Description
Comforting Mexican-inspired Taco Potato Casserole blends hearty potatoes with zesty taco flavors for a crowd-pleasing meal. Layers of seasoned meat, cheese, and crispy potato edges create a delicious dinner you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat:
- 1 pound (454 grams) lean ground beef, 93%-7% blend
Vegetables and Tomatoes:
- 3/4 cup (180 milliliters) diced sweet yellow onion (Vidalia onion)
- 30 ounces (850 grams) frozen shredded hash browns
- 20 ounces (567 grams) Rotel original diced tomatoes & green chilies (two 10-ounce cans)
Cheese and Seasonings:
- 15 ounces (425 grams) mild cheddar cheese sauce
- 2 1/2 cups (285 grams) shredded Colby jack cheese, divided
- 2 ounces (57 grams) taco seasoning (two 1-ounce packets)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350F (175C) and prepare a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Brown ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently until fully cooked, approximately 7-10 minutes. Drain accumulated fat.
- Sauté diced onions in the same skillet until translucent and softened, about 3-4 minutes.
- Combine cooked ground beef, sautéed onions, hash browns, Rotel tomatoes, cheddar cheese sauce, and taco seasoning in a large mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly.
- Season the mixture with salt and pepper, ensuring even distribution of ingredients.
- Fold in 1 cup of shredded Colby jack cheese into the mixture, blending well.
- Transfer the entire mixture to the prepared baking dish, spreading evenly with a spatula.
- Sprinkle remaining 1½ cups of Colby jack cheese across the top of the casserole.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes until cheese is completely melted and edges are golden brown.
- Remove from oven and allow casserole to rest for 5-7 minutes before serving to help set the layers.
Notes
- Choose lean ground beef to reduce excess fat and create a healthier version of the casserole.
- Replace ground beef with ground turkey or plant-based crumbles for a lighter, vegetarian-friendly alternative.
- Add diced bell peppers or jalapeños for extra crunch and flavor complexity in the dish.
- Prep ingredients in advance to streamline the cooking process and make weeknight meal preparation faster and easier.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 375 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 710 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 24 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg