Firecracker Casserole
November 16, 2010
Firecracker Casserole is an old tex-mex dish that combines all your favorites like tomatoes, jalapenos, ranch style beans and corn tortillas into one dish. Make sure you check out the video listed above the recipe for step by step guidance.
This firecracker casserole is a family favorite and one of my most go-to casseroles of all time. It’s easy to put together especially when you are in a pinch for dinner, which is basically all the time with me and a busy little two-year-old running around the house.
If you like really spicy foods then just add a little more chili powder and jalapeno to the dish. I cut it down a little just so the whole family could enjoy this casserole. Another thing I like about this recipe is you can freeze for later use. Going back to being in a pinch, just make this ahead of time and freeze for later use.
I know a lot of families out there would love to be eating this for dinner especially new moms. This Tex-Mex casserole is also along the same lines as this firecracker casserole. Both are perfect for a nice dinner at home.
Over the past few years, this recipe has become a fan favorite on the site. Please feel free to rummage through the comments to see what adaptations may have already been made.
Share Your Firecracker Casserole Creations with Me!
If you make this Firecracker Casserole recipe, I’d love to see your final creations on Instagram. Make sure to tag your recipes with #azbrecipes or @azestybite, so I’ll be sure to see them.
ENJOY ~ Meagan
Firecracker Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. lean ground beef
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 Tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 Tablespoons chopped jalapeno
- 1 can ranch style beans, undrained
- 1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- 8 corn tortillas (broken up into 6 pieces each)
- 6 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- In a medium skillet, brown the beef and then drain.
- Add onions, salt, chili powder, cumin, and jalapeno to the beef and stir.
- Spray a 13×9 casserole dish.
- Add meat; start to make layers by adding the ranch style beans, tomatoes, mushroom soup, tortillas, and then shredded cheese.
- Repeat layers and bake for 50 minutes.
Leave a Reply
We loved it. It was simple, delicious, and terrific even as leftovers We had to double the beans, tomatoes and soup to stretch for a 13/9 pan. We still had about a lb. of ground beef that wouldn’t fit (which we turned into tacos for our fussy guy). I’d say a 9×9 pan would work for us with only 1 lb. of ground beef.
What are Ranch style beans? Pinto beans? Kidney Beans?
You can find Ranch Style Beans at your local grocer: Target, supermarkets and Walmart. Here is a link of what the can looks like. http://www.conagrafoods.com/our-food/brands/ranch-style-beans
What could I sub for the cream of mushroom soup? I really want to make this but my family doesn’t like mushrooms at all! Thanks!
Hi Kathy, You can substitute it with a can of cream of chicken soup instead.
For the life of me, I could not find ranch-style beans. I used Heinz vegetarian baked beans instead. The dish was a huge hit at home.
Ranch Style Beans are hard to find outside the southern states or places where TexMex food is popular. We are military, and the commissary always carries them, but when we lived in MD & VA they were impossible to find in local grocery stores. Now we are in CA and they’re all over!
do the taco shells get soggy
If anything, the corn tortillas on top get crunchy, not soggy.
Gosh, my husband and I loved this recipe! Thanks so much for sharing❤, it’s a definite keeper:-)
Do you brown the beef first?
Yes.
In the instructions it says, “Add meat; start to make layers by adding the ranch style beans, tomatoes etc.” So that’s what I did – put the meat in the bottom of the pan and layered with the remaining ingredients. AFTER putting the completed casserole in the oven, I spotted the video and there it shows you layer with the meat also. I sure hope my casserole turns out, but am a little frustrated if I messed it up by following the written directions. Has anyone else been confused by this?
It’s a bit confusing but, flavor-wise, I doubt it would make a difference.
Could you use flour tortillas instead of corn? My family does not like corn tortillas.
Do you drain the ranch beans or not? Thanks
No, you do not drain the beans from the liquid.
Good family meal. If you like it hotter use original Ro-Tel. I used mild. Shredded lettuce is a great addition for crunch and freshness. My husband inhaled it and he’s pretty darn picky!!! ❤️
Do you freeze before or after you bake the casserole?
This was VERY good! After reading comments from others, I doubled the beans, rotel tomatoes, and cans of soup (2 of each) but kept all the other ingredients the same in order to fill a 9 by 13 inch pan. I also used a LOT more cheese! My son convinced me to use corn/flour tortillas which were VERY good also! I was concerned at first about not draining the beans, but once I opened on the can I realized the liquid is quite thick and really adds the flavor. I was SO happy to find these beans. I had never noticed them before in the bean section!! This is a KEEPER! Thank you so much for sharing it!
Anne – Thank you so much for leaving a comment. I’m glad your family loved the recipe.
Are the corn tortillas used in the recipe crunchy or soft?
I used soft corn tortillas.
[…] INGREDIENTS:2 lbs. lean ground beef1 cup chopped onion1 tsp. salt2 Tablespoons chili powder1 teaspoon cumin2 Tablespoons chopped jalapeno1 can ranch style beans, undrained1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes1 can cream of mushroom soup8 corn tortillas (broken up into 6 pieces each)6 oz. shredded cheddar cheeseDIRECTIONS:Get full recipe >> Firecracker Casserole @ azestybite.com […]
If you freeze do you cook casserole first?
This is a personal preference. I like to thaw the casserole and then cook it.
[…] #35. Firecracker casserole | Image Source & Recipe @ azestybite.com […]
So funny to see so many who dont know Ranch Style Beans! I grew up on those beans and they’re a staple in my pantry. My kids played a joke on me one Christmas and bought one of those giant industrial size cans! This a great recipe! I didnt have any tortillas and didnt feel lik heading to the store so I used some corn tortilla chips and still wonderful!
What size are the corn tortillas you used? Also, can you combine the tomatoes, soup & beans together. It seems they would spread easier.
They are 6-inch tortillas but you can use 8 inches as well.
What could be a good side for this?
I made this last night and it was so DELICIOUS! It was quick and easy. I did use flour tortillas because my family doesn’t like corn tortillas. Thank You for posting this recipe!
[…] FROM THIS VIDEO: FIRECRACKER CASSEROLE: https://azestybite.com/firecracker-casserole/ GROUND TURKEY AND SPINACH CASSEROLE: […]
[…] FROM THIS VIDEO: FIRECRACKER CASSEROLE: https://azestybite.com/firecracker-casserole/ GROUND TURKEY AND SPINACH CASSEROLE: […]
[…] FROM THIS VIDEO: FIRECRACKER CASSEROLE: https://azestybite.com/firecracker-casserole/ GROUND TURKEY AND SPINACH CASSEROLE: […]
[…] FROM THIS VIDEO: FIRECRACKER CASSEROLE: https://azestybite.com/firecracker-casserole/ GROUND TURKEY AND SPINACH CASSEROLE: […]
Can I make this ahead and freeze for use later? What do you suggest?
O the creator absolutely delightful dish. …to her followers seriously people please use common sense and modify according to preference. If you freeze it its frozen and you cant eat frozen food so you would need to thaw it like any other frozen make ahead meal.
My dad was in the Air Force 1960s and 70s my mom got a similar recipe from one of the military women. It was called tamale pie. I looked it up and there’s no recipe like this under that name. She used cream mushroom soup jalapenos hamburger cheese and tortilla shells lightly fried. And baked in the oven.
What can I use in place of ranch style beans. They don’t sell them here.