Mexican Casserole with Ground Beef and Corn Tortillas

This Mexican Casserole with Tortillas and Ground Beef is an easy and satisfying way to spice up your dinner plans. Layered with corn tortillas, and a ground beef mixture complete with black beans and sweet corn puts this in the category of irresistible and easy casserole dishes. Did I mention there’s sour cream involved?

Thanks to my cousin Pam for introducing this Easy Mexican casserole with ground beef to my Fall collection of goodness. This is one of those things that I simply could not stop eating.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 sweet onion
• 1 cup frozen corn thawed.
• Canned black beans
• Taco seasoning
• Yellow corn tortillas
• Canned chopped tomatoes
• Chile peppers Hatch, Poblano, or Pueblo, roasted, chopped. Or 8 ounces canned, chopped chiles from the Mexican aisle.
• Sour cream
• Pepper Jack Cheese
• Garnish: Jalapeno peppers, chopped tomatoes and chopped cilantro

Ingredient Substitutions

• Corn: Substitute 1 can of corn for frozen corn. Drain before using.
• Onion: I prefer sweet or yellow onion, but if you want a bolder flavor, use a red onion.
• Tortillas: Yellow corn tortillas are preferred for this recipe, as they’re stronger than white corn tortillas. If you want to use white corn tortillas, make sure the ground beef mixture is a little dryer.
• Sour Cream: Ever tried Mexican Crema? You can find it in the produce section at the grocery store. It’s a little thinner than full fat sour cream and a little tangier in flavor.
• Cheese: Any good melting cheese will work well here. Cheddar, Muenster, Monterey Jack are all good choices.
• Beans: If you don’t have canned black beans, canned chile beans in chile sauce would be a great replacement.

How To Make Mexican Casserole with Ground Beef

How To Cook Ground Beef Mixture

Just grab your favorite frying skillet and heat it over medium high heat.

• Once the skillet is hot, add the ground beef.
• With your favorite spatula, break the ground beef apart.
• Once the pink starts to fade from the meat, add the chopped onions.
• Cook until the onions are starting to soften.
• Add canned black beans (drained)
• Frozen or canned yellow corn (drained if using canned) I prefer frozen corn, 1 cup.
• 2 cans of chopped tomatoes (drained)
• And 8 chile peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped. Hatch work great here, Pueblo (Mirisol) Peppers are lovely or 2-4 ounce can of chopped chiles (undrained) make this even easier.
• Add taco seasoning and ½ to 1 cup of water and let simmer for about 10 – 15 minutes or until mixture starts to thicken. Start with ½ cup of water and add more if mixture becomes dry.

How to Build This Mexican Casserole with Corn Tortillas

• Spray a 9 x 11 baking dish with PAM
• Add about 1 cup of the beef mixture as evenly as you can on the bottom of your baking dish. It won’t cover the pan, but will add a barrier for the tortillas so they will stay moist during baking.
• Place 6 corn tortillas over the ground beef mixture, overlapping them and placing them so they curl up the side of the dish by about a half inch.

• Cover the corn tortillas with half the remaining beef mixture

• Spread the sour cream over the beef mixture.

• Place the remaining 6 corn tortillas on top of the sour cream in the same manner you did with the first layer.
• Add the remaining ground beef mixture.
• Sprinkle with the cheese.

• Bake the casserole in a 350 degree oven for 25 – 30 minutes.
• Let the casserole sit for about 5 – 10 minutes. Garnish with sliced jalapenos, chopped fresh tomatoes and chopped cilantro. Cut into squares and serve. YUM!

Tips for Success

• Important Tip: If the mixture is too watery, this will cause the corn tortillas to become soggy during baking. Different taco seasoning mixes may contain different amounts of corn starch (for the thickening agent) This is why I say start with ½ cup and add a little more at a time. You want the mixture a little soupy but not watery.
• I urge you to use Homemade Taco Seasoning for this. It’s superior in flavor and void of preservatives. Ever since I discovered smoked paprika a few years ago, I’ve gone crazy using it. And sprinkling some in taco seasoning is no exception and adds a wonderful smoky flavor. I hope you take a look at my recipe.
• If you use this homemade mixture, just use about 3 tablespoons instead of a packet of taco seasoning. It brings a whole new level of earthy depth to this casserole. And you’ll love that bold color and bold flavor.

Recipe for Mexican Casserole with Ground Beef

Zesty and loaded with all of your favorite Mexican flavors, what’s not to love. This is a great weeknight meal that will reward you with some tasty leftovers, which means you don’t need to worry about cooking for the next evening…or two.

As much as I love to spend time in the kitchen fussing over dinner, I’m also always looking for quick and easy dinner ideas. This Mexican Casserole With Ground Beef and Corn Tortillas is one that fits that bill.

It’s a favorite here On The Ranch and it’s a classic layered Mexican Casserole recipe that’s filled with flavor. Quick and easy, family friendly, I hope you give this a try.

And if you have a favorite Mexican Casserole with ground beef and corn tortillas, let me know, I’d love to give it a try.

More Recipes Using Corn Tortillas

And if you’re in the eternal mood for Mexican Recipes, don’t miss my Mexican Southwest Category. And the most popular recipe in that category, Fried Tacos.

Mexican Casserole with Ground Beef  …It’s what’s for Dinner.