Beef Burrito Casserole

$8.10 recipe / $1.35 serving
by Beth Moncel
4.66 from 47 votes
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I’m not sure if it’s a good or bad thing when I make a recipe that is so good that I want to keep eating past the point of full. On one hand, if it’s that good I can eat the leftovers for days in a row without ever getting tired of it. On the other hand it’s SO hard not to go back for seconds or thirds when I know I don’t need them. What a problem to have, right? ;) Well, this Beef Burrito Casserole is definitely one of those recipes. So simple, yet startlingly good.

Beef Burrito Casserole in an oval white casserole dish being scooped out with a wooden spoon.

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Rice, Beans, and Salsa Always Wins

This casserole is another version of my favorite combo: beans, rice, salsa, and cheese. What makes it a little extraordinary is the secret layer of cream cheese in the middle. I didn’t use a lot, but just a few dollops give every couple of bites an extra tangy and creamy flavor. Best idea EVER.

Customize Your Beef Burrito Casserole

As per my style, I made my Beef Burrito Casserole very basic, but there are tons of options for customization or upgrades.

Just think about the toppings bar at Chipotle or your favorite burrito place. Anything you like in your burrito or on your nachos can be incorporated into this casserole.

You can use any type of cooked meat you have on hand (rotisserie chicken, pulled pork) or even go meatless. You can add in corn kernels, jalapeños, a drizzle of taco sauce, black olives, or maybe some hatch chiles.

I happened to have some guacamole in my fridge today, so I added a dollop to my leftovers and almost died and went to heaven. Sour cream, crushed tortilla strips, or even some shredded ice berg wouldn’t even be a bad idea (okay fine, they’d be a GREAT idea).

It’s excellent as written below, but have a little fun with it! The leftovers reheat well, so you can eat well all week. And, if for some reason you don’t devour it all within a few days, you can freeze a couple portions for later. ;)

A bowl of Beef Burrito Casserole being eaten with a black fork, on a black and white patterned napkin.
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Beef Burrito Casserole

4.66 from 47 votes
This Beef Burrito Casserole is totally customizable and can include all your favorite burrito or nacho toppings. Leftovers reheat great for lunch!
Author: Beth Moncel
A spoonful of beef burrito casserole in a dish.
Servings 6 1.33 cups each
Prep 10 minutes
Cook 40 minutes
Total 50 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.04)
  • 1/2 lb. ground beef ($1.99)
  • 1 clove garlic, minced ($0.08)
  • 1 pinch salt ($0.02)
  • 4 cups cooked rice* ($0.75)
  • 1 15oz. can black beans ( $0.89)
  • 1 16oz. jar salsa ($1.00)
  • 4 green onions, divided ($0.44)
  • 1/2 Tbsp chili powder ( $0.15)
  • 4 oz. cream cheese ($1.00)
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar** ($0.75)
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Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Add the cooking oil, beef, garlic, and a pinch of salt to a skillet. Cook the beef over medium heat until fully browned. Drain the excess fat, if necessary.
  • Rinse and drain the canned beans in a colander. Slice the green onions. Add the beans, half of the green onions, cooked rice, browned beef, salsa, and chili powder to a large bowl. Stir to combine.
  • Coat a 3 quart casserole dish with non-stick spray. Spread half of the rice and beef mixture into the bottom of the casserole dish. Add small dollops of the cream cheese evenly across the surface, then cover with the remaining rice and beef mixture.
  • Cover the dish with foil to prevent the rice from drying out while baking, and bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven. After 25 minutes, remove the foil and top with the shredded cheddar cheese. Bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Top with the remaining sliced green onions just before serving.

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Notes

*This is a great use for leftover cooked rice. Chilling the cooked rice before using it in the casserole helps keep it from becoming sticky or gummy while incorporating it in with the other ingredients.
**When the bags of shredded cheese go on sale at the store, I stock up and toss them in the freezer until I’m ready to use them!

