My Tex Mex Casserole with Ground Beef is pure comfort food with a kick. Now, if you know me, you know I’m all about easy, flavorful meals that don’t keep you chained to the stove for hours. And this, my friends, is a weeknight superhero in a baking dish.
If you are a fan of quick, delicious casseroles then you have to try my easy meatball bake or my chicken divan casserole. Just because it is quick, does not mean it is not delicious.
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Why this Tex Mex Casserole Recipe is a Keeper
This casserole takes all those warm, spicy, cheesy goodness and layers them into something truly satisfying. Think hearty ground beef seasoned just right, melty cheese that stretches with every scoop, and maybe even a little something extra to make it mine.
- 30 Minute Meal: This recipe is quick and easy!
- Great for Using Pantry Staples: Many of the core ingredients (canned tomatoes, beans, spices) are often pantry staples.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: You can assemble the casserole ahead of time and refrigerate it until you’re ready to bake, making meal planning easier.
- Freezer-Friendly: Leftovers (or even a whole unbaked casserole) often freeze well for future easy meals.
- Crowd-Pleaser: The familiar and comforting Tex Mex flavors are generally well-liked by both adults and children, making it a reliable choice for family dinners or potlucks.
- Budget-Friendly: Ground beef and many of the other ingredients are often economical, making it a cost-effective way to feed a family
Can I add beans to the king ranch beef casserole dinner recipe?
Yes, absolutely! Adding beans is a fantastic way to add more flavor, texture, and heartiness to your Tex-Mex ground beef casserole. A few great options are: Black Beans, pinto beans, kidney beans or chili beans.
Pro Tip to Make Tex Mex Casserole
A Touch of Acid: A squeeze of lime juice at the end of cooking the beef mixture or as a topping can brighten all the flavors.
Ingredient Notes and Variation Suggestions for this Ground Beef Tex-Mex Casserole
Spicy ground beef is the star of this hearty meal but you can use ground chicken or pork to create the casserole
Get the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions in the recipe card below.
- Lean Ground Beef: A nice 80/20 blend works well for this king ranch casserole recipe.
- Taco seasoning mix: You can buy a pre-packaged one or use this amazing homemade one with ground cumin etc.
- Rotel: Diced tomatoes with green chiles for this easy tex mex casserole recipe.
- VARIATION: If you have fresh jalapeños, serranos, or other chili peppers, you can dice them finely and add them to plain canned diced tomatoes.
- Chips: Tortilla Chips, crushed for this Tex Mexican Casserole with Ground Beef.
- VARIATION: Use dorito chips or frito corn chips.
- VARIATION: Different Proteins: Sausage, Shredded chicken or ground turkey
- Rice: Add white rice, brown rice or spanish rice to the cheesy tex-mex dish. Try different vegetables.
How to Make Tex Mex Casserole with Ground Beef
You can make the casserole your own by add cayenne pepper, frozen corn for this easy weeknight dinner.
Get the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions in the recipe card below.
- In a Skillet: First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Then in a skillet over medium-high heat, melt your butter and the veggies. Next, add beef, and all-purpose seasoning. Drain the fat.Then stir in taco seasoning.
- Add the Rest: Next in a saucepan over medium heat combine onion, bell pepper, cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, tomatoes with chilies (Rotel), and the Velveeta cheese and one cup of the cheddar. Add in Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce.
- Bake: Prepare a 9X13 baking dish with cooking spray then cover the bottom with crushed tortilla chips to create a crust. Then layer half the taco-seasoned ground beef mixture on top of the tortilla chips and then add half the sauce, repeat another layer of tortilla chips, seasoned ground beef, and sauce. Finally, top with remaining cheddar cheese and bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.
Prep Ahead Suggestions for the Ground Beef and Rice Casserole
When you have extra time or love to meal prep, here are some simple things you can do in advance of baking the casserole.
- Brown the Ground Beef: Cook your ground beef with the onions and garlic according to your recipe. Drain off any excess grease. Once cooled, store the cooked beef mixture in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Chop Vegetables: Dice onions, bell peppers, jalapeños, or any other fresh vegetables your recipe calls for. Store them separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator.
- Make or Prepare Sauce Components: If your recipe involves a homemade tomato sauce or requires mixing canned tomatoes with spices, you can do this ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Grate Cheese: If you’re using block cheese, grate it ahead of time and store it in a resealable bag or airtight container in the refrigerator. This saves time during assembly.
How to Store, Reheat and Use Leftover of the Mexican Recipe
- Storing: Transfer the leftover casserole to an airtight container. If you have a large amount, you can divide it into individual serving containers for easier reheating later. For the best quality and food safety, consume the leftovers within 3 to 4 days.
- Reheating: Place the leftover casserole in an oven-safe dish. Add a splash of broth to the bottom of the dish to prevent it from drying out. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake until heated through and bubbly. If the cheese on top isn’t melted and bubbly, remove the foil for the last 5-10 minutes.
