Southwestern Ground Beef Casserole
Ingredients
- Non-stick cooking spray
- 1 16-ounce can Pillsbury large biscuits
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 2-pounds 85% to 90% lean ground beef
- 1 1-ounce packet taco seasoning
- ⅓ cup water
- Kosher salt, as needed
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 medium green bell pepper, sliced
- 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup sour cream
- 8 ounces mild cheddar cheese, shredded, divided
- 1 4-ounce can diced jalapeños
Instructions
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and pre-heat to 350°F.
- Spray a 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish generously with non-stick cooking spray.
- Place the biscuits in a single layer in the baking dish, pressing them together to create one layer of dough.
- Transfer to the pre-heated oven and bake until golden; about 12 minutes; when biscuits are baked do not turn off the oven.
- While the biscuits bake, add 1 tablespoon of oil to a large heavy-duty skillet, over medium heat; when the oil shimmers, add the ground beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink; about 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat; drain most of the excess fat from the skillet; add the taco seasoning, water and salt, to taste.
- Return to heat; continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the water evaporates; 3 to 4 minutes; remove from heat; transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet; when the oil shimmers, add the onions, bell peppers and salt, to taste; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until tender; about 10 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are warmed through; about 3 minutes; remove from heat; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine the sour cream, half the cheddar and the jalapeños.
- Layer the ingredients evenly on top of the baked biscuit crust in this order; ground beef, onion-pepper-tomato mixture, sour cream-cheddar mixture, then top with the remaining cheese.
- Place in the pre-heated oven and bake until the cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown slightly; about 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven; let sit 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
This is a great make-ahead casserole that can be frozen after fully baked; use a baking pan/dish suitable for going from the freezer to the oven.
Once baked, cool completely and tightly wrap in plastic; freeze for up to three months.
Remove from freezer and place directly in a pre-heated 350°F oven until warmed through.