Beef Enchilada Casserole

This Enchilada Casserole recipe is everything you love about beef enchiladas in easy casserole form – with the best sauce!

This Beef Enchilada Casserole is cheesy, saucy, meaty, Mexican comfort food at its most addicting!  Juicy meat, creamy beans and sweet corn are enveloped in the BEST bold, smoky, quick and easy homemade enchilada sauce then layered between corn tortillas, cheddar and Monterrey Jack cheese then baked to bubbling perfection. This Enchilada Casserole is always a crowd-pleaser, can be prepped in the morning and baked at night, made in mass quantities, and/or frozen for later for the ultimate make-ahead dinner.   It also makes terrific leftovers – should you be so lucky.   

It’s safe to say I am obsessed with enchiladas.  From my crazy popular Salsa Verde Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas, to my Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas Chicken Enchilada Casserole, Ground Beef Enchiladas, Jalapeno Chicken Enchiladas, Barbacoa Beef Enchiladas, Enchiladas Verdes and Breakfast Ham and Cheese Enchiladas – I can’t get enough!  So, today, I’m adding this Beef Enchilada Casserole to the mix – prepare to fall in love!

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how to make enchilada casserole video

 

WHAT SAUCE SHOULD I USE FOR ENCHILADA CASSEROLE?

This Beef Enchilada Casserole is all about the sauce.  And let’s be honest, not all sauces are created equal; store-bought sauces are all too often bland, watery, too tomato-y, and lacking depth – but not this sauce! It’s bursting with bold, rich smoky south-of-the-border depth with a hint of mole flair. The ingredient list might look lengthy, but they are pantry friendly, dump and simmer ingredients.  You will need:

• Chili powder:  is where most of the flavor comes from so, please use a quality brand such as McCormick.  Note that American chili powder is NOT cayenne pepper which it can sometimes be confused with internationally.  Chili powder is a blend of seasoning and 8X less spicy than cayenne pepper.
• Seasonings:  in addition to chili powder, the enchilada sauce is seasoned with ground cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, ground coriander, smoked paprika, dried oregano, salt and cayenne pepper.  They all work together to create a deep, satisfying complexity.
• Tomato paste:  adds the signature tomato flavor and slight tanginess.
• Flour:  is added directly to the ground beef to make roux which will thicken the sauce. You can use all-purpose flour or all-purpose gluten free flour.  
• Chicken broth: forms the base of the sauce.  You may substitute with vegetable broth but it is not as flavorful.
• Cocoa powder + sugar:  this is an easy substitute for Mexican chocolate which I’m pretty sure most of you don’t keep stocked.  It adds a depth of flavor you will LOVE.
• Apple cider vinegar:  awakes the flavors of the sauce.  You may substitute with distilled white vinegar.

CAN I USE VEGETABLE BROTH INSTEAD OF CHICKEN BROTH?

You may use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth but it doesn’t deliver the same level of flavor. If you do decide to use vegetable broth, make sure to use low-sodium vegetable broth and salt to taste.

WHAT ELSE DO I ADD TO ENCHILADA CASSEROLE?

The Enchilada Casserole is loaded with juicy beef, tomatoes, beans, corn, olives and green chilies.  This satisfying cast of characters are added directly to the enchilada sauce so they instantly are pumped with flavor and saves you from extra layering.  You will need:

• Ground beef: I recommend using 85-90% lean Angus beef for the best flavor.  Angus meat is known for being more tender, marbled, and flavorful than regular beef. 
• Aromatics:  the complexity of the flavor profile begins with the aromatics.  You will need 1 chopped yellow onion and 4-6 garlic cloves. 
• Fire roasted diced tomatoes:  are located next to the traditional diced tomatoes. Fire roasted tomatoes are NOT spicy – the fire simply means they have been roasted which gives them a complex smokiness. If you can’t find fire roasted diced tomatoes, then traditional diced tomatoes work just fine.
• Beans:  I LOVE the addition of pinto beans to create irresistible creamy textural interest that complements the Enchilada Casserole without fighting it. 
• Corn:  one 15 ounce can sweet corn or 1 ½ cups frozen sweet corn will both work.
• Olives:  I am not a huge fan of olives but I think they are awesome in this Enchilada Casserole recipe.  You will need one 6. oz. can chopped black olives and more for garnish if you’d like.
• Chopped green chiles: these come from a can and add a subtle tang. Take care you choose MILD chopped green chiles because the hot can is HOT. Mild green chiles, however are more tangy than hot so you don’t have to worry about them making your lasagna spicy.  
• Cheese: I love the combination of both sharp cheddar and Monterrey Jack cheese.  Sharp cheese cuts through the earthy enchilada sauce and offers a distinct flavor contrast whereas Monterrey Jack is milder so it complements the sauce and offers hints of creamy, buttery flavor.  Monterrey Jack also melts beautifully to create a creamier filling.

