EASY ENCHILADA CASSEROLE

Beef Enchilada Casserole is an easy to make dinner the whole family will love made with seasoned ground beef, shredded cheeses, beans and enchiladas sauce in between layers of flour tortillas.

From the recipe collection of Tara Ippolito

Easy enchilada casserole is the ultimate cozy, crowd-pleasing dinner. All the bold, saucy, cheesy flavors of traditional enchiladas, but layered and baked into one easy, bubbly dish. No rolling tortillas and no fuss, just comforting Tex-Mex goodness that comes together fast. Every bite is loaded with tender tortillas, melty cheese, savory taco seasoned beef filling, and rich enchilada sauce. This is the kind of meal that everyone will be going back for. It's hearty, satisfying, and perfect for busy nights.

This recipe takes everything people love about enchiladas and makes it even better. With just the right balance of spices, cheeses, and seasoned beef. You skip the complicated steps and use smart shortcuts. This comes together fast, but still tastes like you spent all afternoon in the kitchen.

Ingredients

These are all the ingredients you'll need to make this easy enchilada casserole including some personal notes to help make this recipe the best that it can be. You'll find the full ingredients list with measurements in the recipe card below.

• Tortillas- Use large flour tortillas to better cover the space.
• Ground Beef- Get a lean 85-90% ground beef. It balances flavor and texture perfectly.
• Taco Seasoning- This seasoning brings the whole dish to life with a delicious blend of spices, herbs, salt and a subtle pop of heat.
• Onion- Choose a yellow or white diced onion.
• Cheddar Cheese- Brings a sharp, tangy richness and creaminess to the dish and helps bind the layers together.
• Monterey Jack Cheese- The mellow flavor balances out the cheddar cheese and also helps to bind the layers together.
• Diced Green Chilies- A small ingredient that makes a big difference. Adds some moisture to the dish and the perfect amount of smokey, roasted pepper flavor.
• Pinto Beans- Adds texture, flavor and heartiness to the dish without overpowering
• Red Enchilada Sauce- Keeps the casserole from drying out with lots of bold, savory and warm chili flavor.
• Toppings- These toppings are optional but highly recommended. Shredded Lettuce, Diced Tomatoes, Diced Red Onion and Sour Cream add a nice cool contrast against the warm casserole. Plus, they add a nice pop of color, too.

How To Make It

Here is the full list of instructions along with some personal notes on how to make this recipe the best that it can be. You can find the full list of ingredients and instructions in the recipe card below.

Preheat the oven to 350°

First, in a large skillet over medium high heat, add the ground beef and chopped onion. Cook the ground beef and break it into small pieces as it browns. Drain the fat once it’s cooked all the way through. Add the taco seasoning to the ground beef according to the directions on the back of the package.

Pro Tip: Use two taco seasoning packets instead of the recommended one to add lots of extra flavor to the beef. Original, mild or hot and spicy taco seasoning packets would all be great options here.

Then, add the can of diced green chilies and enchilada sauce. Stir everything together until it’s evenly combined and turn off the heat.

Next, add some enchilada sauce to the bottom of a 9 x 13” baking dish. Add two (or more depending on the size of the tortillas you use) tortillas to the bottom of the dish until the surface is covered completely.

Pro Tip: Tortillas are round and most baking dishes are rectangular. Feel free to rip the tortillas in half to make sure they cover the inside the baking dish more evenly.

Now, add half of the ground beef mixture and smooth it out so that it’s flat and even. Sprinkle half of the beans evenly on top of the ground beef. Add the shredded cheddar and Monterey jack cheese.

Pro Tip: Be sure to hand shred the cheese yourself. It will melt much better that way.

Next, drizzle with more enchilada and repeat those layers and end with a 3rd layer of tortillas.

Next, add the rest of the shredded cheeses and drizzle with more enchilada sauce. Cover the casserole with tin foil and pop it into the center rack of the oven for about 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Pro Tip: Give the tin foil a little spray of cooking spray before adding it to prevent any cheese from getting stuck to it during the cooking tip.

Note: The center rack of the oven is the best place for this because the hot oven air will circulate and cook the casserole evenly.

Finally, let it rest for 5-10 minutes, garnish with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes and diced onion (optional) and enjoy!

Pro Tip: Don't rush the finished product and be sure to the casserole rest before slicing into it. The layers are hot and bubbly when they come out of the oven and need time to settle and thicken up. If cut too soon, it can become a soupy mess.

What To Serve This With

This easy enchilada casserole is a meal in an of itself. So, you really don't need to serve anything along side anything if you'd prefer not to. However, if you'd like to add a little something, you can never go wrong with chips and salsa, Skillet Nachos or Crockpot Street Corn Dip.

Can I Use Corn Tortillas Instead Of Flour?

Yes, absolutely you can. Corn tortillas may actually even be preferred by some for this recipe. Flour can get a little goopy, but they just happen to be a preference of mine.

Can I Use Black Beans Instead Of Pinto?

Yes, you can swap the pinto beans for black beans if you prefer. Just be sure to rinse and drain them as well. Refried, white or red kidney beans would all be ok to use, too.

Storage

Let it cool completely then place it into air tight storage containers. It will last in the fridge for up to 3 days. This recipe freezes well, too. Just place the freezer safe air tight container into the freezer for up to three months. Let it thaw in the fridge the night before reheating.

Featured Products

hop all of the products featured in this recipe tutorial on my Amazon Store. Here are just a few that I love:

• Storage Containers- These are my favorite! They’re BPA Free and come with air tight lids. They're freezer safe, too.
• XL Cheese Grater- This extra large cheese grater is stainless steel and dishwasher safe. Its the perfect tool to shred all the cheese for this recipe.

Other Easy Tex Mex Meals

If you like super easy to make Tex Mex meals like this one, you have to try White Chicken Enchiladas, Chicken Fajita Rice Skillet and Taco Bell Mexican Pizza.