Cheesy Taco Casserole (gluten free)

This cheesy taco casserole is a perfect recipe for a healthy dinner or lunch option! Its packed with flavor but also packed with vegetables so you dont have to worry about eating unhealthy. Its a great option for taco tuesday! This cheesy taco casserole is made with chicken, rice, peppers, tomatoes, black beans, cheese and tortillas. This mexican casserole is gluten free, dairy free and packed with veggies. This casserole also has a low carb option and a vegan option.

The leftovers are almost better than the first round! I make this cheesy taco casserole recipe at least once a week in my house and sometimes we even use the left overs as the stuffing in our air fryer taquitos! We love tacos, rice and we definitely love chipotle sauce so this is the perfect combo.

The star of this casserole is the rice. You can use any rice you want. I like to use white rice because it is fluffy. Cauliflower rice is a great low-carb substitute for traditional rice, and it adds a lot of flavor and texture to this dish. The other ingredients in this casserole are also packed with nutrients, including chicken, black beans, tomatoes, and cheese.

This casserole is also a great option for meal prep. You can assemble the casserole ahead of time and then bake it when you are ready to eat. This makes it a great option for busy weeknights when you don’t have a lot of time to cook.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE

• You can use corn tortillas to keep this casserole naturaly gluten free.
• If you are not gluten free you can use flour tortillas.
• If you want a low carb option you can use cauliflower tortillas.
• Feel free to use any rice you want. You can use white rice, brown rice, cauliflower rice or a blend.
• This cheesy taco casserole is Gluten-free, dairy-free and nut-free
• This meal can easily be made vegan but subbing jackfruit instead of shreeded chicken.
• All you need is your favorite taco toppings, some rice, corn tortillas and shredded chicken.
• Yes, you can take the easy way and use rotisserie chicken to make your life easier!!
• Its super easy to make. It only takes 10 minutes to prep!
• Its easy to meal prep for healthy lunches for the week.
• Good for left overs!
• You can make it as spicy as you want!
• This casserole is easy to make healthy by hidding more vegetables
• This cheesy taco casserole is filling and you can have as much as you want since its healthy and packed with veggies.

INGREDIENTS & SUBSTITUTIONS

RICE

This cheesy taco casserole calls for any rice you want. You can choose to make it using white rice or brown rice or even a combination!

Cauliflower rice is a low-carb substitute for traditional rice. It is made by pulsing cauliflower florets in a food processor until they resemble rice. Cauliflower rice is a good source of fiber and vitamin C. You can buy cauliflower rice pre-riced, or you can make your own.

VEGETABLES

This cheesy taco casserole is filled with tons of vegetables – peppers, onions. But you can choose to add more veggies if you want it to be even healthier. You can add mushrooms, squash, zucchini, etc. You can even add cauliflower florets.

If you want to prep this meal ahead of time you can dice up the vegetables in advance and store them in an air tight contrainer in the fridge for up to 3 days.

If you want to cut down on cook time you can dice up and sautee the vegetables ahead of time as well. Once suteed and fully cooked you can store in an air tight contrainer in the fridge for up to 3 days.

CHICKEN

You can use premade chicken for this recipe to make it easier if you choose to do so! I’ve used premade chicken in a chipotle sauce before as well as rotisserie chicken. If you want to make this cheesy taco casserole the easy way you can grab a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, shred it by hand when its warm (that is when its easier to shred), and add straight to the casserole.

You can use shredded chicken in this recipe. If you want to prep it youself I put 2 boneless breasts of chicken in the crockpot with 1/2 cup of water and cook on HIGH for 1-2 hours until the chicken is easily shredded with 2 forks. If you cannot break it apart easier it will need more time to cook. I season afterwards with salt and pepper.

You can also cut the raw chicken breasts into 1″ cubes and sautee in a frying pan on medium heat until fully cooked and lightly browned.

Chicken is the main protein in this casserole. It is a good source of protein, iron, and niacin. You can use any type of cooked chicken in this recipe, such as rotisserie chicken, grilled chicken, or baked chicken. If you are vegetarian or vegan, you can substitute tofu or tempeh for the chicken.

TORTILLAS

This casserole uses tortillas to make it gluten free friendly. You can use cauliflower tortillas as a low carb option. You can also eliminate tortillas all together to keep gluten free if needed. It will be more of a rice bake you can spoon out then a layered casserole but the taste will maintain the same.

