• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home

Fancy Apron  logo

menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • About Fancy Apron
  • Contact Fancy Apron
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Mexican

    February 10, 2023

    Beef Enchilada Casserole Recipe

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    beef enchilada casserole served on a white plate with black beans diced avocado sour cream and cilantro with a casserole dish in the background

    This beef enchilada casserole recipe is the quick dinner shortcut you are looking for to feed your family. With a few easy ingredients you will have a delicious dinner in no time. It's warm and comforting just like the casserole your mom used to make.

    This blog post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I may earn income from qualifying purchases.

    Why is this so dang delicious

    cooked beef enchilada casserole ready to serve with a bowl of black beans and diced avocado

    There's nothing like seasoned ground beef layered with melted cheese and rich enchilada sauce. It has all the flavor of traditional enchiladas layered in a single casserole.

    Not only is it delicious, it's super easy. Sometimes we just need an easy meal that whole our family will eat without question. Beefy enchilada casserole fits that category because the ingredients are so simple. There are no onions or extra veggies. Its just the tortillas, meat, melty cheese, and delicious red enchilada sauce. Nothing to pick out. Even picky eaters can get on board here.

    Now, I personally load up on veggies for the sides- a Mexican green salad and black beans go great. But the heart of this recipe is delicious seasoned ground beef smother with melted cheese and wonderful flavor from enchilada sauce.

    Basic Beef Enchilada Casserole Ingredients

    beef enchilada ingredients including raw ground beef in a glass bowl taco seasoning a can of hatch red enchilada sauce a pile of corn tortillas a bowl of cheese all laid out on a wood cutting board with an apron laying beside it

    Get ready for the most basic list of ingredients ever:

    1. Corn tortillas or flour tortillas- I go with corn because they are gluten free, but if you love flour tortillas use them.
    2. Seasoned ground beef- One pound of ground beef browned with taco seasoning. This can be homemade or store-bought. You can also use ground turkey as a substitute.
    3. Shredded cheese- The Mexican blend of shredded cheese blend from Costco is perfect for this but you can also use Cheddar cheese, sharp cheddar, Monterey Jack cheese, or
    4. Enchilada Sauce- use your favorite canned red enchilada sauce. I love the flavor from the Hatch Organic, but you get whichever one you like best. (If you make homemade enchilada sauce I applaud you)

    Enchilada Toppings, Garnishes, and Extras

    a piece of beef enchilada casserole on a white plate topped with diced avocado and a dollop of sour cream

    Aside from the basic ingredients to make this beef enchilada casserole, you may want to dress yours up a bit. Check it out:

    1. Sour Cream- my favorite for the cooling effect that holds up to the warm heat from the enchilada sauce
    2. Avocado- diced, sliced, or mashed
    3. Green Chiles
    4. Hot sauce- sriracha, taco sauce, Taco Bell Fire sauce...
    5. Sliced green onions
    6. Fresh cilantro

    Supplies and Equipment

    a white 9x9 baking dish meat masher and cast iron pan laid out on a table with a sunny tablecloth and yellow and blue apron

    You will need:

    1. One large skillet- I use my cast iron skillet for the ground beef because I love how evenly it holds heat and browns the beef.
    2. One meat masher- or wooden spoon, but the meat masher really does make this process quicker.
    3. Casserole Dish- whatever 9x9 oven safe baking dish you want. You can go bigger or smaller depending on how many servings you want.

    Casserole Steps

    ground beef browning in a cast iron skillet with a meat masher breaking up the meat

    Browning and seasoning the ground beef- start by placing a large skillet over medium-high heat. Use a meat masher or wooden spoon to break up the ground beef into very fine pieces. Continue to cook the ground beef on medium heat until all of the moisture has left the pan. Add in ¾ of a cup of water and taco seasoning. The water is an important step to getting that flavor into the meat. After the meat has cooked, you can start the layering process.

    To assemble the casserole, you'll first need to cut the tortillas in half so that you can lay the straight edge against the baking dish. Then you can begin layering all of the ingredients.

    Pour a thin layer of enchilada sauce in the bottom of the casserole dish. Then, lay down the cut corn tortillas in a single layer so the straight edge is against the dish. Add a little more sauce and half of the seasoned ground beef. Next, top with lots of cheese and more sauce.

    Repeat the process a second time. To finish the casserole, pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the top. Make sure to spread out the sauce evenly to the edges over the layer of corn tortillas. If the edges don't get enough sauce, they could burn or dry out. Top off the entire casserole with a generous layer of shredded cheese.

    Place the enchilada casserole in the preheated oven. You can choose to cover the enchiladas with aluminum foil, but I don't worry about that. The cheese will melt perfectly without foil. Your enchiladas are ready for the oven. Woohoo!

    What to Serve with Your Beef Enchilada Casserole

    Now, I love Mexican food. Let's talk about the side dishes that go oh so well with traditional enchiladas or this beef enchilada casserole.

    First and foremost, I like serving this easy recipe with beans. I of for black beans, pinto beans, or refried beans. Any of those that you choose will balance out your meal with fiber and a generous serving of iron or folate depending on which bean you choose.

    Next up, I love to serve this with an easy Mexican rice. I may not take the time to make rice on a busy weeknight, but if this is for a Sunday dinner, I will go for the extra carbs. This recipe combines flavors from chili powder, tomato sauce, cumin, and garlic salt.

