Mexican Casserole - Recipe Diaries (2024)

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This Weight Watcher's Mexican Casserole is going to be your favorite new casserole recipe. It's packed with ground beef, tomatoes, corn, tortillas, and black beans. It's pretty much a taco that is stacked inside a casserole dish.

Mexican Casserole - Recipe Diaries (1)

Love easy casserole recipes like this one try Baked Spaghetti and Meatball Casserole, Bubble Up Meatball Sub casserole, or Bubble Up Breakfast Casserole.

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  • Why You Will Love This Recipe
  • Ingredients Needed
  • How to Make Mexican Casserole
  • Recipe FAQs
  • More Great Weight Watcher Recipes to Try
  • Mexican Casserole

Why You Will Love This Recipe

I managed to cut back the sodium content down on this casserole to about 200 mg by using no salt-added canned food. I've been on this low-sodium kick lately and I found no salt added corn, black beans, and tomatoes at the grocery store. I even found low sodium taco seasoning. The only ingredients that had sodium in it were the cheese and corn tortillas.

This casserole is made in only 1 or 2 dishes for easy clean up.

It's loaded with a ton of all your favorite Mexican vegetables like beans, corn, and tomatoes.

Ingredients Needed

Mexican Casserole - Recipe Diaries (2)
  • Extra lean ground beef (drained or rinsed!) - Is considered better than higher fat options for several reasons. First, it has less saturated fat, which can contribute to heart disease and other health issues. Additionally, it tends to have fewer calories per serving, making it a good option for those watching their weight. The 96% lean ground beef from Aldi is my favorite.
  • Onion (chopped) - use minced onion or onion powder if you don't like onions
  • Canned jalapeno slices, chopped
  • Fresh tomatoes, chopped or 1 (15 oz) can diced canned tomatoes
  • Can kernel corn (drained) - refers to corn that has been harvested, cooked, and preserved in a can. It is a popular food item due to its convenience and long shelf life. However, some people prefer fresh or frozen corn for its taste and texture.
  • Black beans (rinsed and drained) - are a convenient and versatile ingredient that can be used in a variety of dishes. They are a great source of protein and fiber, and can be added to salads, soups, stews, and even dips.
  • Taco seasoning mix - Is a blend of spices used to flavor ground beef or other meats for use in tacos. It typically includes a combination of chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and sometimes salt and pepper. It can be purchased pre-mixed, or made at home using individual spices. I usually buy the Lower Sodium Taco Seasoning packets such as Mrs Dash.

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

How to Make Mexican Casserole

Step 1: Brown ground beef and chopped onions in large skillet; brown 10 to 12 minutes or until thoroughly cooked, stirring constantly. Drain all fat from skillet and return beef/onions to skillet.

Mexican Casserole - Recipe Diaries (3)

Step 2: Add corn, black beans, tomatoes, chilies/jalapenos, and taco seasoning mix; mix well. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes.

Mexican Casserole - Recipe Diaries (4)

Step 3: Meanwhile spray a 12x8-inch (2-quart) baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Cut each tortilla in half; place 8 halves in the bottom of the sprayed baking dish, overlapping slightly.

Mexican Casserole - Recipe Diaries (5)

Step 4: Spoon half of the beef mixture evenly over the tortillas. Spoon sour cream over beef mixture; spread evenly. Top with the remaining 8 tortilla halves and remaining beef mixture. (Cover tightly with foil & Freeze for later OR cook as directed below…).

Mexican Casserole - Recipe Diaries (6)

Step 5: (Thaw overnight if frozen) Heat oven to 350ºF. Bake at 350ºF for 25 minutes. Remove from oven; sprinkle with cheese. Cover; let stand 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and serve with fresh chopped lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, black olives, etc…

Mexican Casserole - Recipe Diaries (7)

Serving Size: Slice the casserole into 6 equal portions. Serving size is 1 slice.

I hope you like this casserole dish just as much as I did! Serve with your favorite taco condiments such as sour cream, avocado, etc....

Recipe FAQs

What are the five components of a casserole?

In a standard casserole recipe, there is protein, vegetables, starch, sauce, and cheese. Sometimes there will be dairy added to the casserole. This recipe can be made into so many new recipes just by changing the 5 components of a casserole! Instead of tortillas add cooked pasta!

How do Americans make casseroles?

Casseroles are usually layered dishes and they get slowly cooked in the oven covered in foil.

What is the difference between a hotdish and casserole?

Casserole is the name of the dish used to cook with, whereas hot dish is the meal itself

More Great Weight Watcher Recipes to Try

  • Mini Cherry Cheesecakes
  • Ree Drummond Perfect Potato Soup
  • Simple Perfect Chili Ree Drummond
  • Oatmeal Cookies 3 Ingredients

If you tried this Mexican Casserole Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you! Follow along on Tiktok @jennarecipediaries

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Mexican Casserole - Recipe Diaries (12)

Mexican Casserole

★★★★★4.4 from 7 reviews
  • Author: Jenna
  • Prep Time: 10 min
  • Cook Time: 25 min
  • Total Time: 35 min
  • Yield: 6 1x
Print Recipe

Description

Weight Watcher's Mexican Casserole is going to be your favorite new casserole recipe. It's packed with ground beef, tomatoes, corn, and black beans.

Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 lb extra lean ground beef (drained or rinsed!)
  • ½ cup onion (chopped)
  • ¼ cup canned jalapeno slices, chopped
  • 2 cups fresh tomatoes, chopped or 1 (15 oz) can diced canned tomatoes
  • 1 (15 oz) can kernel corn (drained)
  • 1 (15 oz) can black beans (rinsed and drained)
  • 1 (1 ¼ oz) package taco seasoning mix
  • 8 corn tortillas
  • ¾ cup nonfat sour cream
  • ⅓ cup reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend, shredded
  • bunch fresh cilantro, chopped, to taste (or less (or more)

Instructions

  1. Brown ground beef and chopped onions in large skillet; brown 10 to 12 minutes or until thoroughly cooked, stirring constantly. Drain all fat from skillet and return beef/onions to skillet.
  2. Add corn, black beans, tomatoes, chilies/jalapenos and taco seasoning mix; mix well. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile spray 12x8-inch (2-quart) baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Cut each tortilla in half; place 8 halves in bottom of sprayed baking dish, overlapping slightly.
  4. Spoon half of beef mixture evenly over tortillas. Spoon sour cream over beef mixture; spread evenly. Top with remaining 8 tortilla halves and remaining beef mixture. (Cover tightly with foil & Freeze for later OR cook as directed below…).
  5. (Thaw overnight if frozen) Heat oven to 350ºF. Bake at 350ºF for 25 minutes. Remove from oven; sprinkle with cheese. Cover; let stand 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and serve with fresh chopped lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, black olives, etc…
  6. Slice the casserole into 6 equal portions. Serving size is 1 slice.

Notes

My WW Personal Points: 7 Click here to see in recipe builder (will have to log in)

Instead of tortillas add some cooked pasta.

  • Category: Easy
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: Mexican

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: ⅙th of the pan
  • Calories: 355
  • Sugar: 8.2
  • Fat: 5.9
  • Saturated Fat: 2.2
  • Carbohydrates: 52.3
  • Fiber: 10.4
  • Protein: 26.7

Keywords: weight watchers mexican casserole, mexican casserole, casserole with tortillas

Mexican Casserole - Recipe Diaries (2024)

FAQs

How long to cook frozen casserole? ›

Bake frozen, still covered in the foil, on the middle rack of a preheated 350°F oven until heated through, about 1 1/2 hours. Alternatively, thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then bake for only 1 hour.

How do you reheat breakfast casserole? ›

You can microwave it until it's hot, one serving at a time, or you can reheat the whole casserole in a 350°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes until it's heated through. Do you have a favorite breakfast casserole combo?

Can I cook a frozen casserole without thawing? ›

Yes. It is safe to reheat frozen leftovers without thawing, either in a saucepan or microwave (in the case of a soup or stew) or in the oven or microwave (for example, casseroles and combination meals). Reheating will take longer than if the food is thawed first, but it is safe to do when time is short.

How long should a casserole be in the oven for? ›

The time a casserole takes to cook will vary from 2-2½ hours for chuck, blade and thick flank, up to 4 hours for shin, leg and neck. Pork cuts for braising and casseroling normally take 1½ hours, and lamb much the same.

Is it better to freeze a breakfast casserole cooked or uncooked? ›

The answer depends on what's in it. Casseroles with raw protein (meat, poultry, seafood) should be completely cooked before freezing. However dishes with pre-cooked meats or no meat are fine to go in the freezer uncooked.

How to reheat a casserole without drying it out? ›

The best way to prevent it from drying out is to add a little bit of water, around ¼ cup, to the top of it. Allow the water to seep between the food and the sides of the baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil to seal in the moisture.

Why do you have to refrigerate breakfast casserole overnight? ›

Success Tip: Refrigerate Overnight

During this time, the flavors mingle together and the bread has a chance to soak up some of the liquid and flavor. Wake up and all you have to do is slide it into the oven. If you're in a rush, I do recommend at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator before baking, if you can spare it!

How do you reheat a frozen homemade casserole? ›

Remove the casserole from the freezer and into the fridge 24-36 hours before cooking. Preheat oven and bake casserole loosely covered with foil as directed (I usually allow an extra 20 minutes depending on the density of the casserole). The final temperature of a casserole should reach 160 degrees F.

Can you put a casserole dish from freezer to oven? ›

You should double check to make sure your casserole dish is freezer safe (it's usually noted on the bottom of the dish), but most glass, ceramic, and metal dishes are. That said, freezer safe doesn't mean they are freezer to oven safe. Glass and ceramic dishes can crack going directly from the freezer into the oven.

How long does it take to bake frozen food? ›

For small frozen items like chicken nuggets or fish sticks, cook for about 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway through. For larger frozen items like chicken breasts or hamburgers, cook for approximately 30-40 minutes, turning once. Keep an eye on your food during the cooking process to prevent overcooking or undercooking.

How long to cook a precooked casserole? ›

How long to reheat casserole in oven? Generally, most casseroles reheat within 20-30 minutes, or when the temperature reaches 165°F, making it safe for consumption and enjoyably hot!

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