This quick and easy recipe is a delicious meal for busy nights. Who can turn down a creamy, cheesy Mexican casserole? Not me!
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🗝️ Key takeaways
- Taco bake is full of Tex-Mex flavor and gooey, cheesy goodness. You can assemble it ahead of time to make the 5 pm dinner rush less hectic.
- This simple, 30-minute recipe is great for busy weeknights!
- Using quality convenience foods, like refrigerated crescent rolls, can save you significant time in the kitchen.
Y'all, there's nothing I like better than a quick and easy dinner recipe that I can slip into the oven while I slip into the shower.
And if it saves me cleanup time I'm putting it in the front of the card file! I keep a pack of crescent rolls on hand just about all the time for easy dinners like this one.
Try this once and I bet you add it to your favorite recipe box, too. It's the perfect recipe for taco night.
If you're in the mood for noodles try this hamburger noodle casserole.
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
📖 Variations
- Switch up the cheese in this recipe and use pepper jack cheese or even cheddar cheese for a delicious flavor.
- Use ground turkey instead of ground beef for a lower-fat protein option.
- Add drained black beans, pinto beans, or refried beans to the beef mixture for more protein in your filling. It's also a great way to stretch the grocery budget.
- Top with your favorite toppings like black olives, sour cream, green onions, or salsa.
- Add some green chiles for some additional spicy flavor.
- If you don't have crescent rolls or the crescent sheets use pie pastry or even biscuits!
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- In a large skillet, cook beef and bell peppers and drain the fat. Return meat to skillet, add taco seasoning and Rotel tomatoes. Mix well and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Lightly spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray. Press one can of crescent rolls, or a crescent sheet in the bottom of the pan.
- Top with ground beef. Slice Velveeta and lay it on top of the meat. Top with the remaining can of crescent rolls.
- Bake 20-25 minutes in the preheated oven until crescent rolls are brown.
Check out these other budget friendly Mexican recipes!
🎥 Video
Click on the image to watch me make this recipe from start to finish with extra tips! (Video opens in a new tab).
🥫 Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
This casserole also freezes well for up to three months.
To reheat:
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until heated through.
Taco lasagna is another delicious, layered casserole recipe.
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: Be sure to spray your casserole dish well with cooking spray for easy clean-up.
- Saute the peppers until they start to become tender for the best flavor.
- You can use a packet of taco seasoning or your favorite homemade seasoning.
- If you can find the crescent dough sheets you can use those instead of crescent roll tubes that you have to pinch together.
- Try to pinch the crescent dough triangles together on your crescent roll dough so that you don't have large holes. You can also use a crescent roll sheet if that is available in your area.
- You can tell this recipe is ready when the top is golden brown.
- Leftover taco meat? Use it in this meat lover's Tater Tot pizza casserole or stir it into this easy Spanish rice skillet!
👩🍳 FAQs
Yes, prep the casserole and then wrap it in plastic wrap in the fridge until you are ready to bake.
Yes, you can freeze this casserole for up to three months.
This dish tastes similar to a taco pizza with the crescent rolls forming a soft, buttery crust.
📚 Related recipes
- Beef Burrito Casserole is a cheesy easy dinner recipe that's perfect for weeknights.
- John Wayne Casserole is layers of beef, creamy sauce, and biscuits in a hearty casserole that the whole family will enjoy.
- Tamale Pie Casserole is a Tex Mex family-favorite dinner recipe that's quick to make.
- This Beef Enchilada Casserole is SO easy!
- These easy, creamy chicken crescent rolls are perfect for game day!
- This southern meatloaf recipe always comes out juicy and delicious!
- Sloppy joe tater tot casserole is picky eater friendly.
🍽️ Serve with...
Try this family-pleasing meal with a side of Tex Mex Pasta Salad. It can be made a day or two ahead of time to keep things super easy.
🥄 Restless Chipotle recommends
Here are the ingredients and equipment I used in this recipe.
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- Cast Iron Skillet
- 13x9-inch pan
- ground beef
- bell peppers
- taco seasoning mix
- Rotel
- crescent rolls
- Mozzarella chees
📞 The last word
It's no secret that I love Tex-Mex flavors and when a recipe is as easy as this?
Well, that goes on my "A" list!
I like topping each serving with sour cream and some chopped cilantro. I'll put a bowl of extra sour cream on the table for those who want more.
It's a great main dish for back to school, soccer practice nights, and it disappears at potlucks. So good!
Another easy recipe that I absolutely love is this King Ranch Casserole. Give it a try - I bet it's a favorite at your house, too.
If you're looking for comfort food you can't go wrong with these slow cooker recipes, either!
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Crescent Roll Taco Bake
Print Pin Recipe SaveEquipment Needed
- Cast Iron Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 cup bell peppers, diced
- 2 ounces taco seasoning
- 20 ounces Rotel tomatoes, undrained
- 1 pound mozzarella, shredded from a block
- 16 ounces refrigerated crescent rolls, 2 8-ounce cans
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375ºF.
- Spray a 13x9-inch casserole pan with cooking spray. Set Aside.
- In a heavy skillet, brown the ground beef and saute the peppers. Drain the fat.
- Add taco seasoning and Rotel tomatoes.
- Stir and simmer until heated through, about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Open on can of crescent rolls and unroll the dough without separating the rolls.
- Press in the bottom of the casserole dish.
- Use a slotted spoon and top with ground beef mixture.
- Add shredded cheese.
- Unroll the remaining crescent roll dough and lay on top of the cheese.
- Bake 20-25 minutes, until the rolls are golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes.
- Top with favorite taco toppings and serve
Notes
- Be sure to spray your casserole dish well with cooking spray for easy clean-up.
- Saute the peppers until they start to become tender for the best flavor.
- You can use a packet of taco seasoning or your favorite homemade seasoning.
- If you can find the crescent dough sheets you can use those instead of crescent roll tubes that you have to pinch together.
- Try to pinch the dough triangles together on your crescent roll dough so that you don't have large holes.
- You can tell this recipe is ready when the top is golden brown.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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We'll never share your email or send you spam. Pinkie swear.First published February 14, 2022. Last updated August 10, 2023 for editorial corrections.
Claire Hoetker
You forgot to include where the bell peppers are to be added in the instructions in the green area.
Marye
You saute them with the meat. 🙂