• naturalLiving
  • activitiesfor kids
  • Easyrecipes
  • yourhome
  • just formoms
  • Start Here
  • About
  • Start Here
  • About
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • Shop
  • Natural Living
    • Essential Oils
    • Natural Homemade Ideas
    • Natural Solutions
  • Activities for Kids
    • Arts and Crafts
    • Playdough and Slime
    • Sensory Activities
  • Recipes
  • For Your Home
    • Backyard Chickens
    • Easy DIY Projects & Crafts
    • Organizing Tips
    • Tips and Hacks
  • For Moms
    • Caring for Yourself
    • Parenting
    • Product Reviews
    • Travel
  • About
  • Start Here
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • SHOP
↑

Living Well Mom

I help moms with simple, natural ways to look after their families. Find recipes, fun stuff for kids, and simple DIY ideas. Plus natural solutions made easy peasy!

  • naturalLiving
  • activitiesfor kids
  • Easyrecipes
  • yourhome
  • just formoms
  • Start Here
  • About
  • Home
  • Seasonal
  • Essential Oils
  • Natural Solutions
  • Autism

Easy Southwestern Casserole

By Erika in Dinner

casserole gluten-freeThis post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Jump to Recipe

This Easy Southwestern Casserole is a delicious dinner the whole family will love. The ground sausage adds a hearty flavor, while the enchilada sauce and spices give it nice, not-too-hot flavor. It’s quick and easy to make and simple to prepare on a busy weeknight.

Plus this easy dinner is kid-approved because it’s tasty without being too spicy.

With ground sausage, this Easy Southwestern Casserole is a delicious dinner that's got flavor without too much spice. This recipe is kid-approved and a perfect busy weeknight quick-and-easy meal. Plus there's an easy gluten-free option and can be made dairy-free as well. this idea now...

Southwestern Casserole is one of those meals you can easily make gluten-free. Simply use gluten-free noodles! If you’re not gluten-free, you can use your favorite regular noodles. Easy peasy!

You can also make X dairy-free by substituting dairy-free “cheese,” like Daiya cheese instead of regular shredded cheddar cheese. We’ve made it both ways and while of course, there is no truly “just-like-real-cheese” substitute, Daiya cheese is a good option if you need it.

With ground sausage, this Easy Southwestern Casserole is a delicious dinner that's got flavor without too much spice. This recipe is kid-approved and a perfect busy weeknight quick-and-easy meal. Plus there's an easy gluten-free option and can be made dairy-free as well.

As a busy work-at-home mom with four kids, I’m always looking for quick-and-easy dinners that satisfy my family. This Easy Southwestern Casserole fits the bill. I also love that it’s easy to make enough to save leftovers for the next night as well. Less cooking and work for us moms all around!

With ground sausage, this Easy Southwestern Casserole is a delicious dinner that's got flavor without too much spice. This recipe is kid-approved and a perfect busy weeknight quick-and-easy meal. Plus there's an easy gluten-free option and can be made dairy-free as well.

How to Make Easy Southwestern Casserole

There are two ways to make this Southwestern Casserole, which kinda makes it even better. If you’re anything like me, you like options and this casserole has some options.

1) Over the stove only. This fully cooks the casserole and skips the extra step and time of heating it in the oven.

2) Cook over the stove and heat in the oven for 20-30 minutes. This takes longer, however, the end result tastes just a little better because everything is cooked together.

I go back and forth between the two, depending on if I completely forgot about dinner and am running behind or if I’m more organized that day.

With ground sausage, this Easy Southwestern Casserole is a delicious dinner that's got flavor without too much spice. This recipe is kid-approved and a perfect busy weeknight quick-and-easy meal. Plus there's an easy gluten-free option and can be made dairy-free as well.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and cook 12 oz pasta noodles as directed on the package. I use brown rice spiral pasta (in the photos, you’ll see I used penne pasta- recently I discovered that spiral pasta tastes and works even better in this casserole.) Your choice!

Tip: If you want to include the whole bag of pasta, you’ll need to increase the enchilada sauce and spice or your Southwestern Casserole will probably taste too plain. (Spoken from experience!)

With ground sausage, this Easy Southwestern Casserole is a delicious dinner that's got flavor without too much spice. This recipe is kid-approved and a perfect busy weeknight quick-and-easy meal. Plus there's an easy gluten-free option and can be made dairy-free as well.

Brown 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey or ground beef with 1/2 pound ground bulk sausage in a dutch oven or large pan. I use ground turkey sausage when my store has it in stock or pork sausage otherwise. Add in 1 cup chopped onion (I use frozen for easier prep and no tears), 2 minced garlic cloves, and 1 diced red or green bell pepper.

With ground sausage, this Easy Southwestern Casserole is a delicious dinner that's got flavor without too much spice. This recipe is kid-approved and a perfect busy weeknight quick-and-easy meal. Plus there's an easy gluten-free option and can be made dairy-free as well.

Drain once the meat is browned.

Stir in 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1 can (about 15 oz) corn (drained) …

layout of printable recipe binder pages

With ground sausage, this Easy Southwestern Casserole is a delicious dinner that's got flavor without too much spice. This recipe is kid-approved and a perfect busy weeknight quick-and-easy meal. Plus there's an easy gluten-free option and can be made dairy-free as well.

and 1 large can (19 oz) enchilada sauce along with 1 Tbsp cumin (use more or less to your taste).

