Everything we love about tacos, including the crunch, in this delicious casserole.
Have you ever heard of a walking taco? I had my first one last year while at a volleyball tournament (watching my grandnieces play). Instead of a taco shell or a tortilla, all the taco ingredients are spooned into a bag of chips, which makes it portable; hence the name. I had mine in a bag of Doritos, and I couldn’t believe how good it was. So you can imagine my delight when I saw this recipe for Dorito casserole. It’s even better than the walking taco because you can eat it sitting down for a fast, fun, and very yummy weeknight dinner!
No one is exactly certain about how Doritos came to be, but here’s a likely story. In the early 1960s at the Casa de Fritos restaurant, operated by Frito-Lay in California’s Disneyland, someone suggested that instead of throwing away stale tortillas, they should cut, fry, and season them. They started serving these chips at the restaurant, and when it was clear how popular they were, Frito-Lay executive Arch West decided the chips should be mass-produced and sold to the public. West is also credited with coming up with the name: he combined “oro,” the Spanish word for gold, with “ito” and added the D. Though maybe it was because the Spanish word “doradito” means little gold things, which Doritos are. By 1966, Doritos were sold nationwide.
In addition to the melding of all these great taco ingredients, including mixing velvety sour cream into the meat mixture, one of the things that makes Dorito casserole so delicious is the way it is assembled. You start with a bed of crushed Doritos, then layer on the mixture of ground beef, veggies, taco seasoning, black beans, corn, diced tomatoes with green chiles, tangy sour cream, and shredded cheddar. Then you repeat the layering process, ending with more cheddar.
Perfect Dorito Casserole
In order to ensure that the Doritos provide a crispy element to the casserole, crush them lightly into small pieces, being careful not to turn them into a fine dust, as that will end up making them soggy. Drain the excess grease from the browned ground beef and the liquid from the beans and corn to avoid having too much moisture in the mix. Layer carefully so every delicious ingredient is in every bite. And bake until the cheesy top is golden and bubbling. YUM.
How Do I Store Leftovers?
It’s best to eat Dorito casserole as soon as it’s ready because the chips will get soggy over time. However, once cooled, it can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months (thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating).
Serving Suggestions
Even though sour cream is one of the ingredients in Dorito casserole, I still love to top it with Mexican Crema or Avocado Crema. And I always serve a side of Salsa, too.
If you’re looking for some veggies to serve with Dorito casserole, we find that Fajita Veggies are a perfect choice. Even though Dorito casserole contains beans and corn, it also pairs really nicely with Refried Beans and Mexican Street Corn Salad (Esquites) as sides. All three dishes are also wonderfully enhanced with enchilada sauce, red or green. And at our house, we love Dorito casserole with Jalapeño Sauce, too.
Dorito Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 medium red onion chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 2/3 cup corn kernels
- 1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies (14 1/2 ounces) drained
- 1 can black beans (15 ounces) drained and rinsed
- 1 1/4 cups sour cream
- 1 bag bag nacho cheese flavored corn chips, lightly crushed (9 ounces) about 5 cups
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- Preferred toppings such as additional sour cream, chopped green onions, or salsa
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook lean ground beef until browned. Drain extra fat. Add chopped onion and bell pepper. Cook until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.
- Mix in the taco seasoning and broth. Allow the mixture to simmer for 5 minutes until it thickens slightly.
- Incorporate the corn, diced tomatoes with green chilies, and black beans. Warm for approximately 2 minutes.
- Remove the pan from heat and stir in sour cream until well combined.
- Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish lightly with nonstick spray. Spread a layer of crushed nacho cheese flavored corn chips over the bottom. Spoon half of the meat mixture on top, then sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese. Repeat the layers with the remaining chips, meat mixture, and top with the final layer of cheese.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the casserole for 25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Allow it to cool for a few minutes before serving with your favorite toppings.
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