Doritos Casserole With Ground Beef

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My doritos casserole features flavorful ground beef, and melty cheese in a crunchy Doritos crust. This easy weeknight recipe turns a $5 bag of Doritos into an easy 30 minute meal. Serve with queso, southwest egg rolls, and Mexican street corn for a complete meal.  

We love Tex Mex dinners like Carne Asada Fries and Tacos. It eats like dinner but tastes like game day nachos. The bottom layer is Doritos! Hello snack food for dinner. Then it is filled with flavorful ground beef, hearty beans, of course, plenty of cheese.

Everyone in the house will enjoy filling their plate up with favorite toppings and a dollop of sour cream.  My plate has just a bit of everything for the perfect bite. Best of all this casserole comes together quickly making it perfect for dinner on busy weeknights. It's also easy enough you can make two at a time. Throw one in the freezer or share with a friend having a hard time.

Why I Love This Recipe

1. Doritos: Eating my favorite snack for dinner? Yes, please!
2. Kid-Friendly: This casserole isn't overly spicy so it is great for picky kids and adults alike.
3. Quick and Easy: Get dinner on the table in 30 minutes flat.

Ingredient Notes and Shopping Tips

• Catalina Dressing: This is seasoned with ketchup, sugar, red wine vinegar, and paprika. It has a slightly tangy taste which adds a wonderful flavor to this casserole. I used store-bought, but you could always make your own too. French dressing would be a good substitute.
• Taco Seasoning: Homemade or store bought.
• Toppings: Use your favorite toppings. Consider queso, pico de gallo, avocado, black olives, salsa, guacamole, ect.
• Beef: I used 90% lean ground beef. If you're using a fattier version, be sure to drain it before adding it to the casserole. You could also use cooked chicken or even pork carnitas.
• Cheese: Shred your own cheese if possible. It won't have fillers like cornstarch and will melt more smoothly.
• Doritos: I used Nacho cheese doritos. However, any flavor such as ranch, or even Flamin' Hot will work. My BFF likes to use Quest chips to make it keto. You could also use corn chips like in my frito pie recipe.
• Beans: Rinse and drain to wash away the canning liquid.

Krystle's Tips

1. Crush Doritos: I do not suggest crushing in a food processor as if the chips are too fine they'll be soggy. I like to break them up right in the Dorito bag with a rolling pin or wine bottle.
2. Pre-heat your skillet so beef sears instead of stews in its own juice We want some color on it. Brown=flavor
3. Use a Potato Masher: I like to brown my ground beef using a potato masher. It breaks it up into perfect-sized pieces with less work. Just be sure to not use a metal potato masher on a non-stick skillet.
4. Use Foil: If the topping begins to brown before your casserole is done baking, cover with foil for the remainder of the baking time. I also suggest lining your casserole dish with foil sprayed with nonstick cooking spray to make cleanup a breeze.

More Casseroles To Try

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