Vegetarian Taco Casserole (Dump & Bake)

Name: Vegetarian Taco Casserole (Dump & Bake)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 1 lb plant-based ground beef (we used Impossible brand, 453 g); 1 1-oz package taco seasoning (28 g); 1 15-oz can black beans (drained, 425 g can); 1 15-oz can corn (drained, 425 g can); 1 16-oz jar salsa (453 g); 1 bell pepper (seeded and diced); ½ cup diced red onion; 2 cups Doritos* (divided, roughly crushed up); 2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese (divided); To serve: chopped romaine, tomatoes, avocado, and sour cream

By Sarah Bond, BS Nutrition, MS Sensory Science, Published May 12, 2026

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55 minutes

Serves 6 servings

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A rectangular casserole dish filled with a baked Vegetarian Taco Casserole featuring black beans, corn, red peppers, tortilla chips, and melted cheese for an easy dump and bake meal.

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With a secret flavor boosting ingredient, my vegetarian taco casserole is a dump-and-bake dinner that delivers big taco-night flavor. With a creamy, crunchy finish and zero fuss, it’s saucy, cheesy, and loaded with familiar taco textures, all baked into one reliable, crowd-friendly casserole.

A cheesy nacho casserole with melted cheese, beans, corn, and chopped red peppers being served from a white baking dish.

Have you ever had a walking taco? This is like that in casserole form!

After rounds of testing (I was committed to the cause), I finally discovered the key was cooking the plant-based beef first. This builds flavor and prevents excess liquid, while layering crushed chips both inside and on top gives structure and crunch instead of sogginess.

let’s taco-bout it!

Actually a casserole: Holds together instead of turning soupy
Customize: Easy to customize with toppings everyone loves
Quick and easy: Weeknight-friendly and great for feeding a crowd

A bowl of taco casserole with ground meat, black beans, melted cheese, chopped lettuce, tomatoes, and a dollop of sour cream, with a fork resting inside. — We’ve been loving this recipe for an easy Taco Tuesday dinner (especially paired with Mexican Street Corn Salad and Fruit Paletas as an after-dinner treat!

Key Ingredients

Plant-based ground beef: Impossible brand browns and crumbles similarly to ground beef and holds its texture through baking. It needs to be fully browned before going into the casserole. Adding it raw produces an uneven texture and releases too much liquid during baking. Impossible is one of our favorites!
Doritos: The nacho cheese seasoning on the chips acts as an additional spice layer inside the casserole! Quest nacho cheese chips work as a higher-protein alternative with a similar result.
Jarred salsa: Replaces multiple separate ingredients – tomatoes, onion, garlic, acid. Use a chunky variety for more texture in the finished casserole, or a smooth variety for a saucier result.
Black beans and corn: Both drained before going in.
Bell pepper and red onion: The only fresh vegetables in the filling. They soften during baking and add color and mild sweetness without releasing enough liquid to affect the consistency.

Various taco ingredients including vegan ground beef, diced bell peppers, taco seasoning, corn, Doritos, black beans, red onion, salsa, and shredded cheese on a green surface.

Variations

Other chips to use: I love Doritos because they are just yummy! Quest protein chips are a great way to up the protein further. Regular tortilla chips or a gluten-free option work as well, but won’t bring that nacho cheesy flavor.
Salsa options: We used medium, but feel free to use mild or hot as desired.

Close-up of a cheesy nacho casserole with melted cheese, black beans, tortilla chips, ground meat, and diced red peppers.

Top it like it’s hot

The casserole is rich, salty, and heavily seasoned, so the toppings that work best add contrast. Something cool, something fresh. Here are three combinations worth building:

Classic: Sour cream, diced tomato, and shredded romaine. The cool creaminess of the sour cream is the most important element here. It tempers the heat and richness of the casserole the way it does on a standard taco.
Fresh and bright: Diced avocado, pico de gallo, and a squeeze of lime. The acid from the lime and tomato cuts through the cheese and Dorito richness.
Loaded: All of the above, plus pickled jalapeños and crushed chips on top for extra crunch. Best for a crowd where everyone builds their own bowl!

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Vegetarian Taco Casserole (Dump & Bake)

let’s taco-bout it!

Key Ingredients

Variations

Top it like it’s hot