Easy Taco Casserole
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An easy casserole layered with quick cornbread, seasoned meat, salsa, and cheese. Perfect for a quick weeknight meal and makes great leftovers. This is a perfect place to use your homemade taco seasoning!
You’ll Love this Easy Taco Casserole!
I have been making this recipe for so long, I can do it in my sleep. In fact, this recipe has lived on my site since 2016, and is often a go-to for me when I need a quick recipe for my family, want to drop off a meal to a family in need (my other go-to is my baked ziti!), or taco Tuesday rolls around and I don’t want to plan another meal.
The bottom layer consists of a quick cornbread, in that the baking of the cornbread happens in the oven with the rest of the casserole. There’s no pre-baking a cornbread and then assembling the dish. It all happens at the same time, and making the cornbread is as simple as stirring the ingredients together and pouring it into a prepared baking dish.
After that, we’ve got a layer of seasoned meat (I prefer beef but have used ground turkey, ground chicken, shredded chicken, and even a rotisserie chicken) followed by salsa and cheese. I always use my homemade gluten-free taco seasoning.
Of course, if you want to add anything to your meat mixture like black beans or refried beans, you can do that! Or, you can opt to serve them alongside your toppings later.
The other thing I love about this recipe is that it can totally stand alone with no added toppings. Personally, I’m a huge sour cream girl, so at the very minimum, I will add a dollop of that to my slices. Otherwise, this delicious dish can totally stand on its own and speak for itself with those classic taco flavors already built in.
Easy Taco Casserole Recipe Tips
Be sure your yeast is active dry yeast and not instant yeast.
I think the most important thing to remember about this recipe is that it actually gets baked in a cold oven. That’s right– no preheating, so you can just assemble and toss it in the oven!
WHY START WITH A COLD OVEN?
Starting with a cold oven allows the cornbread batter to puff up nicely and peek its way through the nooks and crannies of the toppings. Since this is technically a yeasted batter, a slower baking of the batter ensures the yeast doesn’t get totally shocked (since we aren’t letting it rise and come to room temperature like we would a yeasted dough bread) and it works at peak performance.
Taco Bake Ingredients
Like most taco recipes, we need very basic ingredients to make this taco bake casserole. There is some wiggle room in here, so feel free to add whatever taco fixings you like, or again, reserve them for later when your casserole is sliced and ready to serve.
For this taco casserole bake, you will need:
• ground meat
• water
• homemade taco seasoning or store-bought seasoning
• all-purpose flour be sure to measure properly
• cornmeal
• dry active yeast
• granulated sugar
• salt
• milk
• oil (vegetable, corn, or olive is fine)
• egg
• salsa
• shredded cheese
How to Make Taco Bake
BROWN THE MEAT
STEP #1
In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground meat and drain. Add the water and taco seasoning and mix well, then allow the mixture to simmer on low for 5 minutes. Remove the meat from from heat and set it aside.
MAKE THE CORNBREAD BATTER
STEP #2
In a medium size bowl, toss together the flour, cornmeal, yeast, sugar, and salt. Add the warm milk, oil, and egg and mix gently until no large lumps remain.
STEP #3
Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish.
LAYER THE INGREDIENTS & BAKE
STEP #4
Layer the taco meat evenly on top of the batter, followed by an even layer of the salsa, and an even layer of the shredded cheese, adding more salsa or cheese to your liking if you desire.
STEP #5
Place the dish inside the cold oven, then set the temperature to 350°F (177ºC) and bake for 30 minutes.
What to Serve with Taco Casserole
As I mentioned, you can totally let this easy dinner speak for itself, but feel free to serve with your favorite toppings.
I’ve even served this with tortilla chips, corn chips, Mexican rice, black olives, chopped bell peppers, or throw it on top of some greens and make a taco salad. This is one of my favorite recipes to serve the whole family because someone can usually find something they like about it and a way they can enjoy it, as simple or as gussied up as they wish.
I hope this becomes a family favorite for you, too, so you have one less meal to plan for busy weeknights.
