As a kid, I love taking little trips to the Carolina coast during spring break.
During those times, we could be found on the beach every morning.
My parents would drop me off at the entrance to the beach, with one or two of my siblings in tow, and we’d spend hours playing in the sand and on the boardwalk.
While these fun family days were definitely filled with fun, they also carried one extra perk: I had plenty of time to do whatever I wanted while my parents were busy.
That’s when I discovered tacos.
A Beach Taco Bar is what I’d call my family’s invention: a combination of all of our favorite foods wrapped up in tasty tortillas.
It was simple yet delicious, and it brought together flavors that hearkened back to some of our favorite moments as a family.
What ingredients do you need for a walking taco casserole recipe?
For this walking taco casserole recipe, you’ll need ground beef, crushed taco shells, diced tomatoes and onions, cheese, lettuce, and sour cream.
Add in any additional toppings you like, such as salsa, guacamole, jalapenos, black olives — whatever your family likes to eat !
How long does it take to make a walking taco casserole recipe?
Baking a taco casserole is one of the easiest and most delicious ways to get the flavors of tacos into your own home.
All you need to do is combine all of the ingredients for the dish, and then bake it until everything’s cooked through.
This means that you can whip up a walking taco casserole recipe in no time !
The “walking” in this recipe comes from the fact that it’s made with ground beef.
You don’t want to cook any other meats in this dish, so we’re taking this approach to ensure that the meat is fully cooked before we mix it with any other ingredients.
What type of cheese should you use in a walking taco casserole recipe?
When it comes to making a walking taco casserole, the flavors you can include are pretty limitless.
The most basic recipe is made with ground beef, crunchy taco shells, and all your favorite taco toppings, layered in a baking dish and baked to perfection.
If you’re looking for something a little more upscale, this walking taco casserole recipe from the Real Simple website is the way to go.
It calls for bacon and cheese inside the tortillas, and adding chopped chile peppers on top of the layers of meat, cheese, and spices.
When making appetizers or full-blown meals with low-calorie ingredients like this one, lean towards using lower-fat cheeses and toppings.
If you’re looking for a cheesier option, opt for aged cheddar or white cheddar instead of using mozzarella or jack.
You can also swap out spanish rice for brown rice, which will give the dish a bit more fiber and some added health benefits.
Walking taco casserole recipes are so versatile that they can stand on their own as full meals or can be served as an appetizer.
Many people love to use these recipes when entertaining guests on game days.
You can create them in advance, store them in your freezer for about 10 minutes before baking, and have an easy fix for your next tailgate.
How many servings does a walking taco casserole recipe make?
The answer to this question is simple: It depends on how big you make the casserole.
You know that saying, “You can never have too many tacos”? That’s a lie.
In the Walking Taco recipe offered below, you’ll see that the actual portion size is smaller than your average taco.
The dish begins with layers of ground beef and six-inch tortillas in a baking dish, covered with cheese and then topped with more cheese.
You end up with four servings of the casserole.
Is a walking taco casserole recipe easy to make?
Our walking taco casserole recipe is a perfect example of how a lot of the most popular recipes can be made with very few ingredients.
The key to this recipe is combining the flavors of Mexican food and delicious Tex-Mex dishes into one dish.
The best way to cook a walking taco casserole recipe is to start by browning ground beef in a skillet and adding chopped onions, tomato sauce, and taco seasoning.
Then, layer in your favorite taco toppings and finish by baking.
What is the best way to cook a walking taco casserole recipe?
As a kid, of course I didn’t really know how to make my own Beach Tacos.
My parents and older siblings took care of that.
But I sure did love the dish.
Now, as an adult, I still love to recreate those Beach Tacos at home when I get the chance.
The only problem: it can be challenging to find the right combination of toppings for each tortilla.
A walking taco casserole recipe is the perfect solution for anyone who loves taking trips to the beach and wants a quick and easy meal for the whole family.
It’s an easy way to enjoy all your favorites in a casserole dish so that you can bake them together.
What type of dish is a walking taco casserole recipe?
A walking taco recipe is a fun twist on your typical taco casserole.
In this dish, you’re going to whip up the base of your casserole by combining ground beef, taco shells and all of your favorite taco toppings.
The best part about this dish is that you can enjoy it for dinner any night of the week.
It’s also great for pot lucks or tailgates and will guarantee that you’ll have a crowd of people at your next gathering.
What is the difference between a walking taco casserole recipe and a regular taco casserole recipe?
In my family, we call tacos walking taco casseroles.
