This Taco Casserole with Fritos recipe is pure comfort food! It has all of the flavors of a walking taco, wrapped up in a hearty casserole.
Ever heard of a walking taco? It’s a mini bag of fritos, opened and filled with taco meat and toppings. This Taco Casserole with Fritos is a spin a walking taco, but even easier to make!
Tuesday night is taco night at my house. And I’m constantly looking for new ways to jazz them up. I’ll rotate between ground beef and chicken, and sometimes do Crockpot Carnitas, but sometimes I just want something completely different.
This recipe, pulled from a 1980s church cookbook, was an absolute winner at my house. It has all of the flavors of a taco, made into an easy-to-make casserole.
The real stand-out to this casserole is the addition of Fritos corn chips. I’m no stranger to adding chips to my casseroles (see Hot Chicken Salad and Easy Dorito Chicken Casserole), and this casserole benefits from it as well.
The Fritos get soft (like corn tortillas) in a taco-spiced sauce. The ground beef makes it hearty. It’s loaded with corn and olives. The top is cheesy and gooey. It’s truly casserole perfection. And, you can make it ahead!
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Top tips
- I love serving this casserole with a generous amount of shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes on top. It’s the perfect contrast to the warm, cheesy casserole.
- You can make the casserole up to 24 hours in advance of baking it. See below for more tips on that!
- Don’t like olives? Just leave them out!
- Don’t drain the canned corn! The liquid goes into the casserole.
Ingredients
- The casserole starts with a layer of ground beef, onion, and taco seasoning.
- We’ll add olives and canned corn to the casserole itself, and the lettuce and tomato are for the top (after it bakes).
- The tomato sauce and the beef broth create a rich sauce to soften the Fritos corn chips.
- Shredded cheese goes on top!
How to make Taco Casserole with Fritos
Start by browning the ground beef and chopped onion in a large skillet.
Cook, stirring to break up the beef, until cooked through.
Add the taco seasoning, tomato sauce, undrained can of corn, olives, and beef broth. Stir and cook for 3 minutes.
Stir in the Fritos, and pour in a 13×9 inch casserole dish. The Fritos will soak up the tomato sauce mixture.
Top with the shredded cheese.
Bake the Taco Casserole with Fritos for 25 minutes at 350°F.
Remove from the oven and top with shredded lettuce and chopped tomato. Serve!
Can I make taco casserole ahead of time?
Taco Casserole can be made up to 24 hours in advance of baking it. Prepare the casserole as directed, but cover it with plastic wrap instead of baking it. Refrigerate for up to one day.
When you’re ready to serve it, bake as directed, adding 5 minutes to the baking time.
Variations
- Don’t like olives? Just omit them!
- Substitute ground turkey for the ground beef.
- Sprinkle homemade or store-bought pico de gallo on top in place of the tomatoes.
- Use 1 cup of defrosted frozen corn in place of the canned corn.
Leftovers and storage
Leftover Taco Casserole with Fritos can be kept in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 4 days. Reheat the leftovers in the microwave or in the oven.
I don’t recommend freezing it, as the texture will be compromised by the freezing/thawing process.
More main dish casseroles
I love a good all-in-one meal! Here are a few other favorites.
Have you tried this recipe? Please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and/or comment below!
📖 Recipe
Taco Casserole with Fritos
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 3 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 (15 oz) can whole kernel corn, undrained
- 1 (2¼ oz) can chopped black olives, drained
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 (10 oz) bag Fritos corn chips
- 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
- For the top: shredded lettuce and chopped tomatoes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 13×9 inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Place the ground beef and onion in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook until the beef is cooked through and the onion is soft.
- Add the taco seasoning, tomato sauce, undrained can of corn, olives, and beef broth. Stir to combine and let cook for 3 minutes.
- Stir in the Fritos. Pour the mixture into the greased casserole dish and top with shredded cheese. Bake for 25 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
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