With simple ingredients you are likely to have on hand and just a few minutes of prep time, you can have this family friendly, delicious casserole waiting for you when you walk in the door after a long day! Imagine melty cheese and tasty veggies in this simple vegetarian casserole!
Want a meal the whole family will love? It often seems an impossible task, but this taco casserole is sure to be a hit! The bonus is the fact that no pre-cooking is required, it can be assembled in minutes, and is perfect for the slow cooker while you are out of the house all day.
This is a meal that simply requires adding a few on-hand ingredients into a bowl, adding in a few fresh chopped veggies for good measure (totally customizable) and mixing together with plenty of cheese for the perfect easy casserole.
What ingredients do I need for taco casserole?
Add the following ingredients to a large mixing bowl…
- crushed tortilla chips
- canned black beans
- diced tomatoes
- fresh diced jalapeño
- fresh diced red pepper
- frozen sweet corn
- enchilada sauce
- cream cheese
- fresh or dried cilantro
- cheese!!
You can always leave out the peppers or use canned or jarred peppers if you prefer, truly making it a clean out the pantry meal.
Prep Ahead Instructions:
- Mix all of the ingredients in the bowl
- Add to a freezer bag, remove as much air as possible and seal
- Store in the freezer up to 3 months
- Thaw in fridge overnight before cooking
What kind of slow cooker do I need?
Any slow cooker will work for this recipe, but you will need to be mindful of of the size and shape to determine the cooking time.
I recommend using a mini casserole slow cooker but here are some other options as well.
- I prefer an oval slow cooker for more even cooking
- If it’s larger than 3 quart you will need to reduce cooking time (a slow cooker that is less full will cook food faster)
- For a round slow cooker, you may need to increase cooking time to heat the food all the way through the middle
Other tips for making taco casserole:
- I recommend shredding your own cheese from a block for better melting
- you can use regular or fire-roasted canned diced tomatoes
- for a spicy taco casserole, you can leave the seeds in the jalapeños or use canned jalapeños
What to do with the leftovers:
Portion into individual serving containers and store in fridge for up to 2 days or freezer for up to 3 months.
Warm in microwave until heated through.
Favorite toppings:
- sour cream
- more fresh chopped cilantro
- fresh salsa
- guacamole
If you love easy casseroles like this, I know you’ll also love my 3 ingredient lasagna!
Slow Cooker Spicy Taco Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 oz about half a bag tortilla chips, gently crushed
- 15 oz can black beans (drained and rinsed)
- 14.5 oz can diced fire roasted tomatoes (drained)
- 1 jalapeno (seeded and diced)
- 1 red bell pepper (seeded and diced)
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 8 oz can enchilada sauce
- 4 oz cream cheese (softened)
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro (or 1 teaspoon dried cilantro)
- 2 cups shredded cheese
Instructions
- Spray crock with nonstick spray
- Mix all ingredients in a separate bowl, holding back 1 cup of shredded cheese
- Place mixture in crock and top with remaining shredded cheese
- Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-5 hours
Notes
- To make ahead add all ingredients to freezer bag and store in freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw before cooking.
- To make spicy, leave seeds in jalapeño or use canned jalapeños.
- For best results, shred cheese from block instead of using pre-shredded cheese.
- Use a mini casserole slow cooker or other 3 quart oval slow cooker
- If using a larger slow cooker reduce cooking time
Nutrition
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Made this yesterday, and wow! So delicious! Got to thinking, might try it with shredded chicken next time (probably will double the enchilada sauce to account for the increased volume). Maybe add black olives and onions, too. Jennifer, I’m officially addicted to your website!
Thanks so much Beth!!
This is a really good way to use up an opened pack of tortilla chips which we often end up with and they are not nice stale. Thanks for the recipe – it’s great to see some veggie slow cooker ideas that are a complete meal rather than being a side dish.
So glad you liked it!
To reduce the amount of salt in this recipe can I use fried corn tortillas (broken into pieces) instead of the corn chips?
Hi Peg! Should be fine although maybe will have a softer texture.