Taco Casserole

• servings: 10 servings
• active time: 30 minutes
• total time: 1 hour

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 1/4 cups chopped red onion (or yellow onion)

1 1/4 cups chopped red bell pepper

1 1/4 lbs. lean ground beef

Salt (and freshly ground black pepper)

1 Tbsp minced garlic

2 Tbsp chili powder*

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 (14.5 oz) can black beans, (drained and rinsed)

1 (14.5 oz) can fire roasted diced tomatoes

1 cup frozen corn

1/4 cup water (or chicken broth)

1 1/2 Tbsp lime juice, (plus lime wedges for serving)

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese**

2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese

15 (6-inch) corn tortillas, (cut into halves)

Taco toppings (optional, see notes)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 13 by 9-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Heat oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell pepper, saute 4 minutes. Scoot to the far side.

Crumble in beef, season with salt and pepper. Let brown on bottom, then break up beef and continue to cook until browned. Drain fat.

Add garlic, chili powder and cumin and cook 1 minute longer.

Stir in black beans, tomatoes, corn, water, lime juice, and cilantro and remove from heat.

To assemble casserole, layer 10 tortilla halves along bottom of baking dish, work to cover whole bottom surface as best possible.

Spoon and spread 1/3 of the beef mixture over tortilla layer.

Toss cheeses together and spread 1/3 of the cheese mixture over beef layer.

Repeat this layering process with tortillas, beef filling and cheese two more times.

Bake in preheated oven 20 minutes.

Finish with optional toppings then cut into slices. Serve warm with lime wedges if desired.

Nutrition

• Calories: 578 kcal
• Total Fat: 38 g
• Saturated Fat: 22 g
• Cholesterol: 129 mg
• Sodium: 765 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 21 g
• Dietary Fiber: 6 g
• Total Sugars: 4 g
• Protein: 39 g