Crispy Nacho Casserole with Seasoned Ground Turkey
Crispy nacho casserole is an easy, cheesy dinner made with layers of crunchy tortilla chips, seasoned ground turkey, diced tomatoes, and plenty of melted cheese. This budget-friendly, family-friendly casserole comes together with simple ingredients and minimal prep time. It’s perfect for a busy weeknight when you want something fun and delicious on the dinner table.
My kids beg for Taco Tuesday dinners. Unfortunately, it often means that they don’t put enough veggies inside their tortilla when they fill their tacos.
My favorite workaround is to prep an utterly delicious cheesy casserole with all their favorite taco flavors, but sneak in as many vegetables as I can to the ground meat mix.
This crispy baked nacho casserole has layers of light ground turkey seasoned with taco seasonings but also features tons of diced tomatoes, green chiles, and onions.
You can prep the elements in advance for an even quicker assembly on your busiest nights.
Why This is the Best Recipe
- Quick and Easy Weeknight Dinner: With just a little skillet cooking and a quick pop into the oven, this is a lifesaver for a busy night.
- Tons of Nacho Flavor but Lighter: You get all the same nacho flavor you love, but with lighter-seasoned turkey, and you can control how much cheese goes on.
- Budget-Friendly, Kid Approved: Made with affordable pantry staples and easy ingredients, this recipe is perfect for your grocery budget. Everyone can customize their servings with their favorite toppings, making it perfectly kid-friendly.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Many of these easy ingredients are pantry staples and can be kept on hand for quick dinner assembly, but here are a few things you should know:
- Ground Turkey: I prefer using this lighter ground meat but you could substitute ground chicken, ground pork, or ground beef if you prefer.
- Seasoning: I used a prepared chorizo seasoning to add a new flavor to our dinner table. It really seasons the ground turkey so well. You can buy some online if you can’t find it in your grocery store. Otherwise just substitute taco seasoning.
- Rotel: I love the convenience of the diced tomatoes and chilies all in one can, but you could use just regular diced tomatoes if you want it a little less spicy for the kids.
- Tortilla Chips: Use restaurant style large, flat chips. Avoid the ruffled scoops shape for this dish. I used yellow corn but blue corn chips or a 50-50 mix of both would be delicious.
- Monterey Jack Cheese: Yes, hand-shredded cheese does melt better in a casserole, but for a busy night, I love to use the prepared shredded cheese from the store.
- Fresh Produce: Be sure to pick up fresh cilantro, a lime, green onions, and a yellow onion.
- Sour Cream: I always buy Light sour cream but you could use full-fat or fat-free if you prefer. I used this to make a quick cilantro lime crema but you could use it straight to dollop on top.
Prepare the Ground Turkey Filling
Heat some olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the ground turkey and break it into small crumbles as it cooks.
Sprinkle with the seasoning of your choice and continue to cook until the turkey is browned and fully cooked.
Stir in the diced onions and cook until softened.
Add the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds or until fragrant.
Pour in the diced tomatoes with green chilies, including their juices, and stir everything together.
Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer so all the flavors can mingle.
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Assemble the Casserole
Assembling the casserole happens in two stages that simply repeat.
Spray your baking dish with cooking spray, and then sprinkle some tortilla chips evenly across the bottom of the dish.
Spoon half of the prepared turkey filling over the tortilla chips, and then sprinkle the layer with some shredded cheese.
Then simply repeat the process with another layer of tortilla chips, the remaining ground turkey mix, and top the whole thing with the remaining shredded cheese.
Baking Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Bake the casserole for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the cheese is completely melted and bubbly.
Make Ahead Tips
To protect the crispy texture, this nacho casserole is best when it’s been freshly baked, but to save time on a busy night, there are several ways you can prep it ahead:
- Prep the Meat Mixture Ahead: Cook the ground turkey with the seasonings, onions, garlic, and tomatoes up to 2 days in advance. Let it cool completely, and then store it in an airtight container in the fridge. You could even freeze it for up to 3 months. Simply thaw as needed and reheat it before assembling the casserole.
- Prep the Toppings Early: Chop the green onions and cilantro ahead of time and keep them in the refrigerator in separate containers. You can even prepare the lime crema up to 1 day in advance and store it in the fridge in an airtight container.
If you have leftovers, they can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. The chips will soften as they sit, but the flavors will still be delicious.
For the best texture for your leftovers, I recommend reheating them in the oven at 350°F until warmed through.
An air fryer would also make the edges nice and crispy.
Variations
My version of the nacho casserole is pretty simple so that it is kid-friendly, but there are lots of fun variations you could try on your family:
- Add Black Beans: Stir a can of drained and rinsed black beans into the turkey mixture to stretch the casserole a little farther and add extra fiber.
- Try Different Cheeses: Swap the Monterey Jack and use cheddar, Colby Jack, or a Mexican cheese blend. Any good melting cheese will work well.
- Make It Spicier: Add diced jalapeños, a pinch of cayenne, or your favorite hot sauce if you want more kick.
- Add More Veggies: Stir in diced bell peppers, corn, or zucchini to the ground meat mixture to add color, flavor, and a few extra vegetables.
Serving Suggestions
This cheesy nacho casserole is hearty enough to serve all on its own, but adding a simple side or two can make it an extra-special family dinner.
My favorite topping is a cool and tangy cilantro lime crema that could be prepared quickly while the casserole bakes.
When the kids are extra hungry, try serving it with a scoop of my homemade Mexican rice or a serving of cilantro lime rice.
While there’s plenty of tomatoes in the mix, if you really love salsa, you may want to offer some in a serving dish for topping each dish.
My easy Mexican street corn casserole is made with frozen corn and comes together really quickly. It could bake in the oven at the same time as the nachos.
More Casserole Recipes
If you love the ease of popping a casserole into the oven, you will love these delicious family dinners:
Baked Nacho Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1/4 cup taco seasoning or 1 tablespoon chorizo seasoning
- 1 onion diced
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chiles like Rotel
- 4 cups (6 ounces) tortilla chips
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 lime juiced
- 3 green onions chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions Start Cooking
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8×11-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Once it is shimmering, add the ground turkey to the skillet. Crumble it as it cooks. Sprinkle the turkey with the chorizo seasoning and continue to cook until the meat is no longer pink.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 pound ground turkey, 1/4 cup taco seasoning
- Add the diced onions to the skillet and cook until softened. Add the minced garlic and stir. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour the canned tomatoes and chiles with their juices into the skillet and stir. Bring to a simmer.1 onion, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chiles
- Spread half of the tortilla chips in a single layer along the bottom of the greased baking dish. Spoon half of the meat mixture over the top. Sprinkle half of the cheese over the top.4 cups (6 ounces) tortilla chips, 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- Repeat the layers with the remaining half of the chips, the meat, and then the cheese.
- Bake the nachos for 12 – 15 minutes or until the cheese has melted all the way through. While the nachos are baking, add the sour cream to a small bowl and whisk in the lime juice. Set aside.1/2 cup sour cream, 1 lime
- Sprinkle the fresh cilantro and green onions and drizzle the lime crema over the top. Serve immediately.3 green onions, 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
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About Tiffany
Tiffany is a home-cooking enthusiast, three-time cookbook author, and creator of the sites Peanut Blossom, Peanut Blossom Book Club, and Don’t Just Fly. She believes that family dinner can be manageable, fun, and — most importantly — tasty. She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband and two daughters and can often be found baking a loaf of bread with her beloved bread machine, reading a good book, or planning her family’s next adventure.