Slow Cooker Taco Casserole with potatoes is an amazing one-pot meal. This dish is made with ground taco meat, cheese, hash brown potatoes, and lots of taco-y goodness!
If you think "Taco Tuesday" should be "Taco Everyday" you have come to the right place! This amazingly easy taco and potato casserole has all the flavor and wonderfulness of tacos.
This simple slow cooker casserole is easy to assemble and great for a crowd. It is an easy recipe that will quickly become a family favorite. It is just as perfect to serve at a potluck as it is at home on busy weeknights.
📝Shopping list
To make this slow-cooked taco casserole you will need:
- browned ground beef
- frozen hash brown potatoes
- shredded cheddar cheese
- diced tomatoes - I like the kind with a Mexican flare , when possible
- cottage cheese - full-fat works best
- onion - diced
- cream cheese
- taco seasoning* - recipe in notes below if you want to make your own
- green chilies - chopped (I use mild)
- garlic powder
Exact quantities and detailed instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
🔪Instructions
Start by browning your ground beef. Ground beef can be browned stove top in a large skillet. If you have a browning feature in your slow cooker, that works well too!
I like to bulk-brown my beef in my crock pot. I freeze it in recipe-sized portions so that I always have some on hand for various ground beef recipes. This prep step makes so many great slow cooker recipes a fraction of the work come assembly time.
Regardless of how you cook it, drain all the excess fat prior to adding beef to this recipe. Using lean ground beef for this process will leave you with less excess grease to deal with.
Add all ingredients, other than 1 cup cheese to bottom of slow cooker. Cut or break up the cream cheese to help distribute it evenly in your dish. Stir ingredients together a bit, cover and cook on the low setting.
Once fully cooked, stir again to make sure all ingredients are well combined. Top with the remaining shredded cheddar cheese and cover. Once the top cheese has melted, your dish is ready to serve!
🍽Serving suggestions
The best part of this potato and beef mixture is how versatile it is. The whole family will love it served just as it is. You can just scoop it out and go. A side salad, black beans or some crusty bread would round out the meal perfectly.
However, it can also be "dressed up" by adding your favorite toppings. Additions such as sour cream, enchilada sauce, guacamole or salsa can be used to top individual servings. Sliced green onion and chopped green chiles also make great additions.
If you like some added crunch, serve your delicious casserole in crisp taco shells or scoop it up with tortilla chips. It is also delicious topped with crispy tortilla strips.
Some great side dishes to serve with your slow cooker taco potato casserole include elote, black bean soup, and Mexican quinoa.
🔁Substitutions
- This beefy potato taco casserole can be made using homemade taco seasoning (recipe below) or packaged seasoning
- This easy slow cooker recipe can be made with juicy ground turkey in place of ground beef
- For a milder flavor, substitute shredded cheddar with shredded mozzarella.
- Garlic powder can be substituted for 4 freshly minced garlic cloves or 1 tablespoon jarred minced garlic.
- Pre-package taco seasoning mix can be used in this recipe as well as homemade. If you would like to make your own, please see the ingredients at the bottom of the recipe card below.
If you love this recipe, please let me know in the comment section below!
Storing
Store leftovers of thui tasty casserole dish in an airtight container or zip top bag. They will last 3-4 days in the refrigerator or 3-4 months in the freezer.
😉Hints & hacks
- This is one of those great recipes for nights when your family will be eating at different times. If you will be serving this dish at different times, keep the casserole on your slow cooker's warm setting.
- If you are looking to dial up the heat in this dish, add in a small can of chopped jalapeno peppers with the rest of the ingredients. You can also substitute the diced tomatoes with a jar of spicy salsa for next level spiciness.
- To make the prep for this recipe and others containing ground beef, use your crockpot to cook ground beef in bulk ahead of time. Freeze your beef in recipe-sized portions for easy future dump-and-go creations.
- Freezing leftovers of this taco potato bake in meal-sized portions makes for easy reheat-and-eat weeknight meals
- I always recommend the use of a slow cooker liner. Of course, this is an optional step. I like to purchase my liners in bulk for a less expensive per-piece price.
- In the market for a new slow cooker? I love mine!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases and affiliate links.
📖 Recipe
Slow Cooker Taco Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef cooked
- 20 oz frozen hash brown potatoes
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
- 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with Mexican type seasonings, if possible
- 1 cup full fat cottage cheese
- 1 cup onion diced
- 4 oz cream cheese
- ¼ cup taco seasoning or one packet
- 7 oz can green chilies chopped (I use mild)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- brown ground beef. This can be accomplished stovetop or in your slow cooker (see notes or write up above for details)1 lb ground beef
- add all ingredients, other than one cup of the shredded cheddar to a greased slow cooker. Use a spoon to break cream cheese up into chunks. Stir to combine20 oz frozen hash brown potatoes, 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese, 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, 1 cup full fat cottage cheese, 1 cup onion, 4 oz cream cheese, ¼ cup taco seasoning, 7 oz can green chilies, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 lb ground beef
- cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours until all cream cheese and shredded cheese has melted and hash browns are fully cooked.
- stir to combine
- top with remaining shredded cheddar. return lid to top of slow cooker and allow topping to melt.
- Serve and enjoy (serving suggestions above)
Notes
- 4 tablespoon chili powder
- 1.5 tablespoon cumin
- 1.5 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried cilantro
Nutrition
Check out my latest on Instagram
Leave a Reply