Nacho Casserole

There’s a lot to love about this beef nacho casserole, so let’s start with the part that parents will be thrilled by: Kids love it. If you’ve been looking for a dish that can all but guarantee a complaint-free dinnertime, then nacho cheese casserole is the answer. It’s quick and easy to make, it’s loaded with flavor and it packs in the protein too.

This nacho casserole makes use of the microwave for most of the cooking, so it really does come together fast, and it can be customized and dressed up in so many different ways. We’ll share some of our favorite suggestions for sprucing up the dish below, but first let’s talk about the core ingredients for this nacho cheese and beef casserole.

Nacho Casserole Ingredients

• Ground beef: The pound of ground beef is the anchor of this recipe. You can use a 90/10 blend, but it will taste even better with an 80/20, since there’s more juiciness in the slightly fattier option.
• Onion: Use a yellow or white onion for this recipe, with yellow being the ideal choice. Chop the onion well so it can evenly blend into the ingredients.
• Black beans: The beans should be rinsed and drained. For the black beans, a low-sodium or no-salt-added option is the best choice, as there is plenty of salt in this recipe from the other ingredients.
• Picante sauce: It’s your call on how spicy you want the picante sauce to be. This is one of the ingredients in the recipe that can affect the heat level of the dish.
• Chili powder: While chili powder offers delightful flavoring in this dish, if you’re cooking for people averse to spiciness, you can swap it out with paprika.
• Cream of chicken soup: Again, a reduced-sodium (as well as reduced-fat) soup is the best option here, as this dish can get pretty salty. Use the soup undiluted.
• Diced tomatoes and green chiles: Don’t drain the liquid from these tomatoes and chiles. You want it both because it’s packed with delightful flavor, and because it helps the finished casserole achieve the desired level of moistness.
• Chopped green chiles: With these green chilies, you can drain off some of the fluid. You don’t have to be particularly careful one way or the other.
• Tortilla chips: You can use nacho-flavored or plain tortilla chips—you really can’t go wrong either way. Unsalted plain tortilla chips allow all the other flavors in the dish to shine, so many chefs make that their choice.
• Cheeses: Cheddar cheese is essential in this casserole. It has just the right flavor, creating the taste you would expect in a nacho dish. Monterey Jack is much milder than cheddar and helps balance the flavors out while also adding cheesy goodness.
• Avocado and sour cream (optional): The cubed avocado and sour cream are optional toppers that will be added before serving, but think of the word “optional” as meaning “very strongly recommended” in this case.

Directions

Step 1: Cook the beef and onion

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In a large skillet, cook the beef and onion over medium heat, sauteing until the beef is no longer pink, six to eight minutes. Break the cooked beef into crumbles as it cooks, then drain the excess fluid.

Step 2: Add the beans and flavorings

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Stir the beans, picante sauce and chili powder into the meat and onions.

Step 3: Combine the soup, tomatoes and chiles

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In a separate bowl, combine the soup, tomatoes and chopped green chiles.

Step 4: Assemble the casserole

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In a lightly greased 2-1/2 quart baking dish, layer half each of the chips, beef mixture, soup mixture and cheeses, then repeat the layers.

Step 5: Microwave the casserole

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Microwave the nacho casserole on medium-high, uncovered, until it’s heated through and the cheese is melted about 12 minutes. If desired, top the dish with cubed avocado and sour cream before serving.

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Nacho Casserole Variations

• Use ground turkey: Replacing the ground beef with ground turkey meat will yield a leaner casserole that’s lower in fat but still packed with protein and loaded with flavor.
• Add jalapenos for more heat: You can spice things up, increasing the heat by using medium picante sauce and diced jalapenos instead of green chiles.
• Try different chip flavors: Tortilla chips come with all sorts of flavoring added, from cheesy to spice to citrus and more. Try different chip flavors to achieve different casseroles.

How to Store Nacho Casserole

You can keep leftovers of this casserole in the fridge in airtight containers for up to three days. Reheat it at reduced power in the microwave, and consider sprinkling a bit of fresh cheese over the top.

Can you freeze leftover nacho casserole?

No. This dish will not take well to freezing, as there are just too many different textures present here. You’ll be glad you didn’t!

Nacho Casserole Tips

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What should I serve with this nacho casserole recipe?

Because this dish has you covered protein wise, and then some, we recommend pairing it with a fresh green salad. The light crisp taste is the perfect balance to this hearty dish.

What if I made my nacho casserole too spicy?

If you added too much heat to the dish, you can cool things down again with sour cream. Lightly toss each serving of the casserole with a tablespoon of sour cream, and it should cut the heat right back down.

How much protein is in this casserole?

A lot! As in, you can expect about 23 grams of protein per serving. That said, you will also find 26 grams of fat.