- Using Leftovers: Taco Filling: Break up the casserole and use it as a flavorful filling for tacos or burritos. Add extra lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, or salsa. Nachos Topping: Spread tortilla chips on a baking sheet, top with the leftover casserole and shredded cheese, and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Add your favorite nacho toppings like jalapeños, olives, and guacamole. Quesadillas: Mash the leftover casserole slightly and spread it inside tortillas with cheese. Cook in a skillet until golden brown and the cheese is melted.
Common Questions About This Mexican Beef Casserole Recipe
Of course, you can use nutritional yeast or dairy free cheese to assemble the casserole.
Let the casserole cool completely. Wrap the entire baking dish tightly with plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil. Alternatively, portion it out into freezer-safe containers or bags. Freeze for up to 2-3 months.
Thaw frozen casserole in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
There are tons of delicious toppings you can add to your Tex-Mex ground beef casserole to customize the flavor and texture! Here are some popular and tasty options:
Fresh & Bright: Lettuce, tomatoes, Scallions, lime wedges, cilantro or avocado.
Creamy & Tangy: Sour cream, guacamole, queso or cotija cheese.
Spicy & Flavorful: Salsa, Pico or jalapenos, hot sauce.
Expert Tips for Making Walking Taco Casserole Recipe
This easy to prepare recipe has all your tex-mex favorites. So go ahead and make it your own to have a delicious, hearty dinner.
- Different Meat: Ground Turkey, ground chicken, or shredded chicken.
- Add Sauce: Drizzle with enchilada sauce for this great recipe.
- Let it rest: Allow the casserole to rest for a few minutes after baking before serving. This helps it hold its shape better.
- Chips: Feel free to use Dorito chips, Frito corn chips, or your favorite chip for the casserole dish.
- Variation tip: Top the casseroles with hamburger with your favorite salsa and corn or feel free to add other vegetables to the meat mixture.
- Serve this recipe with: Easy Pico de Gallo, my Mexican Corn Cake and for dessert try my Instant Pot Churro Bites.
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Tex Mex Casserole with Ground Beef
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Ingredients
- 1 pound Ground beef
- 1 Medium bell pepper, diced
- 1 medium Onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon All Purpose Seasoning
- 1 packet Taco seasoning, or 3 tablespoons homemade blend
- 10.5 ounces Cream of Chicken Soup, 1 can
- 10.5 ounces Cream of Mushroom Soup, 1 can
- 10 ounces Tomatoes and Chilies, such as Rotel
- 8 ounces Processed cheese, cubed, such as Velveeta
- 2 cups Shredded cheddar, divided
- ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 3 cups Tortilla chips, crushed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350⁰.
- In a skillet over medium high heat melt butter and then add in pepper and onion cooking until they become tender and fragrant (2-3 minutes).
- Add beef, and all purpose seasoning to skillet then brown, drain fat.
- Stir in packet of taco seasoning mixing until beef is evenly coated.
- In a sauce pan over medium heat combine cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, tomatoes with chilies, Velveeta process cheese, one cup of the cheddar and Worcestershire sauce. Stir occasionally until cheese is melted.
- Prepare a 9X13 casserole dish with coat with non-stick spray.
- After preparing your casserole dish, cover the bottom with crushed tortilla chips to create a crust.
- Layer half the browned beef on top of the chips.
- Then add half the sauce on top of the beef.
- Repeat with chips, beef, and sauce.
- Top with remaining cheddar cheese.
- Bake at 350⁰ for 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.
Christina’s Notes
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- Different Meat: Ground Turkey, ground chicken, or shredded chicken.
- Add Sauce: Drizzle with enchilada sauce for this great recipe.
- Chips: Feel free to use Dorito chips, Frito corn chips, or your favorite chip for the casserole dish.
- Variation tip: Top the casseroles with hamburger with your favorite salsa and corn or feel free to add other vegetables to the meat mixture.
- Serve this recipe with: Easy Pico de Gallo, my Mexican Corn Cake and for dessert try my Instant Pot Churro Bites.
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- Scale the recipe: Simply adjust the serving size in the recipe card and the ingredients will update automatically.
- Make your own All Purpose Seasoning: When a recipe calls for All Purpose Seasoning, you can use my homemade All Purpose Seasoning recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- Meat doneness: I always use a meat thermometer to test for doneness when cooking meat.
- Use unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level in the recipe.
- Preheat the oven: Unless otherwise noted, always preheat your oven before baking.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, check out the blog post.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided are estimates. It is recommended that you verify this information with your own trusted resource.
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This recipe is my personal adaption of an ethnic-inspired recipe. It is not intended to be an authentic recipe. I’ve recreated this recipe because I enjoy the flavors and I want to encourage my readers to expand their tastes and try new flavor combinations. The recipe, ingredients, and processes may have been adapted to make the recipe accessible to the average American. I have provided links to authentic versions of the recipe in the post above. I encourage you to visit these pages and learn more about the traditional version(s) of this recipe.
This recipe is wrong and missing ingredients, etc
Thank you for your feedback I am always looking for ways to improve my recipes.