Best Mexican Ground Beef Casserole Recipe With Pasta

Last Updated on October 24, 2026

Everyone will love this hearty, flavorful Mexican Ground Beef Casserole. It is made with lean Ground Beef, Pasta, corn, black beans, Rotel tomatoes, and Cheese, and it is Baked until the cheese is melted and bubbly. It takes just over an hour to prepare, so that you will be eating in no time.

Mexican Ground Beef Casserole with Pasta

I’ve been on a ground beef recipe obsession lately. Maybe it is because ground beef is still pretty affordable in Price compared to other proteins right now.

I recently shared recipes for Restaurant-Style Taco Meat, Dinner Ideas with Hamburger and Potatoes, and a terrific Ground Beef and Cabbage Recipe. So I thought I should resurrect this easy Mexican Casserole recipe from a few years ago.

I tweaked the original recipe a bit to make it Easier to make. It is something you can make on busy weeknights.

 

Simple Ingredients Needed for the Casserole

Ground Beef – I use 1 lb of 93/7 lean ground beef, but 85/15 would also work. You can substitute ground chicken or ground turkey for ground beef.

Onion – 1 medium yellow or white onion, coarsely chopped.

2 Red Bell Peppers – The peppers can also be coarsely chopped so you get a good bite from the peppers. You may also want to substitute a green bell pepper for one of the red ones.

Pasta – Any curly pasta works for this casserole. I used 8 oz of ratatouille, but fusilli, rotini, and cellentani would also be good choices.

Gluten-free pastas also work. You could also make a rice casserole using about 4 cups of cooked white rice instead of the pasta.

 

2 Cans Rotel Tomatoes Original Style – This is what gives the Tex-Mex casserole with ground beef a bit of spice with the green chiles that are in the Rotel.

For more heat, add chili powder, diced jalapeños, or Cayenne pepper to make your favorite Mexican flavors.

1 Can Black Beans – Drain and rinse the beans before adding to the casserole.

Sweet Corn – A 12-ounce bag of frozen sweet corn.

Sharp Cheddar Cheese – 8 ounces shredded. I prefer to grate my own cheese from a block. Pre-grated cheese generally contains additives that keep it from sticking together.

This also makes the cheese melt less well than freshly grated cheese. You could also substitute a Mexican cheese blend of queso Oaxaca, queso asadero, or manchego.

You will also need Vegetable oil, cooking spray, salt, and pepper.

How To Make The Mexican Ground Beef Casserole

Using a large Skillet with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil added, sauté the peppers and onion on medium heat until they are softened, which should take 5 or 6 minutes. Then place the vegetables into a large mixing bowl.

Use the same skillet, this time over medium-high heat, and fully brown the ground meat, stirring to break it into small pieces.

This should take 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat, then tilt the skillet, push the meat to one side, and use a spoon to scoop out any excess fat and water.

Put the skillet back on medium-high heat, then add the corn, black beans, and Rotel tomatoes to the ground beef and stir together.

Keep the skillet on the heat for 1 or 2 minutes, enough time to thaw the corn.

Then add the warm ground beef mixture to the large bowl with the onion and peppers. Fold everything together and let it cool slightly.

While cooking the Vegetables and Meat, get a large saucepan of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package instructions.

Once the pasta is done, drain it using a Wire Strainer, then rinse with cold water to remove some of the starch.

Once the pasta has cooled, add it to the Mixing Bowl and fold in all the ingredients.

At this time, taste the casserole and add salt and pepper as desired. Add extra spices here if you want more heat.

Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray, then add a layer of Casserole ingredients. Then spread a layer of cheese on top.

Continue adding a bit of the meat and pasta mixture, then top with cheese until the casserole dish is full.

Reserve about 2 ounces of the grated cheese to add at the very end of baking.

I assembled the casserole this way because the Cooked ground beef mixture was still pretty hot, and the cheese would melt and probably clump if you added it straight to the warm ground beef.

Cover the casserole with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 35 minutes.

If you have an instant-read thermometer, the casserole should reach about 160°F.

Remove the casserole from the oven and take out the foil. Then add the remaining cheese and return the casserole to the oven for 10 or 12 minutes to melt the cheese.

Use Rice Rather Than Pasta

This delicious Mexican ground beef casserole is just as good with long-grain white rice as it is with pasta. You would need about 4 cups of cooked rice to substitute for the pasta. Jasmine and Basmati rice are good choices.

Use 1 1/3 cups of uncooked rice to make 4 cups of cooked rice. Place the uncooked rice in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cold water to remove some of the starch.

Use your fingers to stir the rice while it runs under the water. Then cook the rice according to the package instructions.

Fold the rice into the beef mixture, like you would with pasta.

Additional Tips

• For a spicier casserole, add a pinch of chili powder or cayenne pepper.
• To make this casserole ahead of time, assemble it up to the baking step and refrigerate it overnight for up to 24 hours. When you’re ready to bake, let the casserole come to room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.
• This casserole is also delicious with rice instead of pasta. Cook 1 1/3 cups rice according to the package directions, then stir it into the beef mixture before baking.

Serving the Mexican Ground Beef Casserole

This easy Mexican ground beef casserole recipe is really tasty on its own. But you may want to add some garnish…like some chopped green onions.

Or you might like a dollop of sour cream on top. You could crumble corn tortilla chips and stir them into the casserole for a little crunch.

Ground Beef Casserole Leftovers

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat the casserole in the microwave.

The pasta or rice will absorb a lot of the liquid, so add some pico de gallo or salsa for extra moisture.

Freezing the casserole is not recommended if it is made with pasta. If you make the dish with rice, it freezes well and keeps for up to 3 months.

FAQ’s

This ground beef casserole is a fantastic choice for any Mexican-inspired meal, from a festive Cinco de Mayo gathering to a cozy weeknight dinner. We’re confident it will become a new family favorite.

The printable Recipe Card is below.

Here Are Some More Tasty Recipes To Try:

• Restaurant Style Mexican Rice
• Ground Beef and Cabbage Recipe
• Orzo Chicken Casserole