This Ground Beef Firecracker Casserole is a one-of-a-kind casserole featuring lean ground beef, sliced flour tortillas, diced peppers with green chilies, and more!
Prep. Preheat your oven to 375°F and grease a 9X13-inch casserole dish with butter.
Saute the veggies. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and jalapeño and sauté until the onions are translucent.
Brown and season the beef. Add the rest of the olive oil to the pan followed by the ground beef. Cook until the beef is browned and cooked through, breaking it up with a spoon as you go. Drain the grease from the beef and season with salt, smoked paprika, paprika, cumin, and garlic powder. Stir well to combine.
Add the black beans. Stir the black beans into the beef mixture and cook for 1 minute.
Make it cheesy. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cream cheese. Stir until the cheese has fully melted into the filling.
Make the topping. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the cream of chicken and Rotel.
Assemble. Spread the beef mixture into the prepared baking pan. Spread the tortilla strips over the top in an even layer. Pour the cream of chicken soup mixture over the tortillas and, finally, sprinkle everything evenly with pepper Jack cheese.
Bake. Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil and bake for 25. Remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the top is nice and golden brown.
Notes
This recipe is decently spicy (you may even enjoy a little sour cream with this) you can always make it spicier by adding one of these to your taste: