Easy Dorito Casserole Recipe

Easy Dorito Casserole recipe made with ground beef, taco seasoning, cheese, salsa, sour cream and Doritos tortilla chips is a family favorite! dinner idea! This delicious dinner is hearty comfort food your whole family will love!

This layered ground beef taco casserole with Doritos is the kind of easy dinner recipe you make when you're craving comfort food and you happen to find an unopened bag of Doritos in your pantry.

Somehow, these cheesy tortilla chips found their way into our home. So, I used them to make a Mexican ground beef casserole-- kind of like a taco bake or Southwestern Lasagna.

It's loaded with layers of cheese, taco meat and crunchy Doritos. It's an easy weeknight meal and a great recipe that's perfect for Taco Tuesday. Even my picky eater loves it!

Ingredients

This easy ground beef recipe is made with simple ingredients. You probably have most of them in your pantry or fridge right now:

• Lean ground beef
• Taco seasoning
• Cheddar cheese or Mexican blend cheese
• Sour cream
• Salsa -- use hot or mild
• Nacho Cheese Doritos
• Water or beef broth
• Jalapeno peppers (optional)

A lot of Dorito casserole recipes call for a can of cream of mushroom soup or cream of chicken soup, but this one doesn't.  I don't think you need it since you get creaminess from the sour cream and the shredded cheese.

How to Make Dorito Casserole with Ground Beef

First, start out by browning the ground beef and chopped jalapeño peppers in a large skillet over medium heat.

If you don't have fresh jalapeño peppers, you can use a can of Rotel tomatoes, green chiles or a can of jalapeño peppers.

You can also leave the peppers out completely if you want a milder casserole. My kids love spice, but not everyone does.

I use my favorite spices for my own homemade taco seasoning. We have tacos almost weekly, so it's cheaper to make your own. But, you can use a package of your favorite taco seasoning here.

Just mix it into the beef and add some water or beef broth for extra flavor. Then, stir in your sour cream.

Crush up some Doritos, and add a layer of Doritos into a greased casserole dish. You want them crushed into smaller pieces, but don't crush them up too fine -- otherwise, they'll turn to mush!

Next, layer part of the cooked ground beef mixture, a cup of cheese and some salsa over the Dorito chips. Repeat the layers until everything is used up.

You should end with a layer of crushed Doritos and shredded cheese on top. I usually add more cheese right before serving so that it's nice and melty! Nothing wrong with loads of cheese here!

Baking Time

Pop the taco casserole into the oven for about 15 minutes or until it's hot and bubbly. Add even more shredded cheese on the top if you want right before serving.

And that is it, my friends! This easy ground beef taco bake is perfect when you need comfort food in a hurry!

Serving Suggestion

You can use your favorite taco toppings on this ground beef casserole:

• Sour cream
• Diced tomatoes
• Guacamole
• Avocados
• Lettuce or salad
• Easy Homemade Salsa
• Pico de gallo
• Green Onions

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

This taco bake makes a lot of food. I love using the leftovers later in the week for easy dinners during the school year.

To store the casserole, cover it in plastic wrap or transfer to a covered container. It keeps well for 3 to 4 days. For longer storage, place the casserole in a freezer safe container, and freeze.

To reheat, pop it into the microwave until heated through.It's almost better the next day since the tortilla chips are soft. Almost like beef enchiladas!

Variations

Make this hearty casserole even heartier by adding black beans and corn to your meat mixture.

You can make Dorito Chicken Casserole by using cooked chicken, ground chicken or rotisserie chicken. Cool Ranch Doritos go well with this version!

I have tried using cream cheese in place of sour cream, but it wasn't as creamy as I wanted. Sour cream blends much easier.

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