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A wooden spatula holding up a serving of Mexican tortilla casserole.
Course Main Course

Crockpot Mexican Casserole with Ground Beef

By: Elysia Cartlidge
Servings 6 servings
Looking for a low-prep dinner for those busy weeknights? This crockpot Mexican casserole is bursting with your favorite Mexican flavors, yet it's so much cheaper and healthier than getting takeout at a local restaurant!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • Olive oil or avocado oil
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 bell pepper (any colour)
  • 1 poblano pepper diced finely
  • 1/2 large yellow onion diced
  • 4 tablespoons reduced sodium taco seasoning (homemade or store-bought)
  • 4 ounce can mild diced green chiles
  • 2 15 ounce cans fire roasted tomatoes 1 can drained, 1 undrained
  • 1 15 ounce can low sodium black beans rinsed and drained
  • 3/4 cup frozen corn kernels
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
  • 8 corn tortillas
  • 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend

Instructions

  • Spray slow cooker insert with non stick cooking spray.
  • Heat a large, high sided skillet over medium high heat. Add a drizzle of oil, followed by the ground beef, bell and poblano peppers, and onion. Cook until ground beef is no longer pink, and cooked through. Drain.
  • Add the taco seasoning, green chiles, tomatoes, beans, corn and cilantro to the pot and stir to combine. Taste mixture and add salt and pepper to taste.
  • Put about 1 heaping cup of the mixture into the bottom of the slow cooker. Place 2 corn tortillas on top of the mixture. Add another heaping cup of the mixture, a handful of cheese, and 3 more tortillas. Keep layering in this order until all filling has been added to the slow cooker: 3 tortillas, filling mixture, handful cheese. Reserve a handful of cheese for the next step.
  • Cook on low for 3-5 hours, or on high 2-3 hours, until everything is just warmed through. Do not overcook, or the tortillas will begin to fall apart. During the last 15 minutes of cooking, add the reserved handful of cheese, replace lid and cook until melted. Serve immediately, garnished as desired.

Notes

  • The ground beef can be substituted for ground turkey, chicken, or pork. 
  • It’s important to drain one can of the tomatoes as the veggies will release a lot of liquid during cooking.
  • The corn tortillas can be substituted for flour tortillas, or omitted completely. If you don't add them, you can try serving over cooked rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice instead. 
  • This casserole is also delicious scooped up with tortilla chips. Just assemble the casserole without the tortillas.
  • This casserole is best served right away as the corn tortillas will break down over time and become mushy. 

Nutrition

Calories: 305kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 28gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 568mgPotassium: 480mgFiber: 4gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 1185IUVitamin C: 50mgCalcium: 478mgIron: 3mg
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