Biscuits are coated in taco sauce then topped with spiced ground beef and lots of cheese in this family friendly Taco Casserole.
Give me all the taco flavored meals!! As much as I love tacos on Taco Tuesday, I’m also game to have my taco in other forms, like this Taco Casserole! Also check out this Taco Pie or this Taco Skillet – two more great weeknight dinner ideas.
I have a lot of recipes here on Taste and Tell. But my favorite thing is when I get comments or emails from readers who have made and loved a recipe. This recipe is one that has gotten some great feedback. My entire family will actually eat this taco casserole, which is a miracle in and of itself. My husband and I couldn’t help but go back for seconds. It may not win any beauty contests, but your family will love it!
Ingredients
- Taco Sauce: There are several different brands of taco sauce, ranging from mild to hot. Just choose one that you like (the flavor really comes through) and a spice level appropriate for your family. I usually go with a medium spice level and it’s perfect for us.
- Canned Buttermilk Biscuits: Years ago, when I first started making this, I used the smaller 12-ounce cans of biscuits. But the bigger 16.3-ounce cans are much easier to find and they work just as well. In fact, I think my kids like it better with the bigger biscuits!
- Shredded Cheese: This can be any melting cheese that you like. I usually use a mix of cheddar and mozzarella or a colby jack.
- Sliced Olives: I know people either love them or hate them, so if you are one that dislikes olives, you can easily leave these out.
- Ground Beef: I like to go for a leaner ground beef so that I don’t have to worry about draining the fat.
- Bell Peppers: I use both red and green, but you could easily just use one or the other, or a different color altogether!
- Mushrooms: The same as the olives above, if you aren’t a fan of mushrooms, they can easily be left out.
- Cumin & Chili Powder: I use these two spices, but you could use taco seasoning, or any other Tex-Mex/Mexican spice you’d like.
- Cilantro: I love adding in some fresh cilantro when I serve this. And a dollop of sour cream doesn’t hurt, either!
How to Make Taco Casserole
1- Pour the taco sauce in a casserole dish.
2 – Cut the biscuits into fourths.
3 – Add the biscuits to the dish.
4 – Stir the biscuits to coat them with the sauce.
5 – Sprinkle half of the cheese over the biscuits.
6 – Add the olives, then place in the oven to bake for 15-18 minutes.
7 – While the biscuits are cooking, add the ground beef to a large skillet.
8 – Add the mushrooms, peppers and spices.
9 – Cook until the beef is cooked through and the vegetables are soft.
10 – Remove the biscuits from the oven.
11 – Top with the ground beef mixture.
12 – Add the remaining cheese and bake for an additional 5-7 minutes.
Tips and Tricks
- This can be made ahead of time and then placed back in the oven to heat back up. I would suggest covering it with foil to prevent it from drying out.
- I haven’t tried freezing this, but I’m guessing it would make a great freezer meal!
- This taco casserole is really easy to change up according to what you like. Add more vegetables or take some away. Add more spices, or change up the listed spices. It’s a great starting place.
- Feel free to top this with any toppings you would like. We used to do just cilantro, but have been adding sour cream and my family loves that. But sliced avocados, fresh diced tomatoes, or jalapenos would also be great!
Storing and Freezing
Leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. They should be good for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven at 350ºF. If reheating in the oven, keep it covered to reduce the chance of it drying out.
You can freeze this casserole, as well. Prepare up to right before the last bake, then let it cool completely before freezing. It’s easiest in a freezer safe aluminum pan, but any freezer safe casserole dish will work. Let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight before baking.
More Tex-Mex Favorites
Beef Enchilada Casserole
Tamale Pie
Baja Fish Tacos
White Chicken Enchiladas
Southwest Egg Rolls
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Taco Casserole
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Description
Biscuits are coated in taco sauce then topped with spiced ground beef and lots of cheese in this family friendly Taco Casserole.
Ingredients
- 16 oz. taco sauce
- 16.3 ounce can buttermilk biscuits*
- 8 ounces shredded cheese**
- 1 can (2.25 oz) sliced olives, drained
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped
- 1/4 cup green bell pepper, chopped
- 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- chopped cilantro, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400ºF. Lightly grease a 13×9 inch baking dish. Spread taco sauce evenly over bottom of dish.
- Separate dough into biscuits. Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces. Place biscuit pieces in hot sauce, turn to coat. Sprinkle biscuits with half of the cheese and the olives. Bake for 15-18 minutes.
