Mexican casserole is a blend of meats, cheeses, beans, spices, and chips. What is commonly thought of as Mexican food in the US is more accurately Tex Mex rather than food native to the country of Mexico. Not all Mexican food is spicy in nature, but the ingredient of chili is common in many recipes. The Tex Mex version of food blends Mexican food with American taste. A Mexican casserole is an easy Mexican food recipe which may utilize chicken, ground beef, or pork as a meat. These quick family meals can also be vegetarian with the protein focus coming from the bean ingredients.
Easy Mexican Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 lb hamburger
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 1 can chili beans
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 cup milk
- 5 oz salsa
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 1/2 tortilla chips
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Brown meat and onion.
- Add beans, milk, soup and salsa.
- Mix well.
- Pour meat mixture in casserole dish.
- Cover casserole with a layer of crushed tortilla chips.
- Cover chips with cheese.
- Bake for 30 minutes
Serve this chili casserole for dinner, reheating leftovers for lunch meals.
Mexican Casserole Variations
- Use sausage in place of beef and chopped tomatoes in place of the beans.
- Mexican Chicken and Beans casserole uses a similar recipe but seasons the meat with taco seasoning and may use black beans instead of chili beans.
- A Mexican casserole can use tortillas layered with meat and beans to stretch the casserole further.
Mexican Casserole Favorites
Many different Mexican Casserole recipes are available with a simple search engine query. A few of the most common ones include:
- Layered Tortilla Mexican Casserole
- Nacho Bake
- Mexican Enchilada Casserole
- Mexican Cornbread Casserole
- Taco Soup
- Mexican Chicken
Any of these easy Mexican food recipes can be added to a frugal meal plan. Choosing to alternate the main focus of the meal from one meat type to the next allows multiple meals to be made from similar ingredients without appearing to serve the same meal night after night. Using the above list of sample Mexican casserole dishes, a meal plan might include Mexican chicken on Monday with leftovers becoming Taco Soup later in the week. Or Mexican Enchilada Casserole leftovers make be converted to a layered casserole. Mexican dinner menus can be made simple by starting with an easy Mexican casserole or making Mexican soups. The versatility of the ingredients makes these casseroles good choices for frugal meals or potlucks.
For more Mexican food ideas see Fiesta Chicken Enchiladas and Mexican Corn Casserole. For more information on Mexican food, visit Love to Know.
Join the Conversation