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 429.93kcalCarbohydrates: 48.28gProtein: 19.93gFat: 20.78gSodium: 1136.87mgFiber: 7.77g
Read our full nutrition disclaimer here.
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Interested in more ways to combine salsa, rice, and beans? Check out Southwest Chicken Skillet, Easiest Burrito Bowl Meal Prep, Creamy Salsa Chicken Skillet, or Poor Man’s Burrito Bowls.

Front view of Beef Burrito Casserole in the casserole dish, topped with sliced green onions.

How to Make Beef Burrito Casserole – Step by Step Photos

Brown Beef and Garlic in a skillet

Begin by preheating the oven to 350ºF. Add 1 Tbsp cooking oil, 1/2 lb. ground beef, 1 clove of garlic (minced), and a pinch of salt to a skillet. Cook over medium heat until the beef is fully browned. Drain the excess fat, if needed (this depends on the percent fat in your beef. Usually 90% lean or higher doesn’t need draining.)

Rice Beef Beans Salsa Green Onions in a bowl, ready to be mixed.

Rinse and drain a 15oz. can of black beans. Slice four green onions. Add 4 cups cooked rice (it’s in the bottom of the bowl), the cooked beef, drained beens, a 16oz. jar of salsa, half of the green onions, and 1/2 Tbsp chili powder (mild) to a large bowl. This recipe works best with day-old, or cooked rice that has been chilled. Just like with fried rice, chilling it after cooking it helps the rice grains stay separate and non-sticky when you mix them in with the other ingredients.

Beef Burrito Casserole Filling mixed in a bowl

Stir the ingredients until they’re evenly combined.

Beef Burrito Casserole First Layer with rice mixture and cream cheese, in the casserole dish

Coat the inside of a 3 quart casserole dish with non-stick spray. Add half of the rice and beef mixture to the bottom of the dish. Add the cream cheese, in small dollops, evenly over the surface of the rice mixture.

Beef Burrito Casserole second layer of rice mixture

Then add the rest of the rice and beef mixture to the top. Cover the dish with foil to keep the rice moist while it bakes. Bake the covered casserole for 25 minutes in the preheated oven.

Beef Burrito Casserole baked with cheese on top, garnished with sliced green onions.

After 25 minutes of baking, add 1 cups shredded cheddar to the top and bake for 5-10 minutes more, or until the cheese is melted. Sprinkle the remaining sliced green onions over top just before serving.

Overhead view of the Beef Burrito Casserole in a casserole dish, being scooped out with a wooden spoon.

Gah! I can’t wait until I’m hungry again! 😂

Love casseroles? Check out these other canned-soup-free casseroles: King Ranch Chicken Casserole, Creamiest Green Bean Casserole, Cheesy Chicken Vegetable and Rice Casserole, Wild Rice and Vegetable Casserole, and Cheesy Cottage Pie.

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  1. This recipe has a wonderful flavor profile and is easy to make. (I made a version, at my daughter’s request and left out the beans and onions- the flavor was not as good.) I have made it twice now, and it gets wonderful reviews from most children and adults! I would like to add two comments though. 1. Be sure to note the recipe calls for cooked rice- the first time I made 8 cups of uncooked rice to add- I didn’t know that 1 cup of uncooked rice makes about 3 cups of cooked rice- so just beware of that so there is not a load of leftover rice (unless you want that). 2. Cooking at 350 is fine, but it will not be hot enough in the middle in that 35 minute cooking time. Part of the problem may be that I used a 2 1/2 quart glass dish, so the casserole ingredients were very dense and took much longer to cook. If your container is larger and wider, not taller, it may be done in that time frame, but again, I didn’t account for that the first time.

    Excellent recipe for a low cost, thank you!

  2. Just learned my daughter has a rice allergy. Would quinoa be a good substitute for the rice? This is one of my favorite recipes!

    1. That should be fine! A lot of people also use cauliflower rice with success.

  3. 1.00 for a jar of salsa? Are you living in the US? You can’t even get it for 1.00 at Aldi.

    1. Unfortunately, there’s just no way we can constantly update every recipe on the website according to inflation. At the time of posting this recipe in 2016, we were able to get a jar of basic salsa for $1. :)

  4. I followed the recipe mostly but I also added a whole can of corn and doubled the beef. It was still excellent and I’m sure it would have been even without the additions. Thanks for another great one, Beth.

  5. Might make this again sometime, with some of the modifications in the blog, but as is, only average. Family agrees. We ate it that day and the next because it was there, but won’t add it into a regular rotation.

  6. I made this with cauliflower rice last night to make it a bit more low carb friendly (still kept the black beans). Added a full pound of ground beef to make it more heartier in absense of the rice. So good!

    1. I used a full lb of ground beef, too, and thought that might be why we didn’t love it with the ratios being off (I compensated some, but not entirely.)

  7. I am getting ready to make this next week and I saw someone subbed cauliflower rice for regular rice. I want to try that, but I’m wondering if I can just throw it frozen?

    1. Probably. The small pieces will thaw very quickly once it’s put into the oven. If anything, you may need to just add a few more minutes to the baking time.

    1. I haven’t tried that, so I’m not sure how that will turn out, but it’s worth a shot!

  8. This is so easy and so delicious! It’s my new go-to comfort dish. I’ve made this several times. Once as written, once using leftover thanksgiving turkey and most recently a vegetarian version using quinoa instead of brown rice and an extra can of black beans instead of meat. I’ve also added frozen (and drained) spinach and shredded carrots. Each variation was equally delicious! So healthy and hearty!!

  9. Loved this! Like a previous commenter, I saved myself time/effort/dishes by making it in an ovenproof skillet.
    Increased the chili powder to 1 tbs, added 1 tbs cumin & 1/2 tbs dried oregano. Ran it under the broiler to melt cheese. Used cauliflower rice because: carbs. Sooooo delicious! Thank you for a great recipe!

  10. If I cut out the cream cheese, how well do you all think this would freeze? Trying to prep some meals for a move. 

      1. As Beth mentions in the last paragraph of the blog post (above the recipe card) and in other comments, this recipe should freeze very well. However, if you are concerned that the texture of the cream cheese will be unpleasant when thawed/reheated, I would suggest only freezing one portion to gauge how much you like the leftovers before freezing a whole lot of it. You could also replace the layer of cream cheese with a layer of Mexican/quesadilla blend shredded cheese instead! ~ Marion :)

  11. I was concerned because I made this not too long after making your Baked Tacos (HEAVENLY! I used Ortega seasoning) and was worried it’d taste same-y. But this has an unexpectedly fresh flavor profile me and my hubby really enjoyed! I added some Mrs. Dash Chipotle to the meat while cooking and threw in a handful of fresh cilantro and some canned sliced olives. Thank you again for making these recipes available!

  12. Made the recipe exactly as is and also had a hard time stopping myself from eating more. 😳 SO. GOOD. 

  13. This recipe is a great base — as you mention, it’s very customizable. I had some leftover cilantro, onion, and green pepper that I tossed in, and I added some additional spices as well. Very tasty!

  14. I find this recipe to be much easier and quicker on the stove top. After cooking the beef, you can just add the remainder of ingredients (including cream cheese) straight onto the pan. Once they’re al mixed and warmed up, I added shredded cheese on top and covered it with a lid. Takes about 2~3 minutes for cheese to melt and it’s done! 

  15. As with almost everything I try from Beth, this was excellent! My only modification next time will be to omit the cream cheese. Kids and I agreed that we didn’t care for it. Had it been softened and mixed with the other ingredients before baking it would have been better, but I don’t think you lose anything by leaving it out. If you want extra cheesey-ness you could add a layer of grated cheddar or pepperjack in between the two layers of the rice mixture.