    Can I make this casserole ahead of time

    assembled casserole in a white baking dish with dirty dishes from cooking in the background

    Of course you can! Its such an easy beef enchilada casserole and you can layer it up to a day in advance. Assemble as instructed and cover the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap. When you are ready to bake it, add an extra 10-15 minutes since the casserole will be extra cold.

    Saving and reheating leftovers

    If you happen to have leftovers, just transfer the beef enchiladas to an airtight container with a lid. Store them in a refrigerator for up 4 days for food safety.

    When you are ready to eat it again, place your serving on a microwave safe plate. I like to cut my portion in half for more even heating in the microwave. Use the reheat option on your microwave if you have one. It really does help for even heating throughout the enchiladas.

    Printable Beef Enchilada Casserole Recipe Card

    served piece of enchilada casserole on a white plate with black beans and garnished with cilantro avcado and sour cream
    Print Recipe
    5 from 3 votes

    Beef Enchilada Casserole Recipe

    Layers of corn tortillas are filled with seasoned ground beef, enchilada sauce, and cheese. Then it's baked for melty perfection.
    Prep Time20 mins
    Cook Time35 mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Keyword: enchilada, gluten free, ground beef
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 463kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 9x9 baking dish
    • 1 skillet or nonstick pan

    Ingredients

    • 12 corn tortillas
    • 1 pound seasoned ground beef
    • ¼ cup taco seasoning
    • 3 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
    • 1 15 ounce can enchilada sauce

    Instructions

    Assemble the Ingredients

    • Preheat your oven to 375 F.
    • In a large skillet or nonstick pan, brown the ground beef and break up into very fine pieces. Once all of the moisture has evaporated, add ¼ cup or 1 packet of taco seasoning and ¾ cup of water. Simmer on medium-low uncovered for 15 minutes. Most of the water should evaporate. Turn off the heat and prepare to layer the enchilada casserole.

    Layering the Casserole

    • Pour in a thin layer of enchilada sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Lay down 4 tortillas in a single layer. They will slightly overlap. Pour on more enchilada sauce and spread out thin.
    • Next, add a layer of the cooked ground beef, shredded cheese, and more enchilada sauce. Repeat the layer process a second time.
    • Finish the top layer of the enchilada casserole by pouring over the rest of the enchilada sauce and topping it with the remainder of the cheese.

    Baking the Enchilada Casserole

    • Place the casserole in the oven, uncovered and let it cook for 30-35 minutes or until the cheese is completely melted and slightly browned on the edges.
    • After the cheese has completely melted and the casserole is bubbling, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.

    Notes

    Optional garnishes for serving: sour cream, diced avocado, hot sauce, or fresh cilantro. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 463kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 88mg | Sodium: 510mg | Potassium: 353mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 330IU | Vitamin C: 0.003mg | Calcium: 700mg | Iron: 2mg

    I hope you decide to make this delicious casserole and add it to your menu of east recipes. We all need a dose of weeknight comfort food and a hot dish to bring our family together at the dinner table.

    More Dinner Ideas

    several skewers of cooked Chinese chicken on a stick resting on a wood cutting board garnished with sesame seeds
    Chinese Chicken on a Stick
    Roasted Poblano and Bell Pepper Rice
    3 cooked chicken kabobs placed diagonally on a brown cutting board with metal tongs
    Traeger Chicken Kabobs
    3     

    More Mexican

    • mexican breakfast skillet served on a white plate with avocado green onions and hot sauce served next to a cast iron skillet full of potatoes sausage cheese and eggs and garnishes in the background
      Mexican Breakfast Skillet Recipe
    • a large platter serving sliced tequila lime chicken with sour cream diced avocado fajita bell peppers and onions shredded cheese and mango salsa in colorful bowls
      Tequila Lime Chicken Marinade
    • carne asada quesadillas on a large platter with a bowl of guacamole cilantro and extra carne asada
      Carne Asada Quesadilla
    • sliced cooked traeger carne asada on a brown cutting board with fresh cilantro cut lime and garlic cloves
      Traeger Carne Asada

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    photo of Alexis standing in her kitchen with a latin inspired apron on

    Hi, I'm Alexis! I love cooking delicious meals from scratch, especially on my Traeger Grill.

    More about me →

    Popular

    • A light wood cutting board with a glass bowl filled with cranberry walnut and blue cheese salad next to a plate with salad and grilled chicken
      Cranberry Walnut and Blue Cheese Salad
    • a green bowl of prepared potato salad garnished with paprika and dried parsley set next to a blue and white tea towel
      Carole’s Potato Salad
    • Jack Daniel's sauce pouring into pot of pulled pork
      Jack Daniel's Sauce
    • Loaded Cheesecake Blondies

    Costco Basics

    • 3 grilled pieces of marinated chicken on a cutting board sprinkled with kosher salt and lime slices
      Freezer Friendly Chicken Marinades
    • basket of groceries from costco
      How to make Costco sized quantities work for you.
    • Bulk Break Down: Meat
    • teal cast iron pot filled with rotisserie chicken stew showing chicken pieces and carrots served on a table with mashed potatoes and a table set with orange napkins and flowers
      Rotisserie Chicken Stew

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    • Instagram
    • Facebook
    • www.pinterest.com/fancyapron
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2020 Brunch Pro