Southwestern Taco Bake Recipe

Do you ever want to throw everything into one big dish, bake it, and call it dinner? C'mon, it can't just be us!

Recipe developer and registered dietitian nutritionist, Kristen Carli, MS, RD, brings us just that with her recipe for a Southwestern-style taco bake. "I often have this urge to casserole-ify every dinner I make — I think it stems from being a busy working parent," Carli says, adding that her favorite dinners don't necessarily follow the meat-and-two-sides formula. "I'd always rather have a one-pan dish that is made up of all the necessary macronutrients: protein, carbohydrates, and fat." In this case, the taco bake meets those requirements, with protein found in the beef and black beans; carbohydrates in the flour tortillas, corn, and black beans; and flavorful fat in the meat and cheese.

If you'd like to serve this with something, though, we won't judge you — and we'd recommend a simple condiment like homemade guacamole, salsa, or sour cream.

Before we dive into the details, take a moment to preheat the oven to 350 F. To make this Southwestern taco bake, you can start by gathering your ingredients. Ground beef, black beans, flour tortillas, and corn form the body of the casserole, along with shredded Mexican cheese for meltiness and a generous amount of taco seasoning for smokiness and spice. Canned ingredients bring a lot to the table in this practically effortless recipe: fire roasted tomatoes add tanginess, while black olives and green chiles act as briny, sharp flavor bombs that cut the richness of the meat and cheese.

If these flavors make you feel nostalgic, you're not alone: "These ingredients of black beans, corn, green chiles, and black olives are very true to my childhood growing up in the Southwest," Carli says about her inspiration for this recipe. "The Mexican-American flavors in this dish are reminiscent of my upbringing." 

Heat a large skillet on the stovetop over medium heat, then add the ground beef to the hot pan and break it up with a wooden spoon. To add flavor to the beef beyond simple salt and pepper, you'll sprinkle in half of the packet of taco seasoning. (If you can't find any at the store, make your own taco seasoning with a combination of ground cumin, chili powder, salt, garlic powder, and dried oregano will do the trick — but can we all agree that the premade kind is truly the best invention for those who rely on time-saving shortcuts?)

Continue to cook the beef until it is no longer pink, about 8 minutes. Once it's cooked, turn off the heat and set the meat aside. 

This recipe follows the format of a typical lasagna: meat, filling, noodles, sauce, cheese. With the meat fully cooked, you can start creating the "filling." Pour the black beans, corn, green chiles, black olives, and the remaining taco seasoning into a large bowl, and stir until completely combined. In the next step, we'll continue building our "lasagna" with the rest of the ingredients.

Place 2 flour tortillas at the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Next, add ½ of the seasoned ground beef mixture, and pour ½ of the fire roasted tomatoes on top. Using a spoon, scoop out ½ of the bean and corn mixture and spread it on top of the tomatoes and beef. Then, add ½ of the shredded cheese, sprinkling it evenly over the dish. Repeat with another layer of tortillas, beef, tomatoes, and bean and corn mixture, finally adding one last layer of tortillas and cheese. Place the baking dish in the oven to warm through and melt the cheese, about 20 minutes. 

If your family doesn't devour this in one night, don't worry — leftovers keep great. Keep the remaining taco bake in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, just zap a serving in the microwave. And if you want to win meal prep brownie points, prepare an additional taco bake and keep it in the freezer for up to 1 month. When you're in a pinch for a meal, simply bake from frozen and enjoy.