  16. This was delicious. At 25 minutes I stirred in the cream cheese, then added the cheese. MMMMMM

  17. Made this using the Easy Taco Rice recipe and made it vegetarian with 2 cans of black beans and sautéed chopped bell peppers and corn. I also added some chopped jalapeños to the cream cheese. SO GOOD! Makes awesome leftovers and freezes great too. Thanks for the delicious recipes Beth!

  18. Love this!  I make it low carb by using cauliflower rice and it is just as delicious. 

  19. Another winner!  I made this for my husband for Father’s Day while he was watching golf.  He LOVED it.  He said it was a top ten dish.  I love it when he says that.  We’re looking forward to having the leftovers in flour tortillas tomorrow- burrito casserole in a burrito!

  20. Yep, could not stop eating this. Even without adding other ingredients, I think you could change it up quite a bit just by trying out some different salsas.

  21. I’m a bread gal all the way, but Beth has yet to do me wrong with any of her recipes so I went with it as instructed. I didn’t even miss the bread! Soooo flavorful and super easy to make. I love that I can have it 90% ready just shy of dinner time when the kids are napping, and then can finish it off with the last step-oven time-as my husband tells me he’s on his way home. Try it!!!

  22. I made this tonight and it was delicious!
    After I had melted the cheddar cheese on top, I noticed that the dollops of cream cheese had only partially melted, so I stirred them into the rest of the casserole to even them out before serving. I threw in all 8 oz of the cream cheese package since I had increased the recipe to 8 servings, but maybe it was too much? Regardless, I will have delicious leftovers all week long and I will definitely make this recipe again in the future!

  23. Made this tonight, I swapped white for black beans and diced tomatoes with extra seasoning for the salsa based on what I had on hand. It was still really good, will be adding into the rotation!

  24. I made this last night for my family and it was absolutely delicious! I substituted 2 poached and shredded chicken breasts as well as onion and garlic powder (1/2 tsp each) because it was what I had on hand.

  25. This is delicious, simple comfort food! The best part about a good casserole… it tastes even better re-heated the next day! I add a little bit more cream cheese than the recipe calls for, just because. :)

  26. I made this for my boyfriend last night and we both loved it! To give it some more flavor, I substituted the beef for chorizo, added some taco sauce and tossed some corn into the mix. Very easy and satisfying. We will be keeping this recipe for sure.

  27. Do you think I could use riced cauliflower instead of the rice? I have made it several times exactly your recipe and its delicious, but I am trying to eat low carb.

    1. The only issue you might run into is that cauli rice tends to give off moisture as it’s cooked, whereas rice absorbs moisture, so that might make this turn out soupy.

  28. I substituted pinto beans. My family is not big on the black ones. I also used taco seasoning. The mixture was a little thick so I added a little water to it. Served with tomato’s and sour cream. Will definitely make again!

  29. I erred on the side more seasoning and used a taco seasoning mix, which I think worked really well; next time I’m also going to add jalapenos!

  30. i made this months ago and was craving it again. Not sure if i commented the first time around, but this was so yummy and pretty easy to make. a winner!

  31. Just made this for dinner for me and my husband. It was delicious! You can never go wrong with cream cheese :-) I used a whole pound of ground beef because I’m trying to really up my protein intake, and used half of the cilantro lime rice I made last night (about 3 cups). I’m already excited about the other flavors i can add next time. Such an easy and adaptable recipe!

  32. I’m pretty averse to spicy food, should I keep in the chili powder or does it just give it a little kick?

    1. The chili powder I use (McCormick brand) is not spicy at all, but I have on occasion in the past had some other brands that are spicy. The basic Kroger brand chili powder (in the blue square tin container) is not spicy either.

  33. My fiance and I made this for meal prep this week, loved it!! We don’t eat beef so we subbed in 1lb of lean ground turkey and tossed the meat with a can of chipotles in adobe before adding it to the mixture. The cream cheese didn’t really incorporate into the dish straight out of the oven, but we were meal prepping anyways so reheating and mixing it all up after it came out of the microwave works just fine!

  34. This was sooo good! Even the picky eater 5 year old loves this. Definitely a win!

  35. This recipe is excellent starting point. I found it needed a bit more seasoning. But would absolutely make again with a few seasoning adjustments.

  36. Hi Beth, I’m wondering if I could sub out the rice for rigatoni? Looks delicious either way!

  37. This is yummy, and leaves over beautifully.

    Next time, since I’m no longer in college and am now super-wealthy, I’ll halve the rice and double the meat and beans. And someday, when my ship comes in, I’ll serve it with some *gasp* AVOCADO.

  38. Hi Beth- I am interested in making a few dishes like this to freeze and pull out for those busy nights once school begins! Any modifications I would need to make to freeze this?

    1. I’m actually very inexperienced with freezing dishes before baking. I’ve always done it the other way around – bake then freeze in single portions. So unfortunately I’m not sure what you may need to do differently.

      1. OK. So maybe I’ll cook and then freeze after to heat up….
        it looks delicious!

  39. This has kept me fed for the past few days. I made it vegan with cheese substitutes and meat replacer. Those cream cheese dollops are to die for!

  40. Would it be ok to microwave this to melt the cheese and cream cheese at the end? My ac is out and the house is already really hot, so I’d rather not turn on the oven!

    1. Yes, by the time you get to the baking step everything is already “cooked”, so you’re really just heating it through. If the microwave works better for you at that point, you can definitely use it. :)

  41. Loved this one! Added guacamole, jalapeno, and beans only on half for picky eaters. I think in the future, I will use slightly less rice, since it felt a bit much for me. Maybe an addition of some bell peppers next time, who knows!

  42. I am eager to try this but only have leftover quinoa. Do you think it would work well in place of the rice?

    1. It will probably work out okay. It might not soak up the extra liquid from the salsa the same way the rice does, but I bet it will still be good.

  43. I made this last night, and it was super-tasty! I think the cream cheese gives is that extra comfort/tasty factor. As Beth said, this recipe is soooo easily customizable. I substituted light brown rice, and ground turkey (with a little extra oil since turkey is so low fat). I also added more spices, like cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and more chili powder. I also added a few really thinly sliced uncooked onions, which mostly cooked in the oven, and added a slight crunch.

    I added extra salt, but I should have listened to Beth on this one, since the salsa already brought plenty of salt to the dish.

    This was delicious, not very hard, and comforting. We’ll make it again!

  44. Hi Beth! I’ve made this a few times as is and loved it. I’m wondering how it would go with day-to-day brown rice?

    1. Because the rice is already cooked when you add it to the casserole, you can sub brown rice without an issue. :)

  45. This is my first recipe made with Budget Bytes and I can’t wait to make more. This recipe came out delicious and felt very comforting to eat. I did add a bit more chili powder than the recipe called for, and I also added a pinch of cumin. Next time I think I will put in a diced bell pepper or two to add some veggies to the dish. 

    Delicious!

  46. I LOVE this recipe!! My boyfriend does as well. He doesn’t eat any leftovers, but he did of this and said he would again it likes it so much!!

  47. Pretty good. It’s not exactly bursting with flavor(even using pepperjack instead of cheddar), but the cream cheese chunks elevated it to ‘good’ in my books. The cream cheese provided a sour cream effect without needing actual sour cream. Yum!

    I think I’ll up the spices and maybe add some bell pepper & diced onion next time. Might also try a spicier salsa.

  48. I was wondering if I can use refried beans instead of black beans? Thanks, Beth!!! :-)

    1. It might be difficult to stir them into the mix, but other than that it should be just fine. :)

  49. Another home run! Made this for the first time tonight and everyone loved it. I used 1 lb ground beef as we have two teenage boys in the house. Very satisfying and even though the ingredient list is simple, the result is more than the sum of its parts. I served with chopped cilantro and avocado.

  50. Hello, can leftovers of this be frozen after baking?

    Subbed ground turkey for beef and added jalepeno on top 😅

    Yum!

