This Frito pie taco casserole is filled with ground beef, peppers, taco seasoning, diced tomatoes, beans, Frito corn chips and lots of cheese all on a crescent roll dough crust.
If you love tacos and Frito pie, then this taco casserole bake is going to be a new favorite. This easy recipe makes a large meal that will feed the entire family.
It’s quick to pull together and it’s also super versatile, so if you want to make it spicier, or add in other ingredients, you have lots of options.
Table of Contents:
Casseroles are such great options for easy dinners and I love this taco bake because it’s just unique enough to be fun and it’s something the kids would love…even those picky eaters. I mean, who could say no to Frito pie, with a taco twist?
A great thing about this taco casserole is that it’s unique because it actually has a crust. Don’t worry though, the crust is super easy and is made from canned crescent roll dough. Literally, all you have to do is lay the crescent roll dough in the casserole baking dish and it’s good to go.
Ingredient Notes:
Now let’s talk a little about a few of the ingredients that are in this Frito pie casserole. (The printable list of all ingredients is in the recipe card below.)
Ground beef: You can use whatever percentage of ground beef you prefer. Just don’t forget to drain it once it’s cooked.
Frozen chopped green pepper, red pepper and onion: This is optional, but it does lend a nice flavor to the meat mixture and using frozen already chopped peppers and onions makes things go so much quicker.
Taco seasoning: You can use the brand you prefer. At our house, we really like Lawry’s taco seasoning packets.
Diced tomatoes: You can use any brand you like, with or without seasonings. I wanted to spice ours up a bit, so I went with Rotel.
Shredded cheese: Use the type of cheese you prefer. We really like the fiesta blend shredded cheese, but cheddar also works well.
Frito corn chips: This is the star of the casserole here and you can go with a brand name or generic. Both work well. I have noticed that I actually prefer using the low-salt Fritos as the regular Fritos tend to be very salty.
Be aware of how much salt you add to the meat if you’re planning on using regular Fritos as you might not need very much at all.
Crescent roll dough: This recipe calls for canned crescent roll dough and that’s what will act as the crust for this taco pie. It really just gives a nice flavor to the casserole and isn’t too thick of a bread layer on the bottom.
Taco toppings: Don’t forget to top slices with your favorite taco toppings.
How to Make this Casserole:
Let’s talk a little about how to make a Frito pie taco casserole. (The printable instructions are in the recipe card below.)
Step 1:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and spray a 9×13 inch pan with cooking spray.
Step 2:
In a large skillet, over medium to medium-high heat, cook the ground beef with the frozen chopped peppers and onions until the beef is no longer pink. Make sure to drain off any fat.
Add the taco seasoning and the water and simmer until thickened, which will take about 5 minutes. Some of the water will cook down.
Step 3:
Add the diced tomatoes (or Rotel) and the drained kidney beans to the taco meat and stir until well heated.
Step 4:
Remove the crescent roll dough from the can and unroll it. Lay it into the bottom of the baking dish and mash the dough down a bit and close in the dough seams.
Step 5:
Take the two cups of Fritos and crunch them in your clean hands as you sprinkle them onto the crescent roll dough.
Step 6:
Add one cup of shredded cheese on top of the Fritos.
Step 7:
Add the meat mixture on top of the shredded cheese and make sure it’s evenly spread.
Step 8:
Sprinkle the remaining cup of cheese on top of the meat mixture.
Step 9:
Bake uncovered in the oven for approximately 20 minutes. The cheese will be melted and the crescent rolls will be baked on the bottom.
Serve warm and add your favorite taco toppings like sour cream, green onions, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, salsa, black olives or whatever you like.
Frito Pie Taco Casserole with Crescent Roll Dough Crust
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 cup frozen chopped green pepper, red pepper and onion mix (does not need to be defrosted)
- 1 packet taco seasoning mix
- 2/3 cup water (or the amount according to the taco seasoning package directions)
- 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes (I used Rotel mild)
- 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 cups shredded fiesta cheese (or shredded cheddar cheese)
- 2 cups Fritos corn chips (low salt is best as regular Fritos are very salty)
- 1 can crescent roll dough
- taco toppings like: sour cream, salsa, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, green onions, black olives etc.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9×13 inch pan with cooking spray.
- In a large skillet, over medium to medium-high heat, cook the ground beef with the peppers and onions until no longer pink. Drain any fat.
- Add in the taco seasoning and the water and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the diced tomatoes and the drained kidney beans to the taco meat and stir until heated througout.
- Unroll the crescent roll dough and lay it into the bottom of the baking dish. Mash the dough down a bit and close in the dough seams.
- Take the two cups of Fritos and crunch them in your hands as you sprinkle them onto the crescent roll dough.
- Add one cup of the shredded cheese on top of the Fritos.
- Add the meat mixture on top of the shredded cheese and smooth.
- Sprinkle the remaining cup of cheese on top of the meat mixture.
- Bake uncovered in the oven for approximately 20 minutes.
- Serve warm with your favorite taco toppings like sour cream, green onions, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, salsa, black olives or whatever you like.
Notes
Nutrition
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Tips & FAQs:
You can use any you prefer. We like Lawry’s taco season packets.
No, you can omit that or you could replace it with fresh peppers and onions if you like. Frozen just make things go quicker.
You could use crushed tortilla chips or shred up some corn tortillas.
Absolutely not. Generic or store brand works as well.
No. If you don’t like the idea of having a crust on the bottom of your casserole, you don’t have to add it.
You could make this casserole using ground turkey, or you could use cooked shredded chicken.
Be careful if adding salt to the meat mixture. The taco seasoning will likely already include some salt and the Fritos will add a lot to the casserole, so keep that in mind. I didn’t add any salt at all and the casserole ended up not needing it because of the taco seasoning and the Fritos.
This casserole should be stored, well covered in the refrigerator and can last up to about 3 days.
This dish is best served warm or hot. If cold, pop servings in the microwave to warm up.
Add your favorite taco toppings to this casserole to make it your own, but you could also serve this with cheese dip and chips, bean dip, refried beans, Spanish rice, or even a side salad.
Video:
Supplies used for this recipe:
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