Mexican Casserole
This comforting Mexican Casserole is made with ground beef, rice, sweet potatoes, black beans and enchilada sauce. The casserole is topped with cheese and then baked until hot and bubbly. It’s a delicious dinner idea that the whole family will love!
If you love Mexican food, then this Mexican casserole is a must-make! It’s healthy comfort food at its best, filled with wholesome ingredients that will fill you up and leave you satisfied. Enchilada sauce, ground beef, cheese and veggies bring lots of flavor to this hearty casserole recipe. It’s especially delicious made with my Homemade Enchilada Sauce, but store-bought will work just as well when time is limited.
Like a Taco Casserole, this Mexican casserole is ideal for loading up with your favorite toppings, like chopped avocado, sour cream or Pico de Gallo. We love to serve tortilla chips on the side for scooping. This homemade casserole will have you going back for a second helping!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Healthy Comfort Food: This satisfying casserole is filled with good-for-you ingredients, such as whole grain brown rice, sweet potatoes and fiber-rich black beans.
- Full of Flavor: A delicious array of ingredients ensures that every bite of this casserole is full of flavor.
- Feeds a Crowd: If you have leftovers, they reheat well for an easy lunch or dinner the next day.
Mexican Casserole Recipe Ingredients
Here’s an overview of what you’ll need for this recipe, along with substitution options.
- Brown Rice: Instead of the tortillas or crumbled tortilla chips that you’ll find in some Mexican casserole recipes, this version uses whole grain brown rice to bulk up the casserole in a healthier way.
- Sweet Potato: Roasted sweet potatoes bring a touch of caramelized sweetness to the casserole. They’re wonderful combined with the black beans (we also love this delicious duo in this Vegetarian Enchiladas recipe).
- Onion & Frozen Corn: You’ll sauté both in a little olive oil to develop their flavors. I use frozen corn for ease, but grilled corn would also be delicious here.
- Lean Ground Beef: Adds protein and flavor. You can substitute ground turkey or ground chicken if desired. For a vegetarian casserole, omit the meat. The casserole will still be hearty and flavorful thanks to the medley of other ingredients.
- Garlic: For flavor.
- Enchilada Sauce: Either homemade or store-bought. This Mexican casserole is gluten-free, as long as you use a gluten-free enchilada sauce (this enchilada sauce recipe is gluten-free).
- Black Beans: Add plant based protein.
- Fresh Cilantro: For flavor. If you don’t care for cilantro you can omit it.
- Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese: This flavorful cheese blend is perfect in this casserole. You can substitute cheddar and/or Monterey jack cheese, if desired.
How to Make Mexican Casserole
To make this casserole especially easy to prep, you can cook the rice and roast the sweet potatoes ahead of time. Then it’s just a matter of sautéing the onion and corn, browning the ground beef, and stirring everything together when you’re ready to prep dinner. Here’s an overview of the recipe steps. Find the full instructions in the recipe card below.
- Cook the brown rice.
- Roast the sweet potatoes.
- Sauté the onion and corn in a large skillet on the stove.
- Add the ground beef to the pan and cook, crumbling, until browned. Then stir in the garlic.
- Off the heat, stir in the remaining ingredients: enchilada sauce, black beans, cooked rice, roasted sweet potatoes, cilantro and half of the cheese.
- Transfer to a casserole dish.
- Top with the remaining cheese and bake until hot and bubbly. Then dig in!
Serving Suggestions
Serve the casserole with your favorite toppings. Try Salsa, Pico de Gallo or chopped fresh tomatoes, Guacamole or chopped avocado, sour cream and chopped fresh cilantro. Since the casserole already has meat, rice, beans and veggies, you don’t need much on the side. We like to round out the meal with a basic Green Salad or Kale Avocado Salad.
Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
- Make Ahead: To make the casserole quick to put together at dinner time, prep the components ahead of time. Cook the rice, roast the sweet potatoes, and chop the onion. If not using pre-shredded cheese, shred the cheese. Store each component separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to one day. Alternatively, you can assemble the casserole, cover and refrigerate it for up to one day before baking. If baking the casserole cold from the refrigerator, first bake it covered with foil for 20-30 minutes, then uncover and bake for 15-20 minutes more or until hot throughout.
- Leftovers: Leftover casserole can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. If frozen, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- To Reheat: Reheat in the microwave or in a covered dish in the oven until steaming hot.
More Delicious Casserole Recipes
If you love this Mexican casserole, give one of these flavorful casserole recipes a try next!
Mexican Casserole
Ingredients
- ¾ cup uncooked brown rice
- 1 pound sweet potato, 1 large
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups enchilada sauce, store-bought or homemade
- 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese, 8 ounces, divided
- chopped cilantro, sour cream, avocado, etc., optional, for serving
Instructions
- Cook the brown rice: Place the rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water. Set aside. Pour 6 cups water into a medium saucepan or pot that has a tight-fitting lid. Bring to a boil and then stir in the rice. Reduce the heat to a low boil and cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Then drain the rice into a colander for 10 seconds, immediately return it to the hot pot, cover with the lid, and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Roast the sweet potatoes: Preheat oven to 425° F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Peel the sweet potato and chop it into ½-inch cubes. Place on the baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until sweet potatoes are soft and lightly browned on the edges.
- Reduce oven temperature to 350° F. Lightly grease a 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and corn and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes.
- Add the ground beef to the pan and cook, crumbling, until browned. Drain off any excess grease. Then stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Turn off the heat.
- Add the enchilada sauce, black beans, rice, roasted sweet potatoes, cilantro and 1 cup of the shredded cheese. Stir to combine.
- Transfer the contents of the skillet to the baking dish. Sprinkle on the remaining shredded cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes, until casserole is hot and bubbly and cheese is melted.
- Serve casserole with toppings, as desired, such as chopped cilantro, avocado and sour cream.
Notes
- For a gluten-free Mcasserole, use a gluten-free enchilada sauce.
- You can substitute ground turkey or ground chicken for the ground beef. For a vegetarian Mexican casserole, omit the meat.
- Leftover casserole can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
This was a great multi day meal. I split prep time into two days so rice and sweet potato were precooked when I made the rest of it: sorry on time. Next time I will cook the meat in taco seasoning to amp up the flavor.
Meant “short on time”.
Also, served with sour cream, salsa, and Tabasco.