Eleven ingredients and forty-five minutes, baked in one round dish.
This recipe is gluten-free by construction: it has no tortilla, chip or bread layer, and the seasoning, tomato sauce and salsa are specified as certified gluten-free products.
Why This Recipe Works
- Browning the beef with onion and pepper builds flavour before anything is added.
- Draining the fat keeps the casserole from turning greasy under the cheese.
- Black beans add body so the casserole holds together without a tortilla layer.
- A short bake is enough to melt the cheddar, since the filling is already cooked.
- The fresh topping goes on after baking so the tomato and cilantro stay bright.
Ingredient Notes
- Homemade gluten-free taco seasoning
- Two tablespoons. Many shop-bought blends include wheat-based fillers, which is why the recipe calls for a gluten-free one.
- Certified gluten-free tomato sauce and salsa
- A cup and half a cup. Check the labels — certified products are what keep the recipe gluten-free.
- Green bell pepper, diced and divided
- One pepper, half cooked with the beef and half raw on top. These are the pale-green cubes on the finished casserole.
- Black beans and ground beef
- One can and a pound and a half. The beef is browned to 160°F before it goes into the dish.
How to Make It
Oven to 375°F, a round or 2-quart dish greased
Heat oven to 375°F and lightly grease a round or 2-quart baking dish.
Beef browned with onion and half the pepper to 160°F, fat drained
Brown ground beef with onion and half the green bell pepper in a skillet until the beef reaches 160°F; drain excess fat.
Seasoning, beans, tomato sauce, salsa and salt stirred in
Stir in gluten-free taco seasoning, black beans, tomato sauce, salsa and salt.
Into the dish under cheddar, baked until bubbling
Transfer to the baking dish, top with cheddar, and bake 15 to 20 minutes until bubbling and the cheese is melted.
Topped with tomato, the rest of the pepper and cilantro, no base layer
Top with fresh diced tomato, the remaining green bell pepper and cilantro. Serve as a casserole with no tortilla, chip or potato layer.
Where Gluten Hides, and What Replaces It
This casserole is gluten-free on a specific basis: every packaged ingredient is VERIFIED OR CERTIFIED GLUTEN-FREE, and the recipe CONTAINS NO GLUTEN-BEARING LAYER. That makes the recipe a matter of choices at the shelf, so this table shows each one - what a typical taco casserole might use, and what this one uses instead.
| In the recipe | Usually | Here | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taco seasoning | A standard packet blend | 2 tbsp homemade gluten-free taco seasoning | Seasoning blends are one of the most common places wheat-based fillers appear. The recipe specifies a gluten-free blend for exactly that reason. |
| Tomato sauce | Any canned tomato sauce | 1 cup certified gluten-free tomato sauce | Certified is the word that matters. For safety, use CERTIFIED GLUTEN-FREE SEASONING, TOMATO SAUCE AND SALSA. |
| Salsa | Any jarred salsa | 1/2 cup certified gluten-free salsa | Same reason as the sauce: the label is what carries the certification. |
| The base layer | Tortillas, chips or tater tots | Nothing - the beef and black beans are the whole casserole | Step 5 says to SERVE AS A CASSEROLE WITH NO TORTILLA, CHIP OR POTATO LAYER. Leaving it out is also what removes the most obvious gluten source. |
| Your kitchen | Shared boards, spoons and pans | Clean equipment kept apart from gluten-containing food | For safety, also AVOID CROSS-CONTACT WITH GLUTEN-CONTAINING INGREDIENTS. Certified ingredients help only if nothing else reaches the dish. |
Success Tips
- Read every packaged label; seasoning blends are the most common hidden source of gluten.
- Keep gluten-containing foods and utensils away while you cook to avoid cross-contact.
- Add the fresh topping only after the casserole comes out of the oven.
Serving Ideas
Six servings of taco-seasoned ground beef and black beans in a red sauce under melted cheddar, topped with fresh diced tomato, green bell pepper and chopped cilantro.
Frequently Asked Questions
What keeps this recipe gluten-free?
It has no tortilla, chip or bread layer, and the taco seasoning, tomato sauce and salsa are specified as certified gluten-free. Check your labels, and avoid cross-contact with gluten-containing ingredients.
Is there a tortilla layer?
No. It is a casserole of seasoned beef and beans under cheese, with no tortilla, chip or potato layer.
What are the green cubes on top?
Diced green bell pepper — the half that isn't cooked with the beef is scattered on after baking.