Taco Casserole Recipe FAQs
Taco Bake (Taco Casserole Recipe)
Ingredients
MEAT FILLING
- 1 pound (454g) ground meat I prefer beef, use whatever you like
- ⅓ cup (60mL) water
- 3 Tablespoons homemade taco seasoning or 1 packet store-bought seasoning
CORNBREAD LAYER
- ¾ cup (90g) all-purpose flour be sure to measure properly
- ½ cup (76g) cornmeal
- 2 envelopes (14g) dry active yeast or 4 and ½ teaspoons from a jar
- 1 Tablespoon (13g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (180mL) warm milk
- 3 Tablespoons (45mL) oil vegetable, corn, or olive is fine
- 1 large egg
TOPPINGS
- 1 cup (240g) salsa
- 1 cup (113g) shredded cheese I prefer a Mexican blend, use whatever you like
Instructions
- Lightly spray a casserole dish (8" x 8" or 9" x 13" both work well here, but I prefer the smaller square pan) with non-stick spray. Set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground meat and drain. Add the water and homemade taco seasoning and mix well. Allow to simmer on low for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.1 pound (454g) ground meat, ⅓ cup (60mL) water, 3 Tablespoons homemade taco seasoning
- In a medium size bowl, toss together the flour, cornmeal, yeast, sugar, and salt. Add the warm milk, oil, and egg and mix gently until no large lumps remain.¾ cup (90g) all-purpose flour, ½ cup (76g) cornmeal, 2 envelopes (14g) dry active yeast, 1 Tablespoon (13g) granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, ¾ cup (180mL) warm milk, 3 Tablespoons (45mL) oil, 1 large egg
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Layer the taco meat evenly on top of the batter, followed by an even layer of the salsa, and an even layer of the shredded cheese, adding more salsa or cheese to your liking if you desire.1 cup (240g) salsa, 1 cup (113g) shredded cheese
- Place the baking dish in a cold oven and set the temperature to 350°F (177ºC). Bake the casserole for 30 minutes. Allow to cool at least 15 minutes before serving. Serve with sour cream, chopped chives or green onions, extra salsa, guacamole, pico de gallo, or your other favorite taco toppings. Leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator, covered tightly, up to 5 days. Baked casserole freezes well, up to 2 months. Thaw in refrigerator overnight and bake in a preheated 300ºF oven for 25 minutes or until heated through.
Notes
Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
Lynn this looks INCREDIBLE! I am 110% adding this to my “in preparation for Baby M” freezer meal list. Can’t waiiiiiiiit (mmmmm cheeeeese).
YES!! That’s why I asked you a few weeks ago about yeast being GF, because I thought this would tickle your fancy. Aaaaaand since you’re so into quick & easy right now, I know you feel me on that part too!
I’ve never had a taco casserole before! This looks so good!
Like a taco, but easier!!
Made this last night! Sooooo delish! Served it with corn. Thanks for sharing, Lynn!
Thanks, Naomi! So glad you enjoyed it!
This should be called ‘Magical Baked Taco Casserole’ – I am totally in love with the kitchen science wizardry behind the cold oven and yeast situation! I can’t wait to try a veggie version of this 🙂 During winter weeknights I am all about the freezer stash situation 🙂
You don’t cook? Pffttt.. you have to be kidding me! Look at this empire of recipes you’ve created! Cook, bake, its all the same and you are gooooood. Love this taco casserole – I’ve never seen anything like it!
This sounds so delicious and I’m wondering if the 30 minutes begins when you turn on the oven?
Hey, Shari! Place in cold oven, turn on temp, set for 30 minutes.
You note several different pan sizes can be used. I assume the 30 minute time is for a 9x13ish, not 8×8? I think I’m going to try this with leftover turkey!
Hi, Sandy– great question. The 30 minutes is for 8×8 but it also works well for 9×13. Honestly, it’s hard to dry this dish out, which is nice! Enjoy!
One my all time favorites!!!
Thank you, Holly!
I’m curious why two packets of yeast are needed here when often times dough itself doesn’t require that much?
Hi, Stacey– great question! Since this is a quick dish and there is no time for the yeast to activate, rise, rest, and bake, AND ALSO there is so much piled on top, double the yeast insures we get a nice and puffy bottom.
I made this for dinner and it was fantastic! Easy as promised, and so delicious! I was easily able to make it gluten-free by using gluten-free all purpose flour. I served it with the toppings in a muffin tin so my family could mix and match to their heart’s content. There were nothing but smiles at the dinner table 🙂
Thanks so much, Cici! I’m so glad you loved it 🙂