My taco fiesta bubble-up casserole dish is one of my most popular recipes, it is packed with so much deliciousness, a meal the whole family can enjoy.
Looking for a tasty casserole dish, try my popular taco fiesta bubble-up casserole. I'm so excited fall is on the way and I can spend some time playing around in the kitchen and creating new casseroles. This layered taco bubble-up is simply put...delicious!! 🙂 A bubble-up dish is a term given to the biscuit dough that bakes up and "bubbles" into the dish so to speak.
This recipe makes 6 generous servings at 254 calories per serving, 8 points if you are following WW. This is sure to be a family favorite, it is at my house. Leftovers are equally delicious if not better haha.
Weight Watchers Friendly Ingredients:
- Extra-lean ground beef
- Pillsbury biscuits or equivalent
- Taco seasoning
- Salsa
- Peppers
- Onion
- Shredded cheese
- Green onion
- Sour cream *optional
What kind of biscuits do you use for this casserole?
I first created this recipe when I would cross the border into the U.S. for groceries and buy the great value biscuits at Walmart. They use to sell a 4-pack bundle of small biscuit tubes, 10 biscuits, 7.5oz per package. These have since become hard to find. I think Aldi might sell their own brand as I have seen others post them. If you are in Canada like me you can buy the Pillsbury country tea biscuits. These are larger biscuits though so what I do is weigh out 7.5oz, I think it is 6-7 biscuits. Then you need to ensure you have enough small pieces to spread through the dish. I cut each biscuit open so I have two halves, then each half into 6 pieces. This should give you enough pieces of dough for the recipe.
Some people mention that some of the biscuits don't bake all the way through. I never struggle with this so I wonder if it comes down to different oven temperatures. If this happens then you can prebake the dough pieces for 5 minutes.
I love using a 3 cheese blend in this recipe, however, any cheese will work and be just as delicious. Be sure to spread the cheese evenly so you can enjoy it in every bite.
Can I use something other than ground beef in this dish?
If you are looking to lighten up the recipe a little you can swap out the ground beef for ground chicken or turkey. This will lower the overall calories and if you follow WW then it will lower the points per serving. I have a lot of followers telling me they use ground turkey in this dish and love it.
Another ingredient people have shared with me that they added was beans, you can bulk up the dish by adding some black beans.
I have had others share that they made the dish without the biscuits, to keep the carbs low and it can be a keto-friendly recipe. You could also replace the biscuits with rice, granted it won't be a low-carb meal but I am sure it will be delicious.
Taco fiesta bubble up casserole
Ingredients
- 1 lb cooked extra lean ground beef
- 1 7.5 oz package pillsbury biscuits (10 biscuits to the pack, the ones In the 4 value pack, if you can't find that size you can buy the bigger size and weigh it out)
- 1 package Taco seasoning, 30g
- 1 ⅓ cup salsa
- 2 cup diced peppers I used red, orange and yellow
- 1 cup diced onion I used red onion
- 1 cup reduced fat shredded cheese I use a 3 cheese blend
- Green onion
- Fat free sour cream for topping optional
Instructions
- Cook the ground beef in a pan on the stove, add the taco seasoning and simmer for a few minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350F, spray a 9x13 casserole dish and set aside.
- Mix the ground beef and salsa together in a bowl.
- Cut up the peppers & onion, and then cut the biscuits into 6 pieces each.
- Place half of the biscuit pieces in the bottom of the casserole dish, top with half of the meat mixture, half of the peppers and onions and half of the cheese. Repeat layers and finish with the chopped green onion on top.
- Loosely cover with foil and bake in oven for 35 minutes, remove foil and continue baking for 15 minutes.Let cool for 5 minutes then cut into 6 servings. 8 personal points per serving, 7sp or 6 points plus. Top with a spoon of fat free sour cream (optional)
Notes
Storing and re-heating...
I cut it into 6 equal-sized servings. Optional to top it will a little dollop of sour cream. I like adding a little franks hot sauce as I am all for the spice.
Leftovers can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for 1-2 days, you can also freeze this dish either before or after baking. If you like to prep meals to add to the freezer and then bake when ready this dish will work for that.
Please feel free to share your reviews in the comments below, I love to hear from everyone. I hope you and your family enjoy this dish as much as we do.
