Taco Casserole With Tortilla Chips

5 from 1 vote

Taco Casserole With Tortilla Chips

This taco casserole with tortilla chips has all the best taco flavors with seasoned ground meat and tons of creamy sauce! It’s the perfect weeknight dinner for busy families. Add your favorite taco toppings like lettuce, salsa, cilantro, green onions, and avocado.

Prep Time25

Cook Time40

Total Time1 5

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Servings:

Calories: 482kcal

Author: Ali Mairet

Equipment

9x13 inch casserole dish

Ingredients

1½ pounds ground meat beef, turkey, or pork
½ ounce taco seasoning 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons
15 ounces canned tomato sauce
2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese 8 ounces
22 ounces cream of mushroom condensed soup
12 ounces sour cream
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
12 ounces tortilla chips

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350℉
Grease the casserole dish.
Brown the ground meat in a skillet. Drain the fat. Add the taco seasoning and tomato sauce to the ground meat and combine. Remove from heat and set aside.
Crush the tortilla chips by hand into small ¼ inch pieces, but not pulverized.
Combine the condensed soup, sour cream, shredded cheese, and cilantro in a bowl.
Spread 1 cup of crushed tortilla chips on the bottom of the casserole.
Spoon half of the sour cream mixture over the crushed chips.
Spread all of the meat mixture over the sour cream mixture.
Top the meat with the remaining sour cream mixture.
Cover the casserole with the remaining crushed tortilla chips.
Bake, uncovered for about 40 minutes. It's ready when the center is hot (internal temperature 170℉-180℉), the chips will just start to toast and the cheese is melted.

Notes

Suggested toppings: salsa, diced avocado, lime wedges, sliced green onions, cilantro, black olives, shredded lettuce

Make Ahead Instructions

This taco casserole comes together in no time, but you can break up the prep to make dinnertime a bit quicker.

Assemble the casserole ahead but do not add the final layer of crushed tortilla chips. Cover and store the casserole in the fridge for up to three days.

Store the crushed chips in a zip-lock bag in the pantry until you’re ready to bake. At that time, you will sprinkle the chips on top so they don’t get soggy. Plan for more cooking time in the oven as it will take longer to heat through.

Freezing Instructions

I suggest using a disposable foil pan if you would like to freeze this taco casserole.

Assemble the casserole except withhold the final layer of the crushed tortilla chips on top.

Let cool and wrap tightly with 3 layers of aluminum foil.

Transfer the crushed chips to a zip-lock freezer bag with the air pushed out.

The casserole and chips can be stored in the freezer for up to a month.

Move the frozen casserole to the refrigerator 2 days before you plan to bake it. The chips can remain in the freezer until you are ready to bake. Simply sprinkle the chips over the defrosted casserole and bake covered at 350℉. Keep checking its center temperature as it could take up to an hour to get hot.

Nutrition