- In a large skillet, combine ground beef, peppers, mushrooms, cumin and chili powder. Cook until ground beef is cooked through.
- Sprinkle the ground beef mixture over the baked biscuit mixture. Top with the remaining cheese. Bake an additional 5-7 minutes, until cheese is melted. Serve topped with chopped cilantro, if desired.
Recipe Notes:
*I have also made this recipe successfully with a 12-ounce can of biscuits, but I find that the 16.3 ounce biscuits are easier to find. You can use either size.
**Feel free to use any cheese that melts well. I like to use a mix of cheddar and mozzarella, or Colby jack.
Nutrition information provided as an estimate only. Various brands and products can change the counts. Any nutritional information should only be used as a general guideline. Nutritional information does not include any toppings.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of recipe
- Calories: 456
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 1218 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 24 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg
Keywords: taco casserole, taco, taco bake
Daniel Prince says
Our family really enjoyed this recipe! Since everyone isn’t as adventurous as I am, I left out the olives and mushrooms, but even though they aren’t big onion and bell pepper fans, I diced them up and then ran them through the food processor, and even my picky kids didn’t say anything about it being in there! I will definitely make this one again.
★★★★★
Deborah says
Thanks for the review – I’m so glad you and your family all enjoyed it!
Jane Perry says
Delicious. Can leftovers be frozen? Only two of us, still have half leftover.
Deborah says
I think the leftovers should freeze well!
Christie says
This is so delicious and so easy – my kids loved it!
★★★★★
Paul Valero says
I made this last night. I used meatless “taco” meat and vegan cheese and it came out amazing. Every one of the kids loved it, even the picky eaters.
★★★★★
Christy Lucas says
My family & I love this recipe! It is super easy & quick to make & it is so good!! I top it off with cilantro & sour cream.
Nikki says
We love this recipe and i am making it for a friend who is wanting frozen meals as a gift instead of an actual gift for her baby shower. Not quite sure how to go about prepping that for her? has anyone tried to freeze this?
Kelly Stuart says
OMG! I found your recipe on Pinterest and just made it tonight! It’s amazeballs! Seriously, I’ve never used biscuits for something like this, and I’m not a very good cook, but this was a major winner. I didn’t use mushrooms or olives, because I’m not of fan of either, so instead I added onion, black beans and corn. The husband loved it. Its going into the rotation and now I need to find more things on your site!
★★★★★
Tina says
Just had my first bite! However, since I can’t follow instruction, I thought it said taco seasoning, not sauce. ugh So I traded for my husband’s salsa. Oh my! This is delish! I can’t wait for him to come home from work and taste it!
★★★★★
Ginny says
Turned out delicious!
★★★★★
Deborah says
Yay – I’m so glad you liked it!
Kayla says
Did you use fresh or canned mushrooms?
Deborah says
I used fresh mushrooms.
Pamela Taylor says
I made it last night and it was delish!!! Only things I did differently were to add onion to the burger browning step and omit the cilantro at the end. I kept the olives cold and used them with chopped tomatoes and iceberg lettuce as a taco topper for each serving. I will make this again. And I shared it with a lot of people on Facebook to try! Thanks for a good one!
Lisa says
This looks yummy making it tonight but I’m adding lettuce and tomatoes after it’s done, to make a taco salad. Thanks for the great ideas.
Walter says
Have you considered printing the posts from people that “actually” made this recipe. Ooh, this looks good, I got to try this, my family will love it, I have it pinned, These comments don’t do a thing for people considering making this recipe. I’d like to see honest reviews to decide if I want to maake this, if it needs changes, or if its a disaster.
Courtney says
Found this recipe interesting, just wondering as to what kind of taco sauce are yu referring to! The powder or liquid sauce ?
Deborah says
It is a liquid – you should be able to find it in the Mexican section of the grocery store.
Elizabeth says
Thank you so much for this recipe. I made it for supper today and my husband said it was fantastic! Will make it again for my grownup kids when they come over for supper…it’s quick and easy.
sheri says
Hi, I wanted to make this but I do not know what Taco Sauce is. Do you mean hot sauce? Please help!!
Deborah says
It is different than hot sauce – you can usually find it in the Mexican section at the grocery store. It is labeled at taco sauce – here is one brand: http://www.amazon.com/Victoria-Red-Taco-Sauce-Mild/dp/B000O9RJSI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1435647295&sr=8-1&keywords=taco+sauce&pebp=1435647305659&perid=03RTMXGBQE0RDCRMS4MQ
Chandra says
This looks so yummy! Just wondering what you mean my taco sauce?? …taco seasoning..? thanks!