WHAT TORTILLAS ARE BEST for enchilada casserole?

Enchiladas can be made with corn or flour tortillas but for this Beef Enchilada Casserole, you will want to use corn tortillas.  Their sweet corn flavor is a delectable complement to the smoky enchilada sauce.  More importantly, corn tortillas hold up better layered in between the sauce. 

For all of my taco recipes, I highly recommend La Tortilla Factory corn tortillas because they are thicker and don’t tear, but for this Beef Enchilada Casserole, however, I find them a little too thick.  Instead, save your money and quality tortillas for when they’re not smothered in sauce and use any less expensive corn tortillas from your grocery store. 

HOW SPICY IS ENCHILADA CASSEROLE?

This Enchilada Sauce recipe is not spicy, just flavorful.  Even with the cayenne pepper it should be just fine for little ones.  If you know you love heat then increase the cayenne pepper or pass around the hot sauce.

HOW TO MAKE ENCHILADA CASSEROLE

There are a lot of ingredients in this recipe, but please don’t be intimidated!  The recipe itself is very easy to make. As you can see by the instructions to follow, most of the ingredients are just dumped into the pan. Here’s how to make the recipe (full ingredients and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post):  

STEP 1 – CHAR TORTILLAS

• Charring the tortillas over an open gas flame is optional but adds a subtle roasted corn flavor which is sublime.  You can char the tortillas days in advance and store them in an airtight container at room temperature.   
• To lightly char tortillas, use tongs to place tortillas directly on the burner of your gas stove then flip with tongs once they are lightly charred in spots on one side.  You can also accomplish this on the grill as well. 
• Don’t “over-char” the tortillas or they will become brittle and break.  You still want the tortillas soft and pliable.
• I usually have multiple burners going so this process can be done in minutes. 
• When tortillas are cool enough to handle, cut six of the tortillas in half with a pizza cutter, scissors or knife. Cutting them in half helps fill in the gaps in between the whole tortillas.

STEP 2 – COOK BEEF AND MAKE ENCHLADA SAUCE

• We’ll start by browning the beef and onions together then adding all of the enchilada sauce ingredients directly to the beef.
• Once the beef is browned, sprinkle in the flour and all the seasonings and cook for a couple of minutes. This removes the raw flour taste and blooms the spices/amplifies and enhances their flavor.
• Reduce the heat to low and stir in the tomato paste and garlic and cook for one minute.  Sautéing the tomato paste deepens the flavor and helps remove the “tinny” taste.
• Next, stir in the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, green chiles, cocoa powder, sugar and cinnamon.

STEP 3 – simmer the sauce

• Bring the sauce to a simmer and continue to simmer, stirring often, until it thickens, about 10-15 minutes.  You want it to be thick but spreadable.

STEP 4 – add the beans

• Finish the sauce with your add-ins of choice.  I like pinto beans, corn and olives.

STEP 5 – ASSEMBLE ENCHILADA CASSEROLE

• Layer 1:  Sauce. Spread one cup of meat sauce in the bottom of the prepared pan (layer will be thin).
• Layer 2:  Tortillas.  Place two whole tortillas in the middle of the dish and surround them by 6 tortilla halves to cover the meat filling.
• Layer 3:  Meat mixture.  Top evenly with ⅓ of the remaining meat mixture (about 2 cups).
• Layer 4:  Cheeses.  Top the tortillas evenly with 1 cup of the combined cheeses. Repeat:
• Layer 5:  Tortillas
• Layer 6:  Meat Mixture
• Layer 7:  Cheeses
• Layer 8:  Tortillas
• Layer 9:  Meat mixture
• Layer 10:  Cheeses

STEP 6 – BAKE

• Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. 
• Remove foil and bake an additional 15-20 more minutes to golden bubbly deliciousness!

WHAT TOPPINGS FOR ENCHILADA CASSEROLE?

This Enchilada Casserole is intoxicating all on its own but as is the case with all Mexican food, whether it’s tacos, burritos, fajitas, tortilla soup, or enchiladas, they are even better with  toppings!  It’s fun to create a topping bar and then let everyone pile on their favs.

TOPPING IDEAS:

• More olives!  I purchase two cans of olives and use one for topping. 
• Sour cream or Greek yogurt:  the bright tangy creaminess cuts through and compliments the earthy flavor profile.
• Tomatoes: quartered cherry tomatoes or seeded, chopped Roma tomatoes or skip the plain tomatoes and use pico de gallo.
• Pico de gallo:  is fresh tomato salsa that adds a vibrant, punchy freshness.  You can use my homemade pico de de gallo recipe or store bought. You can make the pico de gallo ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the fridge.  Bring to room temperature before serving.
• Cilantro:  if you skip the pico de gallo, you can load on fresh cilantro and tomatoes instead for a fresh, zesty flair.
• Avocados: chopped or sliced avocados.
• Guacamole:  use my homemade guacamole recipe (amazing!), your favorite recipe or even use store bought.
• Hot Sauce: pass around the hot sauce so individuals can customize the heat.