SALSA

This recipe uses chipotle salsa but you can sub any salsa or any taco sauce! This creates a sauce and adds moisture to the casserole so it doesnt dry out when baking.

CHEESE

Cheese adds flavor and richness to this casserole. You can use any type of shredded cheese that you like. If you are lactose intolerant, you can substitute dairy-free cheese.

HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE VEGAN

This cheesy taco casserole recipe is easy to make vegan by subbing unseasoned shredded jack fruit in the place of the chicken. Its a 1:1 sub which means you can use the same amount of jackfruit for the chicken.

If you dont like jackfruit or dont want a shredded substitute you can double the amount of vegetables and black beans and leave out the chicken for a full vegan taco bake.

You can choose to use vegan cheese or eliminate the cheese alltogether.

For the avocado and yogurt option make sure to use vegan yogurt.

TASTE & TEXTURE

This cheesy taco casserole is spicy and cheesy and packed with taco flavor. Because it uses taco sauce it is a moist and spicy casserole. The casserole gets crispy along the edges which is my favorite part! Sometimes I leave the casserole in to bake longer so the edges are crispier.

The taste of the low-carb Mexican casserole is a delicious blend of savory, spicy, and cheesy flavors. The chicken and black beans add a hearty texture, while the rice and tomatoes add a light and refreshing touch. The cheese on top adds a richness and creaminess that ties the whole dish together.

The texture of the low-carb Mexican casserole is also very satisfying. The chicken is tender and juicy, the black beans are firm and hearty, the rice is light and fluffy, and the tomatoes are juicy and flavorful. The cheese on top is melted and gooey, and it adds a nice crunch to the dish.

HOW TO MAKE

DIRECTIONS

STEP 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

STEP 2

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, rice, bell peppers, black beans, tomatoes, cheese, cilantro, taco seasoning, salt, and pepper.

STEP 3

Spread the mixture evenly in a greased 9×13 inch baking dish.

STEP 4

Top with the tortillas, overlapping as needed.

STEP 5

Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the tortillas are golden brown and the cheese is melted.

STEP 6

Let the cheesy taco casserole cool for a few minutes before serving.

EXPERT TIPS & TRICKS

• For a spicier cheesy taco casserole you can add hot sauce to the casserole before baking so its mixed in and evenly distributed! You can also choose to top your casserole with hot sauce if only one person wants a spicy option!
• The casserole gets crispy along the edges which is my favorite part! Sometimes I leave the casserole in to bake longer so the edges are crispier.
• Use good quality ingredients. This will make a big difference in the taste and texture of the casserole.
• Cook the chicken until it is cooked through. This will prevent the chicken from being dry and tough.
• Don’t overcook the rice. This will make it mushy.
• Drain the black beans before adding them to the casserole. This will prevent the casserole from being too watery.
• Season the casserole generously with salt and pepper. This will help to bring out the flavors of the ingredients.
• Bake the casserole until the cheese is melted and bubbly. This will give the casserole a nice golden brown crust.
• Let the casserole cool for a few minutes before serving. This will help to prevent the cheese from getting too runny.

HOW TO SERVE & STORE

To serve: Let the casserole cool completely before serving. This will help to prevent the cheese from getting too runny. You can serve the casserole as is, or you can top it with your favorite toppings, such as sour cream, salsa, or guacamole. Serve this cheesy taco casserole directly out of the oven. Its best serve warm. Option to serve this cheesy taco casserole with ranch or fat free sour cream.

To store in the fridge: The casserole can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. To store, simply cover the casserole tightly with plastic wrap or foil. When you are ready to eat, let the casserole sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before reheating.

To store in the freezer: The cheesy taco casserole can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. To freeze, simply double wrap the casserole tightly with plastic wrap and foil. When you are ready to eat, thaw the casserole overnight in the fridge. Then, bake the casserole in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 20-25 minutes, or until the casserole is heated through and the cheese is melted.

To reheat: The casserole can be reheated in the oven, microwave, or on the stovetop. To reheat in the oven, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place the casserole in a baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the casserole is heated through and the cheese is melted.

To reheat in the microwave, place the cheesy taco casserole in a microwave-safe dish and microwave on high for 2-3 minutes, or until the casserole is heated through. To reheat on the stovetop, heat the casserole in a saucepan over medium heat until heated through.

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