The photo appears to show a layered Tex-Mex/taco casserole made with seasoned ground beef, tortillas, a creamy cheese layer, lots of melted cheese, and fresh toppings such as tomato, jalapeño, black olives, cilantro and avocado.
Because the image itself doesn’t identify the original recipe, the recipe below is a carefully matched version designed to produce the same kind of tall, cheesy casserole. Layered taco casseroles commonly use tortillas, seasoned beef, beans, cheese and toppings in this style.
F
Food
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Recipe at a glance
Servings: 8 generous portions
Prep: 25 minutes
Cooking: 35–40 minutes
Total: about 1 hour
Dish: 9 × 13-inch / 23 × 33 cm baking dish
Oven: 375°F / 190°C
Cuisine: Tex-Mex / Mexican-inspired
Ingredients
1. Beef filling
1½ lb (680 g) ground beef, preferably 85–90% lean
1 tbsp olive oil, if needed
1 medium onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small green bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeño, finely chopped
2 tbsp taco seasoning
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
½ tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp salt, plus more to taste
¼ tsp black pepper
1 cup (240 g) salsa
½ cup (120 ml) tomato sauce
1 cup (170 g) canned corn, drained
1 cup (170 g) black beans, drained and rinsed
The combination of beef, onion, peppers, chili spices, beans and tomatoes is consistent with several established taco-casserole approaches.
F
Food
+1
2. Creamy layer
This is what gives the casserole in the photograph that white, creamy, rich layer.
8 oz (225 g) cream cheese, softened
1 cup (240 g) sour cream
½ cup (120 g) mayonnaise
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp cumin
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
Optional
For a slightly lighter version, replace the mayonnaise with additional sour cream or plain Greek yogurt.
3. Tortillas and cheese
8–10 small flour tortillas, approximately 6–8 inches
3 cups (300–340 g) shredded Mexican cheese blend
1 cup (100 g) shredded sharp cheddar
½ cup (50 g) shredded Monterey Jack, optional
Best cheese combination: cheddar + Monterey Jack + a Mexican blend.
Freshly shredded cheese generally melts more smoothly than many pre-shredded cheeses.
4. Toppings
These are what make the finished casserole look like the one in your picture:
2 medium Roma tomatoes, diced
1–2 fresh jalapeños, sliced
½ cup sliced black olives
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
½ avocado, diced
¼ cup finely diced red onion
2–3 tbsp crumbled queso fresco or cotija, optional
2–3 tbsp sour cream, optional
1 lime, cut into wedges
You can adjust the toppings according to taste. Similar taco casseroles commonly use black olives, jalapeños, sour cream, cilantro, tomatoes and avocado as finishing ingredients.
C
Chowhound
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Step-by-step instructions
Step 1 — Prepare the oven
Preheat your oven to:
375°F / 190°C
Lightly grease a 9 × 13-inch baking dish.
Step 2 — Cook the beef
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the ground beef.
Cook for approximately 6–8 minutes, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon until browned.
Drain excess fat if necessary.
Add:
onion
bell pepper
jalapeño
Cook for another 4–5 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
Step 3 — Season the meat
Add:
taco seasoning
cumin
chili powder
smoked paprika
oregano
salt
black pepper
Stir well.
Cook for approximately 1 minute so the spices become fragrant.
Step 4 — Add the tomatoes, beans and corn
Add:
salsa
tomato sauce
black beans
corn
Stir everything together.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5–8 minutes.
The mixture should be fairly thick.
Important
Don’t leave the beef mixture watery.
Too much liquid can make the tortillas soggy and cause the casserole to collapse when sliced.
Step 5 — Make the creamy mixture
In a bowl, combine:
softened cream cheese
sour cream
mayonnaise
garlic powder
cumin
salt
pepper
cilantro
Mix until smooth.
Tip
If your cream cheese is difficult to mix, microwave it for approximately 10–15 seconds first.
Step 6 — Start assembling
Spread a thin layer of beef mixture across the bottom of the baking dish.
Place tortillas over the beef.
Cut tortillas into pieces if necessary so that the entire surface is covered.
A little overlapping is perfectly fine.
Step 7 — First major layer
Spread approximately ½ of the creamy mixture over the tortillas.
Add approximately:
⅓ of the shredded cheese
Then add approximately:
½ of the remaining beef mixture.
Spread everything evenly.
Step 8 — Second layer
Add another layer of tortillas.
Then spread over:
remaining cream mixture
remaining beef mixture
Finish with another generous layer of cheese.
Step 9 — Final cheese layer
Mix the remaining cheddar/Mexican cheese/Montrey Jack together.
Spread it generously across the entire top.
For the appearance in your photograph, don’t be shy with the cheese.
Step 10 — Bake
Cover the casserole loosely with aluminum foil.
Bake at:
375°F / 190°C for 20 minutes.
Then remove the foil.
Continue baking for another:
10–15 minutes
until the cheese is completely melted and bubbling around the edges.
For a more golden top, switch to broil for 1–2 minutes at the end.
Watch carefully during broiling.
Cheese can go from golden to burnt very quickly.
Step 11 — Add the fresh toppings
Let the casserole cool for approximately 8–10 minutes.
Then add:
diced tomatoes
jalapeño slices
black olives
cilantro
avocado
red onion
queso fresco/cotija
This gives you the colorful appearance shown in the photo.
Don’t bake the fresh tomatoes and avocado.
Add them after baking.
Step 12 — Slice and serve
Allow the casserole to rest for another 5 minutes before cutting.
Use a sharp knife to cut it into 8 portions.
Serve with:
lime wedges
sour cream
salsa
guacamole
Mexican rice
refried beans
Resting before slicing is useful because the melted cheese and creamy layers need time to firm up. Similar layered taco-bake recipes also recommend resting before serving.
