Emily’s Taco Casserole

Emily’s Taco Casserole–a super speedy dinner with seasoned ground beef, beans, chips, cheese and tomatoes. Perfect for a busy weeknight!

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Emily’s Taco Casserole

This is an easy weeknight meal that comes together with hardly any effort at all. You’ll love the cheesy, crispy chips on top and the seasoned ground beef and beans. I loved eating this with a dollop of sour cream on top and extra diced garden tomatoes. Try making this in your Instant Pot with an air fryer lid or you can make it with your stove and oven. Either way works great!

Recipe adapted from Emily’s Excellent Taco Casserole on All Recipes.

Ingredients/Substitution Ideas

• Lean ground beef–or ground turkey
• Taco seasoning–I used 2 tablespoons. Add as much or as little as you like, some taco seasonings are stronger than others.
• Bush’s chili beans–I used kidney beans in mild chili sauce. Don’t drain.
• Tomato sauce
• Tortilla chips or Fritos corn chips–I used 3 handfuls, use as much or as little as you like
• Shredded cheddar cheese–or Colby-Jack
• Tomato
• Sliced olives–optional. I have some olive lovers and some olive haters. If that’s the case at your house you may want to serve on the side.

Steps

For the stove/oven:

1. Cook and season the meat: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat a pan over medium high heat. Add in the ground beef and break it up. Brown meat until cooked through. Drain off excess grease. Stir in the taco seasoning.
2. Add in the chili beans and tomato sauce and stir well. Heat through.
3. Add chips and cheese: Pour the mixture into a 9×9 inch baking dish. Sprinkle desired amount of chips on top. Sprinkle cheese on top of the chips. 
4. Bake for 20 minutes. 
5. Serve: Top with tomatoes and olives, if using. Serve with shredded lettuce and a dollop of sour cream, if desired. 

For the Instant Pot with air fryer lid:

1. Cook and season the meat: Turn Instant Pot to sauté setting (MORE). When display says HOT add in the meat and break it up. Brown meat until cooked through. Drain excess grease. Stir in taco seasoning.
2. Add in the chili beans and tomato sauce. Heat through on the LESS sauté setting. Turn off Instant Pot. 
3. Add chips and cheese: Sprinkle desired amount of chips on top. Sprinkle cheese on top of the chips. 
4. Bake: Place air fryer lid on top. Set air fryer lid to bake for 3 minutes at 300 degrees. 
5. Serve: Top with tomatoes and olives, if using. Serve with shredded lettuce and a dollop of sour cream, if desired. 

Notes/Tips

• Serve with lettuce, sour cream, extra tomatoes, etc.
• I used my 6 quart Duo Crisp Instant Pot with Air Fryer Lid*
• This recipe can easily be doubled. If baking in the oven use a 9×13 inch pan.
• This recipe can be gluten-free if you use gluten free taco seasoning and gluten-free chips (use corn chips).
• Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. The meat/bean portion of this recipe are great leftovers. The chips and cheese do get soggy so I would not freeze and reheat that part.
• Other recipes you can make with Fritos are Instant Pot Frito Pie Chili and Instant Pot Loaded Frito Taco Soup.

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5 More Taco Inspired Recipes…

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*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.