10. Yumm! I know my daughter would love this and it's always good to have variety on the menu! Thanks JES!

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    1. Like they say, variety is the spice of life :) Thanks for visiting!

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  11. Great recipe for a simple supper. We love Mexican food but where we live it is limited. - Margy

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    1. Too bad... but perhaps with some improvising you can make something similar?

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  12. Oh wow! That looks absolutely delicious! My son would love it too! patsy

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    1. It seems to be kid-friendly :) I hope you give it a try!

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  13. I love this idea for when the teens get together. Pinned, followed you from the HomeAcre hop.

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    1. That would be perfect! Great idea Joyce! Thank for visiting :)

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  14. Your fast and festive taco casserole looks absolutely scrumptious, JES, and must be completely satisfying, with the variety of tasty ingredients. Thanks so much for sharing and wishing you a wonderfully warm and cozy weekend!

    Poppy

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  15. Oh my...yes please! My boys love anything taco related too. I've made a taco loaded tater several times and they just loved it. This will be on my shopping list tomorrow and I will be making this dish this weekend. Thank you so much for sharing!

    I hope you have a blessed weekend!

    Hugs,
    Amy

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    1. Hope it is a home run with the boys ;) Have a wonderful weekend!

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  16. Good morning, JES,

    I wanted to stop back by and let you know that I made this awesome Taco Casserole last night for dinner. It is DEFINITELY a keeper recipe! Thanks so much for sharing. Also...thank you for the "follow" . :)

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    1. Wonderful! Thanks for letting me know! I really appreciate hearing back! Did you do any substitutions or make as is?

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  17. love this recipe my boys will just eat this up thanks for sharing have a great day

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    1. I think they will. We sure gobble it up over here :) Thanks for taking the time to visit!

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  18. Yum! Would you come over and share this with us at Country Fair Blog Party? We'd love to have you back again!
    Jan @ Tip Garden
    http://www.thetipgarden.com/2015/02/country-fair-blog-hop-february-15.html

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  19. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe, JES!

    This looks like the perfect meal for my next church potluck.

    When my tortilla chips are getting to the bottom of the bag, before they get stale, I place them in the freezer. They are perfect for recipes like this one.

    Pinning! Thanks!

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    1. Yes, this is a great way to use up those expensive crumbs! :) Hope you all like it!

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  20. This looks delicious! I can't wait to give it a try! Thanks so much for linking up to Awesome Life Friday - we're looking forward to seeing what you have to share this week!

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  21. Yum,. can't wait to give this a go. Thanks for sharing at Good Morning Mondays. Blessings

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  22. Oh JES! This is going on my menu next week! Yum!

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    1. Hi Katie! Glad to hear from you :) I actually thought of you when I posted it. You were the reason I included the {GF} label. Hope everyone is nice and healthy in your household right now!

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  23. This sounds like a great way to use up the broken chips that are always at the bottom of the bag! What a delicious sounding recipe.

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    1. It is perfect for that! Thanks for taking the time to share here today Lisa! :)

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  24. That looks amazing! I so have to make this!

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  25. This looks delicious, thanks for sharing at the Country Fair Blog Party!

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  26. My husband loves casseroles of any kind, so I will be saving this to make later!

    Christina
    www.ourwoodhome.com

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