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–+ servings
Blue bowl filled with a piece of healthier taco casserole
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4.86 from 14 votes

Healthier Taco Casserole

Layered with tortillas, cheese, lean ground meat and a loaded vegetable filling, this taco casserole delivers everything you love about taco night in one easy, crowd pleasing dish.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Resting Time5 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 6
Calories: 361kcal
Author: Annie Holmes

Equipment

  • 9 x 9 Inch Baking Dish

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground beef or turkey
  • 15 oz diced tomatoes or 19 oz
  • 3 tablespoons taco seasoning store bought or homemade both work great
  • 1 bell pepper chopped
  • 1 can corn drained
  • 1 can black beans drained & rinsed; optional; they make this casserole VERY full!
  • 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese shredded; or Monterey Jack
  • 4 tortillas 6 inch recommended; cut in half or to fit the casserole

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 350°F. Spray a deep 9 x 9 inch baking dish with spray oil and set aside.
  • In a large pan sauté the ground meat, breaking it up with a spatula. Cook until no longer pink. Drain excess liquid.
    cooked ground turkey in frying pan
  • Add the cooked meat, diced tomatoes, taco seasoning, bell pepper, corn, and optional black beans. Mix it up until well combined.
  • Assemble the casserole in the greased baking dish. Start by covering the base with tortillas (arrange them so there are no holes). Next, add ⅓ of the mixture from the bowl. Sprinkle with ⅓ of cheese. Repeat with all remaining ingredients, finishing with cheese.
  • Cover the casserole and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 10 minutes. Let casserole stand 5-10 minutes before serving. Enjoy with tortilla chips, avocado slices, or greek yogurt.

Video

Notes

Instructions for freezing
  1. Assemble up to the baking step, but don't bake.
  2. Wrap in tin foil, label with the baking directions, and freeze.
  3. Store for up to 3 months uncooked in freezer.
To bake from frozen
  1. Heat oven to 350°F
  2. Bake frozen casserole (covered) for 55 minutes
  3. Remove cover and bake for another 10 minutes until cheese is bubbly and everything is warmed through
IMPORTANT - if you are planning to bake from frozen, make sure that you freeze in a metal baking dish (not glass!), to avoid risk of shattering.
To bake after thawing
  1. Heat oven to 350°F
  2. Bake thawed casserole (covered) for 20 minutes
  3. Remove cover and bake another 10 minutes until cheese is bubbly and everything is warmed through
Storage
  1. Cool completely after baking.
  2. Store in the fridge in the baking dish (covered), or portioned out into meal prep containers for up to 4 days (best consumed within the first 2-3 days to avoid mushy tortillas)
  3. Reheat in the microwave until steaming hot, or reheat entire casserole (covered) in a 350°F oven for at least 15-20 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/6 of the batch | Calories: 361kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 474mg | Potassium: 466mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1035IU | Vitamin C: 34.2mg | Calcium: 204mg | Iron: 3.3mg