A lightened-up recipe for Mexican casserole made with whole grain corn tortillas, black beans, lean ground beef, and a blend of white cheddar and pepper jack cheese.
Lately, I've been craving hearty casseroles. I love throwing everything in one dish to keep things simple, but I also love how all the flavors mingle together in a good casserole. This Mexican casserole is a family favorite because it has all the goodness of an enchilada in a one-dish meal. Not to mention, you get 30 grams of protein in a single serving.
I've lightened-up the traditional Mexican casserole recipe to include 93% lean ground beef, low-fat cheese, and black beans instead of refried beans. I used a blend of light pepper jack cheese and light cheddar cheese in this recipe. If you don't like it spicy, feel free to substitute plain Monterey Jack cheese for the pepper jack. I also use the fresh, chunky salsa from the deli but canned salsa in a jar works great, too. This dish is packed with protein and SO delicious!
How To Make Beef Mexican Casserole
Ingredients:
- 1 pound 93% lean ground beef
- 19 oz red enchilada sauce
- 2 cups frozen shoepeg corn
- 8 oz thick & chunky salsa (fresh or canned)
- 8 soft corn tortillas
- 15 oz can low-sodium black beans
- 8 oz Cabot light sharp cheddar cheese
- 8 oz Cabot light pepper jack cheese
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Rinse and drain canned black beans.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and brown ground beef until it's no longer pink.
Add in enchilada sauce, salsa, corn, and black beans.
Stir until combined.
Grease a 9x11 inch baking dish with cooking spray (I use olive oil spray) and place half of the tortillas in the bottom of the pan, overlapping as needed.
Cover with half of the meat mixture.
Top with half of the shredded cheese.
Repeat with the second layer finishing with the cheese on top. Bake for 35-40 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Cool for 5-10 minutes and serve warm.
What To Serve With Mexican Casserole
Great toppings for this casserole are freshly chopped cilantro, sour cream, sliced avocado, guacamole, pickled jalapenos, and extra salsa.
If you love Mexican-Inspired recipes, you should also try this easy Mexican Chicken Casserole, Homemade Pinto Beans, and Easy Oven-Baked Beef Skillet Nachos.
Easy Beef Mexican Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 lb 93% lean ground beef
- 19 oz can red enchilada sauce
- 2 cups frozen shoepeg corn
- 8 oz fresh chunky-style salsa or your favorite canned salsa
- 8 soft corn tortillas
- 15 oz can low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
- 8 oz Cabot light white cheddar shredded
- 8 oz Cabot light pepper jack shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven for 350 degrees F. Heat a large skillet on medium heat and cook ground beef until no longer pink.
- Stir in enchilada sauce, corn, black beans and salsa
- Grease a 9x11 baking dish with olive oil cooking spray and place half of the tortillas in the bottom of the pan and overlap, as needed.
- Cover with half of the meat mixture and top with half of the cheese
- Repeat with second layer, finishing with the rest of the cheese on top.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly
Nutrition
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