Deborah says
Nope – it’s a condiment called taco sauce. You can find it in the Mexican food section at the grocery store. It is a liquid.
Suzyq says
made this for supper tonight and it was wonderful, I added an onion to it and salt pepper and garlic and served it with sour cream. I would defiantly cook it again.
Shawn says
I made this tonight for my family and they all loved it. i also added onions yum:)
MIKE says
I’D ADD SHRIMP/PRAWN TO THIS DISH.
M. Reese says
I made this last night….it’s soooooo good! I used ground turkey instead of beef and added onions. The hubby loved it too!
Deborah says
I’m so glad you loved it!!
Chels R. says
This sounds amazing! I cannot wait to try this one out!
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says
Biscuits in a taco ground beef taco mixture?! oh my goodness, I love this!!
Melanie @ Carmel Moments says
That looks phenomenal Deborah! Totally putting on the menu.
Pinned.
Happy Monday!
cheri says
Love all the different layers of this dish, sounds delicious!
Rachel Cooks says
oh heck yes. loving this!
tott says
Made this last night except I added onions and a little bit of sweet white corn… sooooo yummy! And the leftovers today might have even been better! Today it kind of tasted like a mix of tacos and pan pizza 🙂 Will definitely make again
Colleen says
Me again – this was great. I just posted it!
Colleen says
I am always looking for a new twist on tacos. This looks easy enough to throw together on a weeknight!
Tina says
Oooh this looks so good. My kids love tacos and want them at least once a week. This looks like a nice way to please the kids and myself!
brainella says
Oh…you had me at taco. All in a casserole. This looks so freaking yummy!
Sophie says
This looks like an awesome middle of the week meal :)! So tasty.
ashley says
mmm taco casserole with biscuits instead of tortillas?! sounds tasty!
Kevin says
I like this twist on a taco. It sounds nice and tasty!
Gwyn says
This sounds really good!!! I can't wait to try it!
cmjhawaii says
You could even eat tortilla chips with the dish. Sounds yummy.
The Momma says
I'm an a Mexican food kick and that sounds YUMMY!
Cathy - wheresmydamnanswer says
OMG – I love this I am so excited to try this one!! What a perfect and simple meal!
suburban prep says
I had to copy your recipe. I will be making this for my husband soon as he loves tacos.
Thanks
Grace says
mmm…this is even better than the stir-fry! all hail the power of canned biscuits!
Mary Teresa says
I think it looks delicious! I'm a simple girl at heart and love quick easy "casserole" type dishes.
eatme_delicious says
Mmm this sounds awesome and flavourful! Love the addition of buttermilk biscuits.
Karine says
It looks great and easy to make! My spouse would love it!
teresa says
Hi, great blog!! This looks great, my family would love it!
Angie says
This was really good! I love the spicyness of it and the chunks of biscuits! Thanks for sharing:)
Deborah says
Ingrid – I'm not sure which I would say was better! I probably liked the stir fry better, but I know my husband liked this one better. I'm guessing that kids would like this one better because of all the melty cheese!
Ingrid says
This one looks yummy, too! The only issue I have is that this one so similar to the other recipe my kiddos WILL complain as they do not like to eat the same thing twice within a two (maybe three) week span. They love variety and only complain if they think I'm repeating a recipe. Which would you say is the better of the two that way I'll try that one first.
Thanks!
~ingrid
ericka says
I have been looking for something to use up some biscuits I have in the fridge! This looks like a winner, thanks.
Maria says
Looks easy! Great for rushed nights!
Megan says
Sometimes the unphotogenic recipes are the best ones.
Or maybe that's just my excuse for poor photography.
Anyways, it looks and sounds delicious!
Jacey says
Mmm, that sounds great. I make a La Bamba casserole (from Cooking Light) occasionally, but anything with melted cheese like this is good in my book!
kat says
Oh, I think my mom has made this before, really yummy
Liz Brooks says
Can't wait to try this!
♥Rosie♥ says
Oh my goodness this is one great dish! I would love to try this.
Manic Mother says
That looks delicious, wish I wasn't surrounded by picky eaters….
Patsyk says
I love that it's all in one dish! My hubby & I would love it!
Rosa's Yummy Yums says
OMG, I love that kind of Taco Casserole! So addictive and tasty!
Cheers,
Rosa