This taco casserole serves a crowd, packs 20 grams of protein per slice, and makes meal prep ridiculously easy.
Meet your new go to: taco casserole with a hidden upgrade. Thanks to one unexpected ingredient, cottage cheese, each slice delivers an extra boost of protein without changing the flavor. It’s cheesy, hearty, and makes 12 servings that hold up beautifully in the fridge.
Stack it in your weeknight dinner rotation or portion it out for easy lunches. Bonus: no one will know your secret.
reasons you'll love taco casserole
- Flavor: big flavor, minimal effort.
- Protein: we pack the protein into this casserole while keeping the calories at a minimum.
- Versatile: easy to swap ingredients based on your preferences.
Ingredients for Taco Casserole
- Ground Beef: you can also use ground turkey, turkey or bison.
- Onion: this is the only fresh produce you will need for this recipe.
- Canned Goods: corn (I like the fiesta style), black beans, tomatoes with green chiles, enchilada sauce
- Tortillas: corn tortillas are my go to, but flour or grain free tortillas will also work.
- Cottage Cheese: the unsung hero of this dish. It adds a lot of creaminess and a nice dose of extra protein.
- Cheese: I used shredded cheddar, but pepper-jack is amazing if you want a little extra heat.
How to Make Taco Casserole
- In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef, then drain off any grease. Toss in the chopped onion and cook until it softens.
- Next, stir in the drained black beans, corn, diced tomatoes, and enchilada sauce. Let it all simmer for about 5 minutes to bring the flavors together.
- Now for the sneaky ingredient, stir in the cottage cheese until it melts into the mixture and turns everything creamy and delicious. Trust the process.
- Time to layer! Line the bottom of your greased baking dish with 4 corn tortillas. Spoon on half of the beef mixture. Repeat with 4 more tortillas and the rest of the filling. Finish strong with a generous layer of shredded cheese on top.
- Bake at 350°F for about 25 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and golden and the kitchen smells like taco night perfection.
Serve
This is a complete meal on it's own. But it is great with a side of Mexican Rice, or a big bowl of quinoa black bean salad. Don't forget to serve with your favorite taco toppings like sour cream, guacamole and salsa.
Storage and Meal Prep Instructions
- Assemble Ahead: Fully assemble the casserole in your baking dish, cover tightly with foil or a lid, and refrigerate one day before baking.
- Bake Now, Eat Later: Bake the casserole, let it cool completely, then slice into portions and store in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freeze It: Assemble the casserole and freeze in a freezer-safe dish. It’ll keep for up to 3 months. When ready to cook cover with foil, bake 60-75 minutes at 350 degrees F or until heated through.
- Reheat: Microwave individual portions in 30 second increments or bake at 350°F until heated through.
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Taco Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 1 (15 ounce) can corn
- 1 (15 ounce) can black beans
- 1 (10 ounce) can tomatoes and green chiles
- 1 (10 ounce) enchilada sauce
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 8 corn tortillas
- 1 ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 2.5‑quart baking dish.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef. Drain excess grease.
- Add chopped onion and sauté until softened, about 3–4 minutes.
- Stir in black beans, corn, diced tomatoes (drained), and enchilada sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add cottage cheese and stir until melted and the mixture is creamy.
- Layer 4 corn tortillas across the bottom of the baking dish.
- Spoon half of the beef mixture over the tortillas.
- Add 4 more tortillas, then spread the remaining beef mixture on top.
- Sprinkle with shredded cheese.
- Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden and bubbly.
Nutrition Information
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