Be sure to try my Loaded Nachos, Chicken Enchiladas, and Baked Tacos next!
I’ve been on a casserole kick lately, especially ones that you can make ahead of time. It’s amazing how much easier your life becomes when you do a little meal prep ahead of time. The fact that you can assemble this Taco Casserole up to 2 days ahead of time is really handy. And the ingredients are really easy to customize!
How to Make it
Note: This is an overview. See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Let the sour cream come to room temperature while you prepare the meat. This will prevent it from curdling when baked as it won’t be going from cold to hot right away. Cook/crumble the ground beef and onions in a pan over medium-high heat. Drain excess grease, add water and taco seasoning. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from heat. Spread the refried beans in an even layer over a 9 x 13″ casserole dish. Top with sour cream.
Add the seasoned ground beef and onions on top.
Top with cheese. Bake uncovered at 350°F for 15 minutes, until the cheese is hot and melted. Add the black olives and crunchy toppings. Bake uncovered for 8 minutes. Garnish with green onions, diced tomatoes, and/or shredded lettuce if desired and serve!
Make-Ahead Method
This Taco Casserole can be made up to 2 days ahead.
To do so, cook the ground beef and onions and layer all of the ingredients in a casserole dish. Let it cool and cover it. Refrigerate for up to 2 days. Let it sit out and come to room temperature for 35 minutes prior to baking. This will prevent the sour cream from curdling. Bake, covered, in a 350° oven for 25 minutes. Uncover, and bake for 5 more minutes to fully melt the cheese. Add black olives along with the crunchy toppings. Bake for 8 additional minutes. Add the shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and green onions prior to serving.
Crock Pot Taco Casserole
This recipe is easy to assemble within a Crock Pot and heat right away or up to 2 days later. You’ll still need to brown the ground beef first, then layer the ingredients per the recipe instructions. Save the crunchy toppings and shredded lettuce/tomatoes/green onions until you’re just ready to serve.
This Crock pot allows you to sear/brown meat right on the stove top. It also switches to warm once the cooking time is up. Heating from a cold state: Let it sit out for 35 minutes prior to heating to prevent the sour cream from curdling. Heat on high 4-5 hours or Low 6-7 hours Note that Crock Pots vary in terms on how quickly they heat up and how hot they get.
Taco Casserole for a Crowd or Potluck
These aluminum foil pans make it easy to prepare this recipe for a crowd and the pans can be disposed of afterwards. This recipe serves 6 people. Click the number of servings to reveal a slider. Move the slider right to increase the number of servings if you’re making this for a larger crowd.
Storing Leftovers
Leftovers should be refrigerated in an airtight container and are best if used within 3-4 days. Reheat in a microwave or a 350°oven until heated through.
Pro Tip: Leftovers make a great dip or filling for burritos!
Freezing
Taco casserole makes a good freezer food and can be stored for up to 3 months, although I recommend that you leave out the sour cream and serve it on the side with this casserole if you plan on freezing. Leave out the crunchy toppings and shredded lettuce when you freeze as well. Let it defrost overnight and bake as instructed, or bake it frozen and add 1 hour of baking time.
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