Taco Potato Casserole
Shredded hash browns bake with ground beef, diced tomatoes, taco seasoning, and cheese in a single pan.
Ingredients
- 1 bag frozen shredded hash brown potatoes 30 ounces / 850 g
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef (80/20 blend) 680 g
- 2 cans diced tomatoes and green chiles undrained, 10 ounces / 283 g each
- 2 packages taco seasoning mix 1 ounce / 28 g each
- 4 scallions thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
- 8 ounces processed cheese (like Velveeta) cut into small cubes, 225 g
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 8 ounces / 225 g
- Sour cream guacamole, pickled jalapeños, and fresh cilantro, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly grease a 9 by 13-inch baking dish.
- Spread the frozen shredded hash browns evenly across the bottom of the baking dish.
- Pinch off small pieces of the raw ground beef and scatter them evenly over the potatoes.
- Pour the undrained diced tomatoes and green chiles over the beef. Sprinkle the taco seasoning and the scallion whites evenly across the dish.
- Scatter the processed cheese cubes over the top.
- Bake for 45 minutes. Carefully remove the dish from the oven and stir the mixture until well combined. Check that the ground beef has reached a safe internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) using a meat thermometer.
- Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the casserole. Return to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes, until the cheese melts and bubbles.
- Let the casserole cool for 10 minutes. Top with the scallion greens and serve with sour cream, guacamole, pickled jalapeños, and cilantro.
Notes
Food safety: Always cook ground beef to a safe internal temperature of 160°F (71°C).
You can use ground turkey or chicken instead of beef. If using a leaner meat, you might need to add a splash of broth if the mixture looks dry when stirring.
Do not drain the cans of tomatoes and green chiles. The liquid helps cook the potatoes and creates a sauce with the taco seasoning.