Enchilada Casserole

Enchilada Casserole comes together in about 15 minutes and is much easier than traditional enchiladas. Ground beef, corn tortillas, enchilada sauce, and plenty of veggies are layered together, topped with cheese, and baked to melty, bubbly perfection!

I had my first enchilada as a waitress at a Mexican food restaurant in high school. It didn’t look very pretty on the plate, but it was my favorite meal to order during my shift break.

Fast forward several years, and I still love the taste of enchiladas, but I don’t always have the time or energy to make them the traditional way. 

Instead, I opt for this easy beef enchilada casserole, where everything is layered together, topped with cheese, and baked until it’s warm, bubbly, and delicious!

BEEF ENCHILADA CASSEROLE RECIPE

Enchilada casserole has quickly become a family favorite, and it’s one of my go-to ideas when we’re hosting company. It’s also:

• Freezer-friendly. Double the recipe today and freeze the second pan – your future self will thank you for having a quick weeknight dinner ready to go!
• Simple ingredients. We use whole foods and pantry staple ingredients.
• Easy to make gluten-free. Just use gluten-free flour in the homemade enchilada sauce!
• Quick and easy. Because you don’t have to roll the enchiladas, this layered tortilla casserole comes together REALLY fast. Think of it as the taco night equivalent of lasagna!
• Really yummy! This probably isn’t the most authentic enchilada casserole recipe out there, but it gives the enchiladas at local Mexican restaurants a run for their money!

It’s also fantastic as leftovers…if any of it makes it that far!

RECIPES FOR ENCHILADAS CASSEROLE INGREDIENTS

The ingredient list for this beef enchilada bake may feel long on paper, but I promise you it’s pretty short once you get cooking.

• Ground Beef. You can also make chicken enchilada casserole or vegetarian enchilada casserole with the simple substitutions listed below. Ground turkey or ground pork would also work well.
• Onion + Bell Pepper. I love to add veggies as much as possible!
• Diced Green Chiles. One of the canned pantry staples in this enchilada casserole recipe.
• Pinto Beans. We liked the taste and texture of pinto beans in this recipe, but you can omit them or swap them for a different type of bean. Red beans or black beans would work well too.
• Corn. I used canned corn here to keep things simple, but frozen corn or fresh corn cut off the cob works too.
• Cheese. We really liked the Mexican shredded blend, but other cheeses like Monterey jack cheese, Colby jack, mild cheddar cheese, or even pepper jack would be really good.
• Red Enchilada Sauce. We MUCH preferred the taste of Homemade Enchilada Sauce in recipes for enchiladas casserole. The store-bought enchilada sauce will work in a pinch, but you may want to add additional seasonings found in Taco Seasoning, like garlic powder, chili powder, or cumin, to prevent the casserole from tasting bland.
• Tortillas. Corn tortillas bake up well in the beef enchilada casserole without getting soggy. Flour tortillas will end up with a mushy texture, so I don’t recommend using those.

Make it Spicier. Add a pinch of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes to the filling mixture, use pepper jack cheese, or add a small can of diced jalapenos for additional flavor and a bit more kick.

Baked enchilada casserole gets even better when you top it with taco toppings, like diced tomatoes, diced avocado, red onion, sour cream, black olives, or fresh cilantro. Top with your favorites!

CHICKEN ENCHILADA CASSEROLE

It’s VERY easy to switch this beef enchilada casserole to a chicken enchilada casserole – simply swap the ground beef for cooked, shredded chicken! The recipe as written calls for 1 pound of ground beef. For chicken and enchilada casserole, you’ll need 2-3 cups of shredded cooked chicken.

Try this easy Sheet Pan Chicken Breast Recipe, All-Purpose Slow Cooker Chicken, or a rotisserie chicken if you’re in a pinch!

VEGETARIAN ENCHILADA CASSEROLE

You can make this a vegetarian enchilada casserole by simply omitting the ground beef. You may want to add seasoned tofu, soy protein crumbles, lentils, or black beans to beef up the contents of the casserole.

HOW TO MAKE A HEALTHY ENCHILADA CASSEROLE

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375F and prepare the red enchilada sauce. This takes about 7-10 minutes and is worth every minute. I’ve tested this recipe using both my own enchilada sauce and canned enchilada sauce, and the homemade sauce by far made the best-tasting casserole!

