Beef and Bean Taco Casserole

By dawn716

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean (at least 80%) ground beef
• 1 can (16 ounce)Old El Paso® refried beans
• 1 jar (16 ounce)Old El Paso® Thick 'n Chunky salsa
• 1 package (1 ounce) Old El Paso® 40% less-sodium taco seasoning mix
• 2 1/2 cups coarsely broken tortilla chips
• 1/2 medium green bell pepper, chopped (3/4 cup)
• 4 medium green onions, sliced (1/4 cup)
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
• 1 cup shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese (4 ounces)
• 1/4 cup sliced ripe olives
• 1 cup shredded lettuce

Details

Adapted from keyingredient.com

Preparation

Step 1

1.
Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In 12-inch skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in refried beans, salsa, and taco seasoning mix. Reduce heat to medium. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally.
2.
In ungreased 2-quart casserole, place 2 cups of the broken tortilla chips. Top evenly with beef mixture. Sprinkle with bell pepper, onions, 1 cup of the tomato, the cheese, and olives.
3.
Bake uncovered 20 to 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly and cheese is melted. Top baked casserole with lettuce, remaining 1/2 cup tomato, and remaining 1/2 cup tortilla chips.

Tip:
This is an easy recipe to take and bake. Just save the toppings to take and serve with the hot casserole. In place of the cheddar cheese, try using a taco-flavored cheese.