S
sipthesoup.com
+1
Approximate nutrition
The following is an estimate for 1/8 of the casserole, including the main casserole ingredients but allowing for variation in cheese, beef, tortillas and toppings.
Nutrient Approx. per serving
Calories 650–700 kcal
Protein 35–40 g
Total fat 40–45 g
Saturated fat 18–21 g
Carbohydrates 40–45 g
Fiber 5–7 g
Net carbs 34–39 g
Sugars 5–7 g
Cholesterol 110–130 mg
Sodium 1,100–1,400 mg
Calcium 450–550 mg
Iron 4–5 mg
Potassium 700–850 mg
Important: these numbers are estimates, not laboratory measurements. Brand-specific tortillas, cheese, taco seasoning, salsa and canned ingredients can substantially change sodium and calorie totals.
For comparison, published taco-casserole recipes also report nutrition estimates that vary considerably depending on the particular ingredients and serving size.
C
Cooking with Casey
+1
How to make it lighter
You can substantially reduce the calories without losing the character of the dish.
Use:
93–96% lean ground beef
light sour cream
reduced-fat cream cheese
less mayonnaise
2 cups instead of 4 cups cheese
corn tortillas instead of large flour tortillas
extra beans and vegetables
Greek yogurt instead of some sour cream
You can also replace some of the beef with black beans.
How to make it spicy
For a hot version add:
2 jalapeños to the beef
½–1 tsp cayenne
hot taco seasoning
1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles
sliced pickled jalapeños on top
hot salsa
For very spicy, add chopped serrano peppers.
Mild/kid-friendly version
Omit the fresh jalapeño and cayenne.
Use:
mild taco seasoning
mild salsa
regular cheddar
no spicy toppings
Serve sliced jalapeños separately so adults can add them to their own portions.
Yes.
Ground turkey
Use 1½ lb ground turkey.
Add a little extra olive oil because turkey can be considerably leaner than beef.
Ground chicken
Also works well.
Shredded chicken
Use approximately 3 cups cooked shredded chicken.
Vegetarian
Replace the beef with:
2 cans black beans
1 can pinto beans
1½ cups corn
sautéed bell peppers
mushrooms
Can I use corn tortillas?
Yes.
Corn tortillas give the casserole a more traditional Mexican flavor and can also be useful if you’re avoiding gluten.
Flour tortillas tend to give a softer, more lasagna-like texture.
Both versions are commonly used in layered taco casseroles.
R
Recipes by Clare
+1
Can I leave out the beans?
Absolutely.
If you don’t like beans, simply replace them with:
extra beef
corn
bell peppers
mushrooms
additional salsa
What is the best cheese?
For the texture shown in the picture, I’d use:
50% Monterey Jack + 30% cheddar + 20% Mexican blend.
Monterey Jack gives excellent melting, while cheddar contributes stronger flavor and color.
A Mexican cheese blend is also perfectly convenient.
When should avocado be added?
After baking.
Avocado becomes soft and can discolor when exposed to the oven’s heat.
Dice it immediately before serving and add a small squeeze of lime.
I put tomatoes inside the casserole?
Yes, but I recommend using salsa or drained canned tomatoes inside and keeping fresh diced tomatoes for the top.
Fresh tomatoes release considerable water during baking, which can make the layers watery.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes.
Assemble the casserole without the fresh toppings.
Cover tightly and refrigerate for up to approximately 24 hours.
When ready to bake, allow the chilled casserole to sit out briefly while the oven preheats, then bake until the center is thoroughly hot and the cheese is bubbling.
You may need several additional minutes compared with a freshly assembled casserole.
Can I freeze it?
Yes.
For best quality, freeze the assembled casserole before baking, tightly wrapped.
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking.
One published layered taco-bake recipe likewise recommends freezing before baking and thawing overnight.
R
Recipes by Clare
Don’t freeze the fresh tomato, avocado and cilantro toppings.
Add those after reheating.
How long do leftovers last?
Refrigerate leftovers promptly in a covered container.
For best quality, eat within 3–4 days.
Reheat individual portions in the microwave or reheat the casserole covered in a moderate ovenWhy is my casserole watery?
The most common causes are:
Beef mixture contains too much liquid.
Salsa wasn’t thick enough.
Fresh tomatoes were baked inside.
Beans weren’t drained.
Too much liquid was added between layers.
The casserole was cut immediately after coming out of the oven.
Fix
Simmer the beef mixture longer before assembling and let the finished casserole rest 10–15 minutes before slicing.
Why did my layers collapse?
Usually because the casserole contains too much moisture or hasn’t rested.
For clean slices:
thick beef mixture + moderate creamy layer + properly covered tortillas + 10-minute resting period.
Don’t overload every layer.
My recommended final topping combination
For the closest visual match to your photograph, finish the baked casserole with:
diced Roma tomato + sliced jalapeño + black olives + fresh cilantro + avocado + a little cotija + lime.
That combination gives you the red, green, black, white and golden-yellow topping pattern visible in the photograph.
Quick printable version
Cook: beef + onion + peppers + garlic → add taco spices, salsa, beans and corn → simmer.
Mix: cream cheese + sour cream + mayo + spices.
Layer: beef → tortillas → cream mixture → cheese → beef → tortillas → cream → beef → lots of cheese.
Bake: 375°F / 190°C, 20 min covered + 10–15 min uncovered.
Finish: tomatoes + jalapeños + olives + cilantro + avocado + cotija.
Rest: 10 minutes.
With years of experience in restaurant research and local SEO, Sara creates accurate, user-friendly guides that work for both people and search engines. Her goal is to help users go from search results to their nearest restaurant or menu choice with as few clicks as possible.
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