Walking Taco Casserole

Serves: 6–8
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 25–30 minutes
Oven: 350°F / 175°C

Ingredients

• 1 bag (9.25 oz / 262 g) corn chips such as Fritos
• 1 lb (450 g) ground beef
• 1 packet taco seasoning (about 1 oz / 28 g)
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• ½ cup sliced black olives
• ¼ cup chopped green onions
• 1 cup sour cream
• ½ cup water for preparing the taco-seasoned beef

Optional toppings:

• Extra diced tomatoes
• Extra green onions
• Jalapeños
• Shredded lettuce
• Salsa
• Guacamole

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
2. Cook the beef:
   Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook for about 7–10 minutes, breaking it apart with a spoon, until no longer pink. Drain excess grease.
3. Season the beef:
   Add the taco seasoning and ½ cup water. Stir well and simmer for 2–3 minutes, until the seasoning is evenly distributed and most of the liquid has cooked off.
4. Build the first layer:
   Spread about half of the corn chips over the bottom of the baking dish.
5. Add the beef:
   Spoon the seasoned ground beef evenly over the chips.
6. Add cheese:
   Sprinkle 1 cup of cheddar cheese over the beef.
7. Add the remaining chips and cheese:
   Scatter the remaining corn chips over the casserole and top with the remaining 1 cup cheddar.
8. Bake:
   Cover loosely with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 5–10 minutes, until the cheese is completely melted and the casserole is bubbling around the edges. Similar versions use this covered-then-uncovered approach to melt the cheese while limiting over-browning. Juggling Act Mama+1 
9. Add the fresh toppings:
   Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle over:
   • Diced tomatoes
   • Black olives
   • Green onions
10. Serve:
    Spoon portions onto plates and add a generous dollop of sour cream.

Tip for keeping the chips crunchy

For a casserole that looks more like the photo, reserve some of the corn chips and add them on top after baking rather than baking all of them. Fresh chips stay much crunchier. Julie’s Eats & Treats ®+1 

For an extra-creamy version: stir ½ cup sour cream into the seasoned beef before layering, or add a little cream cheese; several versions use a creamy component in the beef mixture. Juggling Act Mama+1