This easy Nacho Cheese Casserole is a quick and delicious meal packed with creamy cheese, crispy chips, and savoury beef. Perfect for busy weeknights, you can easily customise it with common ingredients and top it off with fresh, vibrant toppings for extra flavour. A family favourite!
Ingredients Needed
For the Sauce:
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- One 28-ounce can enchilada sauce
- One 10-ounce can enchilada sauce
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the Meat:
- 3 pounds ground beef
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Casserole:
- Nonstick cooking spray (for greasing baking dishes)
- One 15-ounce bag nacho cheese-flavoured chips (such as Doritos)
- 2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
- 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
For the Toppings:
- 1 1/2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
- 3 Roma tomatoes, diced
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup sliced black olives
- 3 green onions, sliced
How To Make Nacho Cheese Casserole Recipe
- Prepare the Sauce: In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the vegetable oil and flour. Cook, whisking, until it bubbles, then allow it to bubble for 1 minute. Pour in the enchilada sauces, chicken broth, cumin, and some salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer while you prepare the meat.
- Prepare the Meat: Brown the ground beef with the garlic and onions in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 5-8 minutes. Drain the fat, then stir in the cumin and salt. Stir the cooked beef mixture into the simmering sauce and turn off the heat.
- Assemble the Casserole: Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Lightly grease two 9×13-inch baking dishes with cooking spray (one aluminium foil and one glass). Crush the nacho chips slightly, but don’t crush them into crumbs. In a medium bowl, mix the shredded pepper jack and Cheddar cheeses.
- Layer the Casserole: Divide one-third of the broken chips between the prepared baking dishes. Top with a quarter of the beef mixture and 2/3 cup (80 g) of cheese in each dish. Repeat with another layer of chips, beef, and cheese in both dishes. Finish by topping each casserole with the remaining chips and 2/3 cup (80 g) cheese.
- Bake the Casserole: Cover the glass baking dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake for another 15-20 minutes until bubbly.
- Add the Toppings: Top the baked casserole with shredded romaine lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream, sliced black olives, and green onions.
- Freeze and Reheat: Allow the aluminium foil baking dish to cool completely. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and foil, then transfer to the freezer. To bake from frozen, preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Unwrap the baking dish, cover with foil, and bake for 35-40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes until bubbly. Add toppings before serving.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t Over-Crush the Chips: When breaking up the nacho chips, crush them lightly. You want pieces, not crumbs, to ensure they stay crunchy when baked.
- Drain the Meat Well: After cooking the ground beef, make sure to drain any excess fat. This will prevent the casserole from becoming greasy.
- Use Fresh Toppings: Add fresh romaine, tomatoes, sour cream, olives, and green onions right before serving to keep them crisp and vibrant.
- Layer Properly: Make sure to evenly layer the chips, meat mixture, and cheese. This helps every bite have the right balance of flavour.
- Freezing for Later: If you want to prepare the casserole ahead of time, assemble it, wrap it tightly, and freeze. When ready, bake it straight from the freezer for a quick, delicious meal.
How To Store & Reheat Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Cover leftovers nacho cheese casserole tightly and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: To freeze, let leftovers nacho cheese casserol ecool, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and foil. It can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: To reheat leftovers nacho cheese casserole , reheat the casserole in a preheated oven at 350°F for 10 minutes, or microwave individual servings for 2-3 minutes, stirring halfway through.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 of 8 servings
- Calories: 639
- Total Fat: 38g
- Saturated Fat: 18g
- Cholesterol: 90mg
- Sodium: 800mg
- Potassium: 550mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 50g
- Dietary Fiber: 3g
- Sugars: 5g
- Protein: 30g
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Nacho Cheese Casserole Recipe
Description
This easy Nacho Cheese Casserole is a quick and delicious meal packed with creamy cheese, crispy chips, and savoury beef. Perfect for busy weeknights, you can easily customise it with common ingredients and top it off with fresh, vibrant toppings for extra flavour. A family favourite!
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
For the Meat:
For the Casserole:
For the Toppings:
Instructions
- Prepare the Sauce: In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the vegetable oil and flour. Cook, whisking, until it bubbles, then allow it to bubble for 1 minute. Pour in the enchilada sauces, chicken broth, cumin, and some salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer while you prepare the meat.
- Prepare the Meat: Brown the ground beef with the garlic and onions in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 5-8 minutes. Drain the fat, then stir in the cumin and salt. Stir the cooked beef mixture into the simmering sauce and turn off the heat.
- Assemble the Casserole: Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Lightly grease two 9×13-inch baking dishes with cooking spray (one aluminium foil and one glass). Crush the nacho chips slightly, but don’t crush them into crumbs. In a medium bowl, mix the shredded pepper jack and Cheddar cheeses.
- Layer the Casserole: Divide one-third of the broken chips between the prepared baking dishes. Top with a quarter of the beef mixture and 2/3 cup (80 g) of cheese in each dish. Repeat with another layer of chips, beef, and cheese in both dishes. Finish by topping each casserole with the remaining chips and 2/3 cup (80 g) cheese.
- Bake the Casserole: Cover the glass baking dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake for another 15-20 minutes until bubbly.
- Add the Toppings: Top the baked casserole with shredded romaine lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream, sliced black olives, and green onions.
- Freeze and Reheat: Allow the aluminium foil baking dish to cool completely. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and foil, then transfer to the freezer. To bake from frozen, preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Unwrap the baking dish, cover with foil, and bake for 35-40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes until bubbly. Add toppings before serving.
Notes
- Don’t Over-Crush the Chips: When breaking up the nacho chips, crush them lightly. You want pieces, not crumbs, to ensure they stay crunchy when baked.
- Drain the Meat Well: After cooking the ground beef, make sure to drain any excess fat. This will prevent the casserole from becoming greasy.
- Use Fresh Toppings: Add fresh romaine, tomatoes, sour cream, olives, and green onions right before serving to keep them crisp and vibrant.
- Layer Properly: Make sure to evenly layer the chips, meat mixture, and cheese. This helps every bite have the right balance of flavour.
- Freezing for Later: If you want to prepare the casserole ahead of time, assemble it, wrap it tightly, and freeze. When ready, bake it straight from the freezer for a quick, delicious meal.
Nacho Cheese Casserole Recipe