Step 2: While the enchilada sauce simmers, cook a pound of ground beef in a large saucepan over medium heat until there’s very little pink, breaking up large clumps into small pieces using a potato masher (this is my favorite).

Step 3: To the ground beef, add the chopped onions and peppers and cook over medium-low until the onions are soft, for about 3-5 minutes. Add the diced green chilies (not drained), beans (drained and rinsed), corn (drained), and 2 cups of enchilada sauce. Stir to combine everything really well. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Step 4: Pour ½ cup of enchilada sauce evenly over the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish (no need for cooking spray). Tear the tortillas in half and layer about 8 pieces over the enchilada sauce, so that the entire bottom of the dish is covered. Spoon ⅓ of the beef mixture evenly over the tortillas and then sprinkle ⅓ of the cheese over the filling.

Step 5: Repeat with a second layer of tortillas and then pour another ½ cup of enchilada sauce over the tortillas. Repeat with ⅓ of the enchilada filling mixture spread evenly over the tortillas, and then sprinkle ⅓ of the cheese over the filling.

Step 6: Finish with a third layer of remaining tortillas, ½ cup of remaining enchilada sauce, the remaining enchilada filling mixture, and the remaining cheese.

Step 7: Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the cheese is thoroughly melted. Remove from the oven and serve warm with your desired toppings.

Tip: You can make this enchilada casserole ahead of time by following the recipe through all the layering (step 6). Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight. Bake straight from the fridge in a preheated oven, following the baking times in the recipe.

Cool any leftover enchilada casserole completely before storing. You can either tightly cover the pan and refrigerate the whole thing or move the leftovers to an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

HOW TO FREEZE BEEF ENCHILADA BAKE

The easiest method for freezing beef enchilada casserole is to make one and freeze one! That means assembling 2 pans at once, one for dinner and one for the freezer.

As you layer one dish, layer a second batch in a disposable 9×13” aluminum pan. You can find a 3-pack at the dollar store (or a 30-pack in bulk on Amazon), and you don’t need a lid since you’ll be covering it with aluminum foil anyway.

Freezing in a disposable pan means that you won’t be losing one of your regular baking dishes to the freezer. Plus, taking a glass baking dish from the freezer to the oven can cause it to crack and break!

WHAT TO SERVE WITH CASSEROLE ENCHILADAS RECIPE

Whether you make your enchilada casserole recipes beef, chicken, or vegetarian, one of the best parts is loading up your serving with your favorite toppings!

• Fresh diced tomatoes
• Sliced avocado
• Shredded lettuce
• Red onions or sliced green onions
• Sour cream or Lime Crema
• Black olives
• Fresh cilantro
• A squeeze of lime juice

This is a meal entirely on its own, but these are a few favorites we like to serve alongside:

• Tortilla Chips with Restaurant-Style Salsa
• Easy Guacamole
• Southwestern Corn
• Slow Cooker Refried Beans

ADAPTING ENCHILADA CASSEROLE TO FIT YOUR MACROS

This beef enchilada casserole is a great example of a meal that includes all 3 of your macros: protein, carbohydrates, and fat.

If you have specific macro-related food goals, here’s how you can adapt the healthy enchilada bake to fit your needs.

Protein. Enchilada casserole naturally has plenty of protein from the ground beef and the beans, but you can double one or both of those for a protein-packed dinner!

Fat. The enchilada casserole recipe gets most of the fat from the cheese (and from toppings like sour cream or avocado). To lower the fat, use less cheese when assembling the casserole and skip those higher-fat toppings – you’ll still have plenty of flavor from the yummy enchilada sauce and veggies!

Carbohydrates. The carbs here come from the tortillas and the beans. If you want to lower your overall carb count, only use half as many tortillas and make 2 thicker filling layers instead of 3.

ENCHILADA CASSEROLE RECIPE FAQS

MORE YUMMY TEX-MEX RECIPES

• Easy Chicken Enchiladas with Spinach
• Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken
• Spicy Salmon Tacos
• Black Bean and Corn Salsa Tacos
• Tex-Mex Migas