Description
A hearty, layered Tex‑Mex casserole combining seasoned beef, beans, tomato sauce, and crunchy corn chips, baked with melted cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 pound (≈ 450 g) ground beef (80/20 or lean)
- 1 cup yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (1 oz) packet taco seasoning mix (or homemade equivalent)
- ½ cup water
- 1 (10 oz) can red enchilada sauce
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained & rinsed
- 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 2–3 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese (or cheddar/Monterey Jack mix)
- 1 (9.25 oz) bag Fritos corn chips (or similar corn chips), divided use
- Optional toppings: sour cream, sliced green onions, diced tomatoes, sliced jalapeños, cilantro, guacamole
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C). Lightly grease or spray a 9×13‑inch (or comparable) casserole dish.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef and diced onion until the meat is browned and the onion is softened. Drain off excess fat if needed.
- Add minced garlic and cook about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Stir in taco seasoning and water; simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Add the enchilada sauce, drained black beans, and diced tomatoes (with their juices). Stir to combine and heat through.
- In the bottom of the prepared casserole dish, spread about two‑thirds of the Fritos (reserve the rest for topping).
- Sprinkle about one cup of the shredded cheese over the chips layer.
- Pour or spoon the beef/bean/tomato mixture over the chip + cheese layer, spreading evenly.
- Top the beef mixture with the remaining cheese.
- Bake uncovered for 18–20 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbling and the cheese is melted and golden in spots.
- Remove from oven and allow to rest for ~5–10 minutes. Then sprinkle the reserved Fritos on top and add any optional toppings (sour cream, green onions, etc.) just before serving.
Notes
- You can substitute ground turkey or chicken instead of beef.
- Omit or reduce salt if your chips, beans, or sauces are already high in sodium.
- To keep more crunch, add the top layer of chips just before serving rather than baking them.
- Leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator, but chips will soften over time.
- You can freeze just the meat/bean mixture (without chips or cheese) and assemble fresh when ready to bake.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 casserole
- Calories: 429
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 837 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: —
- Trans Fat: —
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 27 g
- Cholesterol: 78 mg
