High-Protein Ground Beef Taco Casserole (Easy & Gluten-Free)
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A high protein ground beef taco casserole is made with corn tortillas, pinto beans, and a creamy cottage cheese layer. It’s easy, family-friendly, and is a go-to weeknight dinner for our family!
This recipe is a big deal for me personally! After being vegetarian for 17 years, I started eating meat again in November 2025 for health reasons. It’s been a big shift for me mentally, for my identity, and in the kitchen! I’ve been slowly learning to cook with meat and I’m so excited to finally start sharing these recipes here.
My goal has always been to help as many families as possible get healthier food on the table so they can feel great, while still enjoying their food! I hope that by adding meat-based options on my site, it will help me achieve that mission even more.
The kids absolutely love this recipe, which actually surprised me since it’s all cooked together instead of being a “deconstructed” type of dinner (which is what they usually like). But no, they tried it, loved it, and kept asking for more! It’s become a go-to weeknight dinner for us!
If you’re vegetarian, don’t worry – I’ve got you covered! You can swap the ground beef for ground tofu, or head over and make my vegetarian taco casserole instead.
Recipe Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this Corn Tortilla Taco Casserole:
Ingredient Notes
- Cottage Cheese: This is the secret weapon in this casserole! I used low fat cottage cheese, but use whatever works for you. You blend it with salsa until it’s completely smooth, so it spreads easily over the beef layer. Nobody will know it’s in there, and it adds a great creamy texture, plus extra protein!
- Corn Tortillas: Corn tortillas hold up really well in this casserole and give it a nice base. I haven’t tried flour tortillas for this recipe, but they should work too if that’s what you have on hand.
- Salsa: I used mild salsa because my kids can’t handle the heat! Use whatever heat level works for your family.
- Ground Beef: I personally prefer to use organic grass-fed ground beef when I can, but I know that comes with a higher pice tag. Use whatever ground beef you prefer and a leaner ground beef works as well.
Additions
- Taco Seasoning: I actually left this out because it’s too spicy for my kids, but if your family likes a little more flavor and heat, go ahead and add it to the cottage cheese blend!
- Bell Pepper: Diced up bell pepper (any color!) would be a lovely addition and great way to get in more veggies. Simply add to the casserole when you add the other veggies.
- Jalapeños: Want more heat? Add some diced jalapeños to the veggie layer before you add the cheese.
- Corn: Saute some corn and add it to the veggies for some added flavor!
Substitutions
- Vegetarian Option: You can swap the ground beef for ground tofu if you’d like to keep this vegetarian! Or make my vegetarian taco casserole instead.
- Flour Tortillas: You can use flour tortillas for this recipe if you’d like. Know that the recipe won’t be gluten-free anymore and the flour tortillas absorb liquid more so than corn tortillas, so the texture may vary slightly.
- Ground Beef: Ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground tofu all work well as substitutions here.
- Pinto Beans: Sub out the pinto beans for black beans, if you prefer!
Tools For This Recipe
- 9×13 baking dish
- Large pan or skillet
- Blender or food processor
How to Make Ground Beef Taco Casserole: Step-by-Step
For the full recipe with the exact ingredients, scroll down to the printable recipe card below!
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9×13 baking dish. Add a thin layer of salsa (about 3 tablespoons) to the bottom of the dish and spread it around.
Step 2: Lay your corn tortillas down to cover the bottom of the dish and set aside.
Step 3: In a large pan over medium heat, cook the ground beef until it’s cooked through.
Step 4: Add in ½ cup of salsa and the pinto beans and stir to combine.
Step 5: Spread the ground beef mixture evenly over the tortillas in the baking dish.
Step 6: Blend the cottage cheese with the remaining ½ cup of salsa and the taco seasoning (if using) for about 15 seconds until smooth. Add scoops of the cottage cheese mixture on top of the beef layer and spread it out evenly to cover everything.
Step 7: Add the black olives, green onions, and diced tomatoes on top. Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese over everything.
Step 8: Bake for about 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Blend the cottage cheese well: You really do want to blend the cottage cheese with the salsa until it’s completely smooth. This makes it so much easier to spread evenly, and nobody will be able to tell there’s cottage cheese in there!
- Skip the taco seasoning if you have little ones: I left the taco seasoning out of mine because my kids find it too spicy. It still has so much flavor from the salsa, beans, and cheese!
- Customize your toppings: This easy taco casserole is very flexible! Change up the veggies based on what you have on hand. Corn, diced bell peppers, or even avocado after baking all work really well here.
What to Serve With This Ground Beef Taco Casserole
- Sour cream/Greek yogurt
- Guacamole or sliced avocado
- Fresh salsa or pico de gallo
- Shredded lettuce
- Tortilla chips on the side
- A simple side salad or slaw
Meal Prep & Storage
- Meal Prep: This taco casserole with corn tortillas is a great recipe to make ahead! You can assemble the whole thing in advance and store it covered in the fridge until you’re ready to bake it. Or, just go ahead and bake it for an easy dinner or lunches throughout your work week that are ready to go. I love doing this on Sunday so dinner is totally hands-off on a busy weeknight. If you’re into meal prep, my baked tortellini casserole is another great one to have in your rotation!
- Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: You can freeze this casserole! Let it cool completely, then transfer to a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. I love using Soupercubes Trays to freeze individual portions.
- Reheating: Reheat individual portions in the microwave for about 1-2 minutes or until warmed through. You can also reheat the whole dish in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until warm and bubbly again.
Frequently Asked Questions
I haven’t tried it with flour tortillas, but they should work just fine! Just know that flour tortillas may get a bit softer during baking since they absorb moisture differently than corn tortillas and it will also make the recipe no longer gluten-free.
Yep! You can assemble the whole casserole, cover it, and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to bake it. It makes dinner time really easy.
You can, but I’d recommend keeping it in if you can! It adds a creamy layer and boosts the protein. You really can’t taste it once it’s blended and baked.
Not the way I make it! I use mild salsa and skip the taco seasoning because of my kids. If you want more heat, use medium or hot salsa and add the taco seasoning.
Ground turkey or ground chicken would work great here! If you want to keep it vegetarian, ground tofu is a great option. You can also check out my vegetarian taco casserole for a fully meatless version.
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Ground Beef Taco Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 15 ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup mild salsa, divided (½ cup for beef, ½ cup for cottage cheese mixture)
- 6 corn tortillas
- 1 cup cottage cheese, I used low fat, but any kind works
- ½ tablespoon taco seasoning, optional (I omitted taco seasoning because it's too spicy for my kids)
- 1/2 cup black olives, diced
- 1 green onion, diced
- 10 cherry tomatoes, diced (or about ½-¾ cup tomatoes)
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9×13 baking dish. Add a thin layer of salsa (about 3 tablespoons) and spread around the bottom of the baking dish.
- Lay down corn tortillas to cover the bottom of the baking dish and set aside.
- In a large pan over medium heat, saute ground beef until cooked through, about 7-8 minutes.
- While ground beef is cooking, blend cottage cheese with remaining ½ cup of the salsa and ½ tablespoon taco seasoning (if using), about 15 seconds until smooth.
- Add 1/2 cup salsa and the beans to the ground beef in the pan and stir until combined.
- Spread ground beef mixture evenly over tortillas in the baking dish.
- Add scoops of the cottage cheese mixture on top of ground beef mixture and spread it out evenly to cover the ground beef evenly.
- Add layer of black olives, green onions, and tomatoes. Sprinkle shredded cheese to cover the dish.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.