Looking for some similar recipes? Try my Easy taco pie, or my Sloppy joe bubble up
jen
Thanks so much for sharing this! It is baking right now. I added in a small can of so I'm hoping the biscuits bake up ok. I'm excited to try different versions and more of your recipes!
Drizzle
Hi Jen, I hope you enjoyed it 🙂
Adrienne
I made this recipe tonight. Instant hit with the husband!! I also put it in recipe builder, 7 points, even with ground turkey 85/15, could have used beef 93/7, now I know! Def. will make again & again! Thanks for making healthy living delicious and sharing this recipe!
Drizzle
Hi there, so glad you both enjoyed it, yeah it would need to be fat free ground turkey for it to bring the points down.. I prefer the ground beef myself 🙂
Kristine
So delicious!! This is definitely becoming one of my go-to’s!
Drizzle
Hi Kristine, happy to hear you are enjoying the bubble up 🙂
Pamela
this popped up on my feed - and I'm going to try it! Do you know what the Smart Points would be for a vegetarian version, using black beans instead of ground beef?
Drizzle
Hope you enjoy it, sorry I only know it as I made it, you'd need to figure it out in the WW recipe builder, I think the ground beef is 15SP if that helps
Lisa Johnson
Hi, can't get the pillsbury biscuits in the UK. Can you advise an alternative I can use over here please. Thanks
Drizzle
I usually will suggest maybe a lightened up pizza dough?
Renee Stricker
I made this yesterday and it was a big hit! I don't get overly excited about every point - just use what you have and don't stress over it - all in all a very healthy choice with the lean mean and so many veggies...thanks for this great recipe! Would love to try some chicken versions of this.
Drizzle
Hi Renee, so glad you enjoyed it thanks for the great feedback 🙂
Nancy
Oh my goodness. Just tried this and it's amazing!! I could be a bubble up addict now. My points were a bit higher because of the cheese I used, but so worth it. Thank you for sharing.
Drizzle
Hi Nancy, so glad you enjoyed it 🙂 Bubble ups are so good
Jessica Shrestha
How many Freestyle Points is it?
Drizzle
It is the same SP as freestyle, no new zero foods are in this recipes therefore no changes
Linda
My God this was so delicious the whole family loved it. Thank you so much
Linda Baker
This is the first bubble up recipe I've tried and it was a big hit! Your muffin/donut recipes are great too! Your point calculations are spot on! Thank you for making my weight loss journey easier and more interesting.
Drizzle
Hi Linda, you are very welcome, thanks for your kind words 🙂 and so glad you enjoyed the bubble up!
Michelle
I had left over shredded salsa chicken from the instant pot and used that in place of the ground beef. It already had salsa on it so didn’t add more and then did half the amount of biscuits and it comes out to 4 points per serving!!! Thanks for the great recipe. Absolutely delicious and I love how we can all find ways to make it more or LESS points. Thank you.
Drizzle
You are very welcome, thanks for sharing your tips Michelle, sounds delicious!
Cheryl
Delicious! Made the recipe exactly except divided into 8 servings and it was plenty! Will definitely be making again! Thank you!
Drizzle
So glad you enjoyed it Cheryl 🙂
Kathy
This is wonderful! So far it is my favorite bubble up recipe! I think I could eat this every day❣️Thanks for all the wonderful recipes.
Drizzle
Hi Kathy, yay..so glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Kathi
Made this today it's excellent !!! Loved it !
Thanks for the recipe !
Drizzle
So glad you loved it 🙂
Jenn
Could you omit the biscuits and just make it like a taco "dip" with tortilla chips?
Drizzle
Hi Jenn, I am sure you could.. I have never tried it but I don't see why it wouldn't be yummy 😉
A
What is the serving size?
Drizzle
I bake in a 9x13 dish and cut into 6 equal servings
Jill
Loved this, but put it in the WW app and it came out as 12 sp! Unfortunately I had already ate my portion.
I picked up the 10 biscuit packet. It is 35 points a packet. I read an earlier reply and you said you bought the American version, I did not catch that in the instructions plus thought this was a Canadian site. Anyway, will check next time before I try. Do love your recipes.
Drizzle
Hi Jill, just because I live in Canada does not mean that 100% of the stuff I use is from here, nowhere on my site do I claim that.. I am pretty open about my shopping in the U.S and I always give detailed info on the pack of biscuits I buy, and will typically suggest that if you are in Canada to buy the bigger pack and weigh them out so that it is equal to what I use (7.5oz) the biscuits I buy are 17SP for the whole pack.. I'm sorry you didn't read the instructions correctly but I do feel I am pretty clear..