This is a dish that mixes the flavors of taco meat and various ingredients in an easy-to-make casserole, full of ingredients that belong on any regional menu.
If you’ve ever been to a Mexican restaurant, this kind of dish is what you’d want: it’s got your favorite taco flavors, and it’s all wrapped up in a casserole.
In this case, the ground beef is called for, but you can add any other meat to the mix — chicken or even ground turkey, for example !
We like to serve our walking taco casserole with corn tortillas, and sometimes you might even see cheese and toppings — like pico de gallo — sprinkled on top.
How can you add more flavor to a walking taco casserole recipe?
There is more to a perfect taco, than just wrapping it up in a tortilla.
If you want to take your walking taco casserole recipe to the next level and add some new, exciting flavors to your dish, there are a few simple tips you can follow.
Add more cheese
I find it’s never a bad idea to add a mountain of cheese to any type of Mexican food.
Cheesy, gooey cheese seems to do wonders for any dish, especially the walking taco casserole recipe.
You can either simply add more cheese on top of the dish or use a cheese whiz in order to get extra ooey gooey cheesy goodness.
Add zaxby’s spicy chicken corn salsa
Zaxby’s has these incredible little corn salsa packets that you can put right on top of your walking tacos.
The spicy seasoning and slight sweetness are perfect complements for the layers of crunchy shells and ground beef.
If you love their regular sauce as much as I do, then you’ll absolutely adore this salsa version !
Add enchilada sauce
If you love Mexican food but don’t like too many spices in your dishes, then enchilada sauce is the way to go.
Enchilada sauce is rich and creamy with its hint of smokiness from being cooked together with its ingredients.
Adding enchilada sauce will give your walking taco casserole recipe an extra kick.
This will not only make for a fantastic addition to your nutrition facts, but will also be a huge hit with everyone at the table !
If you’re a regular taco eater, you might have noticed that tacos are made up of two different components: the filling and the shell.
Many people enjoy both of these things separately, but this walking taco casserole recipe combines them into one delicious dish.
While this walking taco casserole recipe is not exactly a taco, it does epitomize the concept of a classic Tex-Mex dish.
It’s like a walking taco, if a taco were to be baked in the oven instead of made on the grill.
What ingredients do you need for a walking taco casserole recipe?
For this walking taco casserole recipe, you need the same ingredients that you would use for a regular taco.
In fact, many of the ingredients are identical to what you would use if you were making a regular taco.
, including:
- Taco Seasoning Mix (2 tablespoons)
- Vegetable oil (1 tablespoon)
- Ground Beef (1 pound)
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese (2 ounces)
- Hard taco shells, cooked and cooled (3 cups)
- Shredded lettuce (1 cup)
, and so on.
The only thing that varies from a regular taco is the toppings that you add on top.
With this walking taco casserole recipe, we’re going to add a few other items like sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, diced avocados and salsa, but we’re not going to change the type of ground beef that you’re using.
Assemble all of your ingredients before you start cooking, so you can get this walking taco casserole recipe ready as quickly as possible.
Be sure to have your grated cheese sitting nearby for assembly.
How long does it take to make a walking taco casserole recipe?
If you’re not used to cooking walking taco recipes, you might be surprised at how easy it is to follow these instructions.
The main thing you need to be careful of when making a walking taco casserole recipe is ensuring the right amount of time is allotted for each step of the process.
You’ll want to allow at least 30 minutes of cooking time for this recipe to cook through.
Don’t forget that some parts of the casserole may take longer than others to bake, due to their thickness and overall size.
What type of cheese should you use in a walking taco casserole recipe?
The cheese that goes in a walking taco casserole recipe is generally cheddar.
The cheese is placed in the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish, and then the ground beef and taco shells are layered above it.
This sandwich-to-cake method makes for a meal that requires minimal effort, but still provides maximum flavor.
There are two kinds of cheese that you can use in this recipe: cheddar, and Monterey Jack.
If you’re shopping at a grocery store, check the cheeses to make sure they are both cheddar and Monterey Jack.
If you’re making this recipe at home, be sure to use cheddar cheese.
The ground beef should also be cheddar-flavored.
So if you’re using ground beef, it shouldn’t matter whether or not it is cheddar-flavored.
But if your ground beef is grilled or cooked with other seasonings, then it might be some other type of meat.
In this case, choose one of the cheeses that appears to be cheddar.
How many servings does a walking taco casserole recipe make?
This walking taco casserole recipe makes two servings.
If you want to serve the dish for a dinner party, it will comfortably feed four people.