  51. Made this with cauliflower rice tonight, oh wow is this good! Thank you for your amazing recipes.

  52. Another hit in our house! So easy and super yummy! I did use 1 full pound of ground beef and added a little bit of water. My family gobbled it up! Thanks Beth!

  53. This looks delicious, thanks for sharing, I will give this a try next week for a family visit. I am big on grass fed beef, so I will try it with my favorite ground beef.

  54. I think the cream cheese was the best part and there wasn’t nearly enough for me. I think I will add in the whole block next time I make this. :)

  55. I made this last week, but I’m already making it again tonight. It turned out perfectly, even though I used a pound of ground beef, instead of the half pound called for. This time I’m adding some jalapeños too!

  56. My husband complains that it has no flavor unless he bites into a green pepper (which I added from the about-to-go-bad). I love it. How could I make it more flavorful? The last time I added medium salsa and 3/4 tablespoon of chili powder instead this time. I love this recipe cause it’s been great for taking the leftovers for lunch for casserole burritos.

  57. I made this tonight and my husband, who usually does not eat beans at all, went for seconds and thirds. Definitely a great recipe! Thank you Beth!!

  58. I found this recipe on Pinterest. Before you even open the pin it listed ingredients. It read 2lbs of ground beef, but when I opened the pin it read 1/2 lb. Which is the intended amount. I can’t wait to try it.

    1. Yeah, Pinterest auto-pulls the ingredient information and for some reason it always pulls my numbers wrong. I’ve reached out to them to try to fix it, but have gotten no help. :(

  59. Wow, this is delicious. I want to eat it every day from now on! I split it into two casserole dishes and put one on the freezer for next week so we can enjoy it all over again.

    I didn’t have any chili powder in the house so I mixed some up according to this recipe:
    http://allrecipes.com/recipe/237172/chili-powder/
    and it is perfect.

    Thanks for the great recipes.

  60. I liked this recipe because it was incredibly easy to prepare, and tasted like comfort food. I got home from work at 6:00 and a hot dinner was on the table by 6:45. On the other hand, my boyfriend thought it was bland and definitely needed enchilada sauce, or additional toppings. It’s a solid recipe though, and I think it could be made great with a few simple additions!

  61. I cooked this last night and it was the bomb … I will definitely be making it again … and again … and again!!!

  62. My boyfriend and I both loved this recipe! We both ate it for lunch and dinner a couple of days last week.

  63. This was great! I included half a diced red onion (instead of the green onions) and a diced bell pepper when browning the beef. I also used a Mexican cheese blend instead of straight cheddar.

    I think this would work just as well with another ground meat, or with double the beans for a vegetarian version.

  64. Hey Beth!

    Might be an unusual question, but what brand of bakeware do you use? I’m looking to invest in some and was wondering if you’re happy with what you currently have.

  65. Beth,

    Your recommendation of day old rice is correct. I made this dish with just cooked rice and it was mushy, but tasty. I used shredded mild cheddar, and Pace restaurant style salsa.

  66. This was really good. I didn’t have any cream cheese to make with it, but I did whip up a half-batch of your red enchilada sauce and mixed that in, and served it with some sour cream on top. Delicious and easy.

  67. You know, I’ve seen some of the rice-based casseroles you’ve posted before, Beth, and I’ve always skipped them since they didn’t seem too appetizing to me. But after making this one tonight I’m eating crow. This is *so good*! I lightly sauteed an onion and a red pepper which I mixed into the rice/beans/meat/salsa mixture at the beginning since I love their flavors, but otherwise I stuck to the recipe 100%. This is so filling and yummy; I can’t believe how cheap it was, and how easy it was to whip together. I’m an adult who’s going back to school for a second career so I tend to be strapped for cash, and your delicious and cheap recipes are real life savers. I can’t thank you enough for the service you provide here. Thank you so much!

