Ground Beef Firecracker Casserole Recipe

This Ground Beef Firecracker Casserole is a one-of-a-kind casserole featuring lean ground beef, sliced flour tortillas, diced peppers with green chilies, and more!

Prep Time20

Cook Time50

Total Time1 10

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Best Casserole Recipe, Ground beef casserole recipe, Ground Beef Firecracker Casserole

Servings:

Calories: 382kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons olive oil divided
1 large onion diced
1 jalapeño seeded and chopped
2 pounds ground beef
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon smoked paprika
1 Tablespoon paprika
1 Tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 can black beans rinsed and drained
½ cup cream cheese softened at room temperature
8 6 inch corn tortillas cut into strips
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can Rotel Tomatoes and Green Chiles drained
8 ounces shredded pepper jack

Instructions

Prep. Preheat your oven to 375°F and grease a 9X13-inch casserole dish with butter.
Saute the veggies. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and jalapeño and sauté until the onions are translucent.
Brown and season the beef. Add the rest of the olive oil to the pan followed by the ground beef. Cook until the beef is browned and cooked through, breaking it up with a spoon as you go. Drain the grease from the beef and season with salt, smoked paprika, paprika, cumin, and garlic powder. Stir well to combine.
Add the black beans. Stir the black beans into the beef mixture and cook for 1 minute.
Make it cheesy. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cream cheese. Stir until the cheese has fully melted into the filling.
Make the topping. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the cream of chicken and Rotel.
Assemble. Spread the beef mixture into the prepared baking pan. Spread the tortilla strips over the top in an even layer. Pour the cream of chicken soup mixture over the tortillas and, finally, sprinkle everything evenly with pepper Jack cheese.
Bake. Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil and bake for 25. Remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the top is nice and golden brown.

Notes

This recipe is decently spicy (you may even enjoy a little sour cream with this) you can always make it spicier by adding one of these to your taste:

Hot sauce
Choose hot Rotel tomatoes
More green chiles
Red pepper flakes

Nutrition