Is a walking taco casserole recipe easy to make?
It’s not difficult to make this walking taco casserole recipe if you follow the provided instructions.
However, if you’re a beginner cook, it’ll be easy to get overwhelmed by the ingredients and procedures involved.
First of all, you need to brown ground beef in a frying pan.
This is followed by stirring together the necessary ingredients and filling the taco shell with it.
Finally, you layer it all in a baking dish and bake it to perfection.
If you make a mistake during the process of making this walking taco casserole recipe, don’t worry ! All of the main ingredients are easy to find and easy to prepare, so there will be no challenges in completing this recipe.
What is the best way to cook a walking taco casserole recipe?
The best way to cook a walking taco casserole recipe is to follow the instructions on the back of your package of taco shells.
After you’ve started making your casserole, follow these instructions exactly to keep this dish from ending up as soggy and squished as a regular taco would.
If you are trying to decide on an easy way to make your walking taco casserole recipe, consider either microwaving or baking it.
There is more than one way to prepare this dish, but if you are in a time crunch, these options are the easiest.
As mentioned earlier, there are two components to this walking taco casserole recipe: the outer shell and the inner filling.
You can microwave either of these components on their own with no problems (just make sure that they are not too hot before putting them in the oven).
What type of dish is a walking taco casserole recipe?
A walking taco casserole recipe is a type of casserole dish that is popular in the southwestern United States.
It’s essentially a ground beef and cheese layered dish, with taco shells as the filling.
While this walking taco casserole recipe is not technically a “taco” recipe, it does include many of the typical ingredients found in those delicious Mexican dishes.
In fact, if you’re looking for more information about this type of dish, you may want to read our article on how to make a taco soup recipe.
What is the difference between a walking taco casserole recipe and a regular taco casserole recipe?
There are basically two kinds of Mexican casserole recipes out there: one made with ground beef, the other usually containing chicken or both.
A walking taco casserole recipe features ground beef, taco shells, and all your favorite taco toppings layered in a baking dish and baked to perfection.
In this particular walking taco casserole recipe, the meat is mixed with a delicious tomato sauce so that it doesn’t dry out.
Then it’s topped off with any combination of your favorite taco toppings.
How can you add more flavor to a walking taco casserole recipe?
While a walking taco casserole recipe is already pretty flavorful, you can add some extra flavor to the dish by marinating the meat and adding some tasty toppings.
A common choice for marinade beef is beef tips (aka beef shank), which are cuts of beef that have been trimmed of their fat.
These cuts tend to be quite lean and delicious, so choosing them for your casserole is an excellent idea !
When it comes to making your own taco shells, many people choose to make their own, but tortillas can also be used.
If you’re looking to save time, though, you can use dry tortillas instead of homemade ones.
Are there any health benefits to eating a walking taco casserole recipe?
When it comes to eating, there are a few things that you should keep in mind.
Some of the foods that we eat can have health benefits, while others can be detrimental to our overall well-being.
When it comes to tacos, many people like to enjoy them as is.
There’s nothing wrong with this, but if you’re looking for a healthier option, try making your own taco shells instead of buying them.
It’s not only healthier, but you can also make them yourselves so they taste much better than those that you could buy at the store.
If you want a more authentic experience, then try making your own taco seasoning from scratch.
You can do this by combining ground cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, ground coriander seeds and salt together into one bowl.
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
- 2 lb ground beef
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 packets original taco seasoning
- 1 cup water
- 2 cup tomatillo salsa
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 cans black beans rinsed and drained
- 2 cans corn drained
- 4 cups Frito corn chips divided
- 3 cups Mexican-blend cheese shredded
Optional toppings
- cilantro chopped
- avocado sliced
- lettuce shredded
- tomatoes chopped
- jalapeños sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and coat a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
- Brown the ground beef over medium heat until it is almost completely pink. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the onions are soft. Stir in the taco seasoning and water thoroughly. Cook for a few minutes, or until slightly thickened.
- Stir in the salsa and sour cream. Remove from heat after adding the black beans and corn.
- Crush half of the corn chips coarsely and distribute evenly over the bottom of the baking dish, making sure to completely cover the bottom. Add the taco meat, followed by the cheese. Serve with the remaining corn chips on top.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until bubbling and cheese is melted. Uncover the casserole and bake for 5 minutes more. Remove from oven and sprinkle with desired toppings. Serve right away with additional salsa and sour cream on the side.
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My blog is all about creating delicious meals with ingredients that are easy to find in your local grocery store. I’m passionate about making yummy meals that I can share with my friends and family.