Natalie
I'm very excited to try this! Do you prepare the ground beef according to the taco seasoning package (like drain the fat and add a bit of water to simmer down) or do you just add the package as is?
Drizzle
Either way is fine, I typically just add the package as is
Michelle
Just stumbled across your site, great recipes! On a side note, holy cow...you have more patience than me! It is like people have lost the ability to think for themselves. Obviously, different brands/sizes of biscuits or other items will yield different point values! It is so frustrating that you are still having to defend yourself over 3 years later! Sorry...I just had to get that off my chest! LOL!
Drizzle
Hi Michelle...Haha yup it's just part of the job.. some people just like to bitch lol.. I try and help out where I can and answer questions to the best of my ability .. some people don't read instructions and jump to conclusions and need someone to blame lol.. I hope you enjoy the recipes 🙂
Sus
I’m curious as to how this would work with the two-ingredient dough. Have you tried it using that since you first created this recipe. I thought about giving it a whirl since it would save about 7 points on the whole recipe total. I use Gold Medal self-rising and my dough ball comes to 10 Freestyle points total. Thanks for any feedback you can give. If you’ve tried it successfully I’d love to know! Thanks for all of your great recipes!
Drizzle
Hi.. so I have seen others try the bubble up dishes with 2ID, most say that it is ok but does not work as well, it might just come down to personal preference, I personally have not used it in any of the bubble ups
Tina W
I think I’ll sub the biscuit for mozzarella cheese bits. No carbs to speak of. Should taste just as good
Drizzle
That sounds awesome if you are watching your carbs 🙂
Megan
Hi Kate!
I am also from Canada and had a question about the biscuits.
I just made this for dinner tonight and I too ran into the problem with the biscuits not cooking throughout on the top layer. After reading further into the comments I've found out the biscuits from Canada are 340G which is equivalent to 11.99OZ. If I were to continue buying these but just measure out 7.5OZ of biscuits do you think that would fix the problem completely?
Thanks!
Drizzle
Hi Megan, yes it might be a case of too much dough.. I suggest people weigh out 7.5oz then cut each biscuit open into 2 halves (cause the biscuits are bigger in the bigger pack) then cut each half into 6..this way you will still have enough dough pieces scattered.. also you could try pre baking the biscuits a little (5 min or so) then add the filling
Carol
Do you mix the pack of taco seasoning as per the package, example mix seasoning with water?
Drizzle
I usually add a bit of water when I use the seasoning, not always what the package says but some so that it is not too dry
Christie
I always read comments to see if anyone adds an ingredient I might be interested in or gives tips/tricks that might apply to me. I think these comments are EXTREMELY nervy for people getting a free recipe and you have done all the math added leg work. If they found a discrepancy they should figure it out themselves and move on. I’ve never read anything more entitled. Thank you for your time and your recipe. I much appreciate your hard work and efforts
Drizzle
Thank you Christie 🙂 I do my best and some people just like to argue or be negative.. I can't please everyone and I just focus on the positive comments like yours that make me smile 🙂
Heather
Hi. Have you calculated this for the various colors of WW programs? I'm sure the smartpoints values you calculated are correct for the ingredients you used. The store I was at didn't have the right biscuits, so I had to by the Pillsbury grands flaky biscuits and then measure 7.5 oz. I'm not sure if they are the same dough or not but I chose those in the app and put 7.5 oz in the recipe builder. I used 93% ground beef and great value reduced fat fiesta blend cheese. You may have used leaner ground beef. I ended up with 9 smart points per serving in the recipe builder for the green plan. I'm going to do it again to double check, but just wondered if the biscuits and ground beef are where I'm getting a different amount. 🙂
Drizzle
Hi Heather, yes it very well might be the biscuits and/or ground beef, all products vary so much, even cheese can vary in points by brand, all I can do is go off my app and the products I use
Heather M Kennedy
What kind of taco seasoning do you use? If I can use one that is zero, that would be great. Mine had 3. It was the Ortega mild.
Drizzle
Sometimes I use the President's Choice (Canadian brand) sometimes I buy it at the bulk store
Heather
I think I figured out where my numbers were different. The PIllsbury Grands buiscuits, even at just 7.5 oz are 24 points for some reason. Also, the ww app calculates 30g of taco seasoning at 3 points on the green program.
Drizzle
the smaller great value 7.5oz packs are 17SP for the whole pack so yes that is quite the jump in points
Kate DeLange
Hi. Does anyone know if this can be made in advance and froze? I didn’t know if the biscuits would freeze and then bake okay?
Drizzle
Hi Kate, I have never made it and frozen before baking I typically freeze afterward but I would imagine it should still bake ok
Sharon
I plan on making this tonight, but with 93% ground turkey. Can't wait, as I'm sure it will be as delicious as your other recipes!
PS - I always input recipes into the WW Recipe Builder, as I know that variations in ingredients can change the point value of a recipe. That allows me to be as accurate as possible in my tracking, and then it's also available in the app for future meals and tracking. If I ever see a large discrepancy in my points vs. what is listed by a recipe author I immediately 1) review my ingredients and measurements, and 2) look to see where I can make adjustments to further lower the point value.
Thank you for all of your amazing recipes!
Drizzle
Hi Sharon, I hope you enjoy it.. I think building each recipe in your own App is great, products can vary for sure.
Adrienne
Just finished baking this yummy looking asserole for the first time and hubby and I can’t wait to dig in!
Drizzle
HI, I hope you both loved it 🙂
Diane
This casserole is fabulous! I added a can of pinto beans to bulk it up and add more protein. I also baked it for probably an hour so the biscuits were cooked through.
Drizzle
So glad you enjoyed it Diane, thanks for sharing your tips 🙂
Robin
I made this on Thursday , leftovers on Friday . Heated up just great in the microwave .
I didn't have the 7.5 oz . can of biscuits , so I used 4 of the Grand Biscuits and cut each one up into 8 pieces .
So yummy . I saw this on your Instagram page. I tried to look it up under your bubble up section of recipes . It was not there ,
so I just typed it in by name . " Found It " 1
Drizzle
Thanks for sharing, so glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Kathy E.
Another 5 star recipe that will be on repeat here! I added 1/2 poblano pepper, chopped, to the dish because it needed to be used up. I cooked the beef, onions, peppers all together, then layered, also with a can of black beans. So delicious!
By the way, I always trust your WW calculations to the tee and make my own adjustments to the points if I change the ingredients. I love your recipes! Thank you!
Drizzle
Thanks Kathy, I'm so glad you enjoyed it and thanks for sharing your tips 🙂
Kayla
Followed this recipe exactly, exact measurements, same biscuits listed and the biscuit pieces were still practically raw after 35 minutes of baking. Not sure where I went wrong? I feel like I wasted a lot of ingredients making this. Disappointed because like I said I followed the exact recipe step by step. Used the exact ounces for the biscuits and cut them up. Ugh.
Drizzle
Hi Kayla, sorry to hear that, sometimes ovens can vary and maybe they needed to be in there longer, or you could pre-bake the biscuit pieces a little in the bottom of the dish before adding everything else.. I never have an issue with making this dish nor do many others which is why I say it could just be your oven needing more cooking time or a higher temp.. I too follow my recipe exactly when I make it and no issues 😉
Sara
Did you continue to bake it uncovered for an additional 15 minutes? That’s when my biscuits really popped up
Jennifer
Omg, so GOOD! I just made this for the second time this week! I even ran out of peppers and had to sub in a cup of cauliflower and it was still amazing. Can’t wait to try your other recipes!
Drizzle
Hi Jennifer, I am so glad you enjoy the bubble up, that sounds interesting with cauliflower! I hope you enjoy the other recipes 🙂
Sara
I meal prepped this for my breakfast this week and it is simply delicious! I want to try it with ground turkey next and see how it is. ☺️
Drizzle
Hi Sara, I am so glad you enjoyed it 🙂 It is just as tasty using ground turkey and saves a little on the points 🙂
Mary
Hi there! I'm very excited to make this!! Have you ever used frozen peppers? Thanks!
Drizzle
Hi Mary, no I have not used frozen peppers but they should be fine to use 🙂 I hope you enjoy it
Susan
My family love this recipe. I usually buy the 20 pack of biscuits and make a double recipe since the leftovers are great for lunch.
Sharon
LOVED this recipe! Definitely making it again and again.
Karen
I wonder if I could use corn tortillas instead of the biscuits. I live in Honduras and refrigerated biscuits are not sold here.
Drizzle
I haven't tried it but that sounds like a great idea!