  68. Amazing, as usual! I made 2 of these, with the intent to freeze the leftovers into lunch sized portions. My husband hates cream cheese (I know, right?!), so replaced that layer with refried beans on the one I made for him. It turned out amazing. I can see myself putting a bit of salsa on top of it when it’s re-heated after being frozen to give it some moisture, that’s if there are leftovers at the rate we’re eating it tonight….lol

  69. Ok, I am eating this now as I type! I had leftover taco meat in the fridge about to go bad. Made some rice, opened a can of black beans, and bam! Instant dinner! Thank you for another winner!

    1. I think it actually would! :) You still need to cook the beef first, but then I bet you could just pop it all in the slow cooker and set it on low for 8 hours.

  70. I made this last night to serve tonight (serviced your African Peanut Stew last night – family fave!). We couldn’t help sneaking some nibbles, it’s so yummy! We used diced rotisserie chicken, Better Than Cream Cheese inside, and Daiya vegan cheddar cheese so that our dairy allergic kid could enjoy. This was so easy and is going to be in our regular rotation.

  71. Do you have any salsa recommendations? The choices are so varied! Thanks — recipe looks awesome.

    1. As a Texan, I have to recommend Pace :) It comes in three heat levels so you can get whatever you can tolerate. It’s very chunky and doesn’t have the added-sugar taste of some other brands.

  72. I made this last night and then ate some of the leftovers for lunch today. It was so good! The cream cheese really adds a little special something.

  73. Quick question. I’m just getting started subbing in meatless crumbles for meat in recipes like this, only those are generally measured in cups. Do you know approximately how many cups of beef you had once it was browned? Thanks!

    1. Hello Gwyn! I use the beefy crumbles for Beth’s Chili Beef n’ Mac. For one lb. of beef, I use the whole bag of crumbles (a bit under a lb.), so for this, I would just use half a bag.

      Just to note if it’s important to you – I was using Beyond Meat brand crumbles but recently, the big meat giant, Tyson Foods bought a 5% stake in Beyond Meat which sucks if you’re trying to “vote” with your dollars. (I personally don’t want Tyson to profit from my purchase of vegetarian products.) Unfortunately, I bet this is more common than I’m aware of.

    2. When I use reconstituted TVP in a recipe, I use one cup for dry TVP +7/8 cup liquid to substitute for 1 lb of ground beef.

  74. I am so making this next week. (I already have this week’s menu planned/shopped for)

  75. What kind of rice do you think this would be best with? Looks great, can’t wait to make it!

    1. Regular long grain white rice is probably best. I used my long grain jasmine (the brand I use cooks up just like regular white rice) only because that’s what I had on hand. The flavor doesn’t come through much in this recipe because there is so much going on. :)

  76. Could you assemble this the day before or do you think the rice would soak up too much liquid and dry out?

    1. It probably would be a little more dry, yes, and it will also probably take longer to bake since it’s starting out chilled. The longer bake time might also dry it out a bit more.

  77. I think I’d personally use kidney beans, and some sliced chili or other peppers, but this should be good!

    And if you have leftovers of this and still have some wraps left, roll the wraps, put them in the oven dish and cover with cheese again before putting it in the oven to reheat.

  78. Nice try, but you can’t call this a casserole if it doesn’t contain tater tots and cream of mushroom soup.

    1. It’s in the oven! I sliced some green pepper and onion real thin, got em nice and browned in the oven with a little oil and sugar. Made a batch of the easy enchilada sauce. Half in the middle (with the sour cream on top of it) and the other half on the top right beneath the foil. I ended up doubling the recipe and putting it in a 9×13 pan. Gonna let it go for 35 minutes with the foil, then 10 with the cheese on top.

      1. Looking through the comments for a variation I’d like (because its so hard to make a recipe as written!) and I think yours is a winner. I’m going to try this.

  79. Looks great, can you use any other shredded cheese besides the sharp cheddar? Just curious. Thanks

    1. Yes, pepper jack or Monterey jack would also be good. The cheddar doesn’t have to be sharp, either. :)