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

You’re in for a critically 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 essentially 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 surprise. Do all your sauteing, simmering, and baking in a single massive ovenproof skillet for simple cleanup.
• Room for experimentation. Play with substances to make it your individual. Strive totally different meat or cheese, think about different toppings, use kind of (or totally different) spices, and so forth…

Elements & Substitutions

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

How one can 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 via.

• Make it saucy. Stir in 2 tablespoons flour and prepare dinner for 1 minute. Stir within the tomato paste, adopted by the hen 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 continually. Season with salt and pepper.
• Put all of it collectively. Pour the cheese sauce over the cooked casserole and garnish with toppings.

Serving Options

This taco casserole is a full meal in and of itself. That being stated, I like serving it with some further veggie sides. A lightweight salad with my Gentle and Creamy Avocado-Lime Salad Dressing or a aspect of Elote (Mexican Avenue Corn) can be my high picks. And, if the temper is correct, deal with your self to my Very Berry Margarita Spritzer.

How one can Retailer & Reheat Extras

• To retailer. Be aware that taco casserole will get soggy because it sits, so it’s greatest to take pleasure in it sooner reasonably than later. Switch any leftovers to an hermetic container (ideally with out the toppings). You may 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 via. 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 just a few of my different favourite cozy casserole recipes to get you thru the winter.