Skip to main content
Main

Taco Casserole

A baked casserole of ground beef, macaroni, tomato soup, diced tomatoes, taco seasoning, cheese, and tortilla chips.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 10 ingredients
Jump to recipe ↓

Why it works: Cheddar cheese and cheese match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 984 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓

Taco Casserole

Oven350°F
Time30-35 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

  2. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.

Make the filling

  1. In large skillet, cook and stir ground beef and chopped onion over medium heat until brown.

  2. Mix in tomato soup, diced tomatoes, and taco seasoning mix. Stir in pasta.

  3. Spoon beef mixture into a 9x13 baking dish.

Bake and serve

  1. Sprinkle crumbled taco chips and grated cheese on top.

  2. Bake 30-35 minutes, until the cheese is melted.

  3. Serve with sour cream.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

782Calories
63 gProtein
38 gFat
46 gCarbs

Counts 7 of 10 ingredients. The other 3 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 7 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Beef100g cooked250
Tortilla1 medium flour (45g)140
Cheddar Cheese1 oz (28g)113
Cheese1 oz (28g) cheddar113
Yogurt170g plain Greek100
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Tomato1 medium (123g)22
Macaroninot in our table0
Soupnot in our table0
Taconot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Cheddar cheese + cheesetop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together984 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  2. Beef + oniontop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together17,092 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  3. Beef + tomatotop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together5,448 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  4. Onion + tomatotop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together20,633 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  5. Tomato + cheddar cheesetop 12% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together1,865 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Ground beef
Provides the savory meaty base that carries the flavor of the dish.
Macaroni
Adds bulk and a chewy, starchy texture that holds the sauce together.
Tomato soup
Supplies a thick, smooth sauce base that coats the pasta and meat.
Diced tomatoes
Adds moisture and bright acidity to the sauce.
Cheddar and monterey jack cheese
Melts into a stretchy, savory topping that browns lightly in the oven.
Tortilla chips
Add crunch to the topping and absorb some moisture as they bake.

The step that matters

Bake until the cheese is melted. Baking long enough lets the cheese melt fully and the casserole heat through, so the filling sets and the topping is evenly melted rather than cold or greasy in spots.

Swap the tomato

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (beef, onion, cheddar cheese, cheese, cream):

  1. Potatofits better
  2. Chivefits about as well
  3. Mustardfits about as well
  4. Tomatothe original

Fit is the average pairing score against beef, onion, cheddar cheese, cheese, cream. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

You might also like

Tomato SoupTomato Soup526 recipesRoast BeefRoast Beef211 recipesBeef LoafBeef Loaf175 recipesCream of Tomato SoupCream of Tomato Soup107 recipes