Stir to heat fully…

With ground sausage, this Easy Southwestern Casserole is a delicious dinner that's got flavor without too much spice. This recipe is kid-approved and a perfect busy weeknight quick-and-easy meal. Plus there's an easy gluten-free option and can be made dairy-free as well.

…OR if you want to and have time to cook it in your oven, scoop into a 9×13″ baking dish.

With ground sausage, this Easy Southwestern Casserole is a delicious dinner that's got flavor without too much spice. This recipe is kid-approved and a perfect busy weeknight quick-and-easy meal. Plus there's an easy gluten-free option and can be made dairy-free as well.

Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 5 minutes longer or until the cheese is melted on top. (If you use dairy-free cheese, it may not melt fully.)

Serve and enjoy!

If you want to make this Easy Southwestern Casserole ahead of time, make everything as directed, then simply cover and place the 9×13″ baking dish in your refrigerator until you’re ready to serve. You will need to bake for a little longer – probably 30-40 minutes – to fully heat your dinner.

I have not tried freezing this dinner, but I’m sure you can. If you do, please let me know how it works!

Print

Easy Southwestern Casserole

With ground sausage, this Easy Southwestern Casserole is a delicious dinner that's got flavor without too much spice. This recipe is kid-approved and a perfect busy weeknight quick-and-easy meal. Plus there's an easy gluten-free option and can be made dairy-free as well.
Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

  • Author: Erika Bragdon
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 25 mins
  • Total Time: 40 mins
  • Yield: 8-10 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1.5 pounds ground beef or turkey
  • ½ pound bulk pork sausage
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 medium green or red pepper, chopped
  • 2 cups organic cheddar cheese, shredded (divided) (use Daiya, non-dairy cheese or leave out entirely if you prefer)
  • 1 (15oz) canned corn, drained
  • 1 large can (19.5oz)enchilada sauce
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 TBSP cumin, more or less to taste
  • 12 ounces gluten-free penne pasta, cooked and drained

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Cook the pasta according to package directions.
  3. Brown the beef and sausage along with the diced onion, garlic, and pepper over medium heat; drain. Stir in the remaining ingredients, except for 1 cup of shredded cheese.
  4. Cook and stir until fully heated and serve.
  5. OR
  6. Turn into a 13x9x2” baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Cover and bake for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Bake uncovered for 5-10 minutes longer or until the cheese is melted.

 

 

With ground sausage, this Easy Southwestern Casserole is a delicious dinner that's got flavor without too much spice. This recipe is kid-approved and a perfect busy weeknight quick-and-easy meal. Plus there's an easy gluten-free option and can be made dairy-free as well.

 

Dear Mom, Join the Living Well Mom Insiders

You’ll get exclusive content, “Sunshine for Your Day,” and more stuff Erika doesn’t share anywhere else!
    By entering your info, you’ll become a LWM Insider! Everything is delivered straight to your email inbox. You can unsubscribe at any time.

    Filed Under: Dinner, Food for Kids, Recipes Tagged With: casserole, gluten-freePublished on August 21, 2017

    You May Also Love

    slice of strawberry rhubarb pie
    Old-Fashioned Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Recipe
    Pile of gluten free peanut butter cookies with bowl of peanut butter in the background.
    Chewy Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies
    homemade macaroni and cheese on plate
    Easy Baked Mac and Cheese Recipe (That Your Kids Will Actually Eat!)

    About Erika

    Erika Bragdon is a flower essence practitioner and a second-generation homeschooling mom with 3 kids at home and 1 in college. She enjoys her chickens, goats, and gardening on a small farm in New Hampshire, and is passionate about sharing flower essences and more ways to renew body, mind, and soul with moms.

    Comments

    1. Joyce says

      September 4, 2018 at 6:52 pm

      Can I substitute corn for something else? My husband is allergic to corn?

      Reply
      • Erika says

        September 7, 2018 at 10:59 am

        You could try peas or just leave the corn out altogether. We sometimes do if I forget to buy it! 🙂

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

    Erika Bragdon sitting on a bench drinking a drink out of her mug

    Welcome! I’m Erika and I’m the creator behind Living Well Mom.

    More About Erika

    The Latest

    • How To Make Painted Pet Rocks
    • How to Make Bubble Solution (Just 3 Ingredients!)
    • Old-Fashioned Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Recipe
    • Printable Road Trip Games with a Fun DIY Travel Binder For Kids
    • Easy Homemade Fruit and Veggie Wash (That Actually Works)

    Trending Now

    • playdough in a container Make the Easiest Homemade Playdough Recipe That Lasts for Months {With Video!}

    • outside holding tick spray bottle with dog Simple All-Natural Tick Repellent for Dogs – with Video!

    • Taco Pizza is a great as an easy family dinner (you can even make it the night before) or a tasty appetizer. Kids love this recipe and the cream cheese/sour cream “sauce” and spicy taco flavor are a hit with adults too. Taco Pizza – The BEST Easy Dinner Recipe

    • homemade macaroni and cheese on plate Easy Baked Mac and Cheese Recipe (That Your Kids Will Actually Eat!)

    • Bubble paint close up Bubble Painting – How to Paint with Bubbles

    • smiling boy with glasses holding up last day of school fifth grade sign Last Day of School Signs for 2025 – Free Printables for All Grades

    • Home
    • Seasonal
    • Essential Oils
    • Natural Solutions
    • Autism

    Living well is a journey not a destination

    copyright ©2025, Living Well Mom. / Site by Pixel Me Designs
    Privacy PolicyTerms & ConditionsDisclaimer
    408 shares
    • 2