Bully Casserole–a cheesy taco skillet loaded with bold flavors, seasoned beef, taco shells, and gooey melted cheese baked together into one irresistible dinner!
Bully Casserole
I made this cheesy taco skillet the other night it was a hit! Greg literally said the words “it was perfect” as he went back for seconds 😉 The combo of crema, crunchy taco shells, seasoned beef, taco sauce and melty cheese makes this one so satisfying. My favorite part was scraping off the crispy, cheesy edges from the pan. Heaven. If you want an easy taco Tuesday night dinner that’ll get everyone excited, this is it! (Recipe adapted from Bad Bully Taco Casserole on Masterbuilt).
Ingredients/Substitution Ideas
- Lean ground beef–I used 93/7. You can also use ground turkey or pork.
- Onion–yellow or white
- Diced green chiles–I used mild
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Garlic powder
- Cumin
- Chili powder
- Oregano
- Cayenne pepper
- Crispy taco shells–or an equivalent amount of yellow corn tortilla chips
- Green taco sauce–or red if you’re into more heat
- Mexican crema–or sour cream thinned out with some milk and lime juice
- Cheddar cheese
- Pepper jack cheese
Steps
Preheat oven to 375° F. Heat an oven safe skillet (I used my cast iron skillet*) over medium high heat. Add in the beef and break it up. Add in the onions. Cook until beef is no longer pink. Drain off excess grease.
Stir in the green chiles, salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, oregano and cayenne.
Crush the taco shells and stir them in along with the taco sauce, crema, half of the cheddar and all of the pepper jack.
Bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle remaining cheddar on top and bake for 5 more minutes. Serve immediately.
Notes/Tips
- Serve with shredded lettuce and diced tomato. A side of black beans or refried beans would be yummy too!
- I used a 12 inch cast iron skillet*. Do you need a cast iron skillet? Not necessarily. Any oven-safe skillet works, but cast iron gives you the best crispy edges. If you don’t have an oven safe skillet you can transfer it to a square baking dish.
- Crema is a smooth, slightly tangy Mexican-style cream. It’s thinner than sour cream but richer than regular cream. You can usually find it in the refrigerated section near the sour cream and cheeses at most grocery stores.
- Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, or a Mexican blend all work if you don’t have cheddar or pepper jack.
- This recipe can be gluten free if you use gluten free taco shells and gluten free taco sauce.
- Although this is best the first night you can store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Other recipes you can make with green taco sauce are Instant Pot Cheesy Taco Orzo and Acapulco Delight.
Did you know you can filter the recipes on my website to search by meat type, IP or Crockpot, low carb, gluten free, etc.? Use the filter to find exactly what you are looking for.
Bad Bully Casserole
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4–5 servings 1x
Description
A cheesy taco skillet loaded with bold flavors, seasoned beef, taco shells, and gooey melted cheese baked together into one irresistible dinner!
Ingredients
- 16 oz lean ground beef
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- Pinch of oregano
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1 (4.75 oz) package crispy taco shells (12 shells)
- 1 (7.5 oz) jar green taco sauce (or red if you’re into more heat)
- 1/2 cup Mexican crema
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° F.
- Heat an oven safe skillet (I used my cast iron skillet) over medium high heat. Add in the beef and break it up. Add in the onions. Cook until beef is no longer pink. Drain off excess grease.
- Stir in the green chiles, salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, oregano and cayenne.
- Crush the taco shells and stir them in along with the taco sauce, crema, half of the cheddar and all of the pepper jack.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle remaining cheddar on top and bake for 5 more minutes.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Crema: ½ cup Mexican crema can be substituted with sour cream thinned with a splash of milk and lime juice
- Category: Beef
- Method: Stove and Oven
More taco inspired recipes…
Instant Pot Taco Tuesday Casserole
An easy one pot meal of taco seasoned ground beef with rice, roasted garlic enchilada sauce, beans and corn. The casserole is topped with tomatoes, cheese, sour cream and Fritos for a delicious week night meal.
Instant Pot Walking Tacos
Try walking tacos if you need a quick meal on the go! Tacos are served straight from a bag of Doritos. This is a great meal for family reunions, camps, parties or just a family dinner. Clean up is fast and easy!
Instant Pot Loaded Frito Taco Soup
A dump and go, easy and fast recipe for taco soup that’s loaded up with fritos, cheese and diced avocados.
*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
Going to make it for my son. He may not eat for couple days Should I put in chips?
I’d leave the crushed taco shells out until right before baking if he won’t be eating it for a couple of days. If you mix them in now, they’ll get soggy in the fridge. You can prep everything else as directed, store it covered in the fridge, and then just stir in the crushed shells right before baking for the best texture.