Loaded with floor beef, rice, cheese, and extra, this crowd-pleaser Taco Casserole is topped with crunchy tortilla chips and smothered in an irresistible selfmade nacho cheese sauce.

You might be in for a severely savory, extremely scrumptious deal with. This taco casserole is comprised of completely browned floor beef, rice, and loads of cheese, all in a superbly seasoned creamy tomato sauce topped with a layer of crunchy tortilla chips and maybe probably the most superb nacho cheese topping ever. From the nostalgia of the cheese sauce to the crunch of the chips to the ooey-gooey taco-esque filling, this casserole is unmissable.

Why You’ll Love This Taco Casserole Recipe

• Nice taste. Who doesn’t love nachos? This casserole takes all the flavors of your favourite Mexican appetizer and turns them into a whole meal.
• Texture. I like the crunch of the tortilla chips sandwiched between the hearty, gooey beef filling and the velvety nacho cheese.
• One pan marvel. Do your entire sauteing, simmering, and baking in a single giant ovenproof skillet for simple cleanup.
• Room for experimentation. Play with elements to make it your individual. Attempt totally different meat or cheese, think about different toppings, use roughly (or totally different) spices, and so on…

Substances & Substitutions

• Further-virgin olive oil
• Onion
• Lean floor beef: You can use floor turkey or rooster when you’d like.
• All-purpose flour
• Tomato paste
• Rooster broth: Be happy to make use of beef or veggie inventory as an alternative.
• Tomato sauce
• Seasonings: Chili powder, cumin, paprika, and pepper. Smoked paprika and/or oregano can be pretty additions as nicely.
• Cooked white rice: I recommend utilizing long-grain rice comparable to Jasmine or Basmati. Lengthy-grain brown rice would additionally work.
• Cheese: I used shredded cheddar and shredded Monterey Jack, however you could possibly use what you may have available. Pepper Jack can be scrumptious.
• Bitter cream
• Crushed tortilla chips: When you’d like to make use of Doritos or Fritos, you possibly can.
• Butter
• Milk
• Toppings: I went with tomatoes, avocado, scorching sauce, and inexperienced onions, however be at liberty to make use of black olives, pickled jalapeños, black beans, or another taco topping you possibly can consider.

Methods to Make a Taco Casserole

• Prep. Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Saute the onions. Warmth the oil in a big ovenproof skillet over medium warmth and add the onions. Cook dinner till translucent.
• Brown the meat. Add the meat and sauté till browned and cooked by means of.

• Make it saucy. Stir in 2 tablespoons flour and prepare dinner for 1 minute. Stir within the tomato paste, adopted by the rooster broth, tomato sauce, and seasoning. Deliver the combination to a simmer after which scale back the warmth to low. Cook dinner for 10 minutes.
• Bulk it up. Stir within the rice, 1/2 cup cheddar, Monterey Jack cheese, and bitter cream.
• Bake. Cowl the filling with tortilla chips and bake for 18 to twenty minutes.

• Make nacho cheese sauce. Soften the butter over medium warmth. Whisk within the remaining flour and prepare dinner for 1 minute. Stir within the milk and produce the combination to a simmer. Cook dinner till it thickens a bit, after which stir within the remaining cheese, whisking continuously. Season with salt and pepper.
• Put all of it collectively. Pour the cheese sauce over the cooked casserole and garnish with toppings.

Serving Recommendations

This taco casserole is a full meal in and of itself. That being stated, I like serving it with some additional veggie sides. A light-weight salad with my Mild and Creamy Avocado-Lime Salad Dressing or a facet of Elote (Mexican Road Corn) can be my prime picks. And, if the temper is true, deal with your self to my Very Berry Margarita Spritzer.

Methods to Retailer & Reheat Extras

• To retailer. Word that taco casserole will get soggy because it sits, so it’s finest to take pleasure in it sooner relatively than later. Switch any leftovers to an hermetic container (ideally with out the toppings). You’ll be able to retailer it within the fridge for as much as 3 days or within the freezer for as much as 3 months.
• To reheat. Switch the leftover taco casserole to a baking dish, cowl with aluminum foil, and bake at 350°F for 20 minutes or till heated by means of. Alternatively, microwave a portion in 30-second intervals till heat.

Extra Straightforward Casserole Recipes

Casseroles are such an effective way to feed a crowd (or simply your family with loads of leftovers). Listed below are a number of of my different favourite cozy casserole recipes to get you thru the winter.