Nacho Beef Casserole
Layers of seasoned ground beef, beans, salsa, tortilla chips, and sharp/stretchy Mexican cheese. Imagine a commingling of nachos and lasagna. Easy, savory, gluten-free, and perfect for game day.
I love relying on ground beef for quick weeknight dinners and game day fare. It’s affordable, predictable, customizable, and ready in a flash (if you need it to be). And this meal showcases its versatility!
Here’s how to make this nacho beef casserole
- Brown beef in a skillet.
- Add salsa, tomato sauce, and seasoned beans.
Layer the mixture in a pan with crushed tortilla chips and Mexican cheese. - Bake until the cheese melts.
Get out of your burger/meatball rut and try something new! This family-friendly dish does double duty because it’s great for anytime – busy weeknights, dinner parties, game night, and weekends spent streaming sports and movies.
About the beans: This recipe calls for seasoned black beans, canned beans in a savory sauce that’s been scented with garlic, onion, and spices. If desired, you can use your favorite canned bean variety, including chili beans. Seasoned beans in sauce will add flavor and you don’t need to drain them before using. If you choose regular canned beans, such as pinto, red, white, navy, kidney, or black, rinse and drain them before using to remove excess starch and salt.
What should you serve with your nacho beef casserole? If you want to serve this as a meal, add a salad or steamed or roasted vegetable on the side. You could also stretch the meal by adding rice on the side. When serving it for game day, simply add it to the spread!
Nacho Beef Casserole
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 1 pound ground beef, any fat level
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup salsa of choice
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 15- ounce can seasoned black beans, undrained (see note above)
- 3 cups crushed tortilla chips, divided
- 3 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided
Optional Toppings
- Sour cream
- Avocado
- Black olives
- Green onions
- Fresh cilantro
- Fresh or pickled hot peppers, such as pepperoncini or jalapeño
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 13×9-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
- Brown the beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat as it cooks. If necessary, drain away any fat.
- Add the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper to the beef in the pan and stir to coat. Cook for 1 minute, until the spices are fragrant.
- Fold in the salsa and tomato sauce. Fold in the black beans and bring to a simmer. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Spread 1 cup of the chips in the bottom of the prepared pan. Top the chips with half of the beef mixture. Top the beef with 1 cup of chips and 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese.
- Repeat layers, using the remaining beef, remaining chips, and remaining cheese.
- Cover with foil (to prevent sticking, spray the foil with cooking spray) and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake for 5 to 7 more minutes, until the cheese melts.
- Top with desired toppings and serve.