TIPS FOR making ENCHILADA CASSEROLE

• Use corn tortillas. Do not use flour tortillas or they will be soggy/mushy.
• INTERNATIONAL WARNING:  American chili powder is a blend of chilies, cumin, garlic powder, and herbs with a ratio of one-part cayenne to seven parts the other spices.  Chili powders sold in other parts of the world, however, are 100% cayenne pepper and 8X hotter than chili powder! So, please use American-style chili powder to make this recipe or your mouth will be on FIRE!
• Pre-measure seasonings.  Measure out the seasonings before you start cooking.  You will want to add the seasonings all at once with the flour – and since there are quite a few -it is helpful to measure them out first so you don’t have to stop and overcook the beef.
• Don’t skip cocoa!  The sugar, cocoa powder and the cinnamon (simulating Mexican chocolate) really enhance the authentic enchilada sauce recipe so please don’t skip them!
• Grate your own cheese.  Please use freshly grated cheeses because pre-shredded packaged cheeses use anti-clumping chemicals which prevent them from melting as well. 
• Control consistency.  For a thicker meat sauce, simmer the sauce longer to reduce and thicken.  If you want thinner sauce, simply don’t simmer the sauce as long.  If you’re past that point, stir in chicken broth or water a little at a time until you reach desired consistency.
• Customize ingredients.  You can customize the add-ins with any vegetables you like (see ideas to follow) or other add-ins such as pickled jalapenos.
• Toppings!  Top your Beef Enchilada Casserole with all or some of your favorite toppings such as sour cream or Greek yogurt (highly recommend), cilantro, jalapenos, avocados, tomatoes, black olives, etc.

enchilada casserole RECIPE VARIATIONS

We love this Beef Enchilada Casserole recipe as written, but feel free to make it your own with any add-ins. Please note that while you can omit any add-ins, you can’t add more ingredients without swapping them for another ingredient or the sauce ratio will be off.   For example, you can’t just add zucchini, but you can swap zucchini for corn. 

• Swap protein:  although this is “Beef Enchilada Casserole,” the seasonings and ingredients work well for ground turkey or ground chicken as well. I suggest adding 1 teaspoon beef bouillon if adding ground poultry. You can also use shredded rotisserie chicken and stir it in at the end once the sauce has thickened.
• Swap beans: you may substitute the pinto beans with black beans but they don’t offer the same creamy satisfaction in my opinion.  If you choose black beans, I would add them to the sauce earlier with the diced tomatoes so they have time to simmer and soften a bit.  
• Add vegetables:  zucchini, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, spinach, jalapenos, etc. – pick your favs!  You will want to swap some of the meat for extra veggies.
• Add rice or quinoa:  stir in cooked rice or cooked quinoa directly into the sauce for added texture.  Again, you will need to reduce the amount of beef or swap the rice for the beans and/or corn so the Enchilada Casserole stays saucy.
• Swap cheese: use more or less cheese. You can also swap the type of cheese but be aware this will change the flavor profile.  If you love spicy, consider using Pepper Jack cheese instead of Monterrey Jack.
• Spice it up: if you love heat, you have a few options to spice up it up:  1) add additional cayenne pepper to the sauce, 2)  add hot sauce to the sauce, 3) add chopped, pickled jalapenos to the filling, 4) add minced chipotle peppers to the filling 5) swap the Monterrey for Pepper Jack.  Alternatively, you can allow everyone to control the spice level of their own portion by passing around a bottle of hot sauce.

WHAT SHOULD I SERVE WITH ENCHILADA CASSEROLE RECIPE?

This Enchilada Casserole recipe is the main event and doesn’t need much of a supporting cast, but I always love serving it with a green salad and some sort of fruit. Here are a few side ideas:

• Rice.  I suggest serving this Beef Enchilada casserole with some sort of rice or rice alternative to soak up the saucy goodness and to offer textural juxtaposition.  Plain rice is excellent because the casserole is so flavorful or cilantro lime rice or Mexican rice are super tasty as well.  You may also swap the rice for quinoa or cauliflower rice.
• Salsa. Every Mexican meal needs chips and salsa!  Go simple with my epic restaurant style salsa or try my roasted salsa verde, black bean corn salsa, avocado corn salsa, charred corn salsa, pineapple salsa, or mango salsa.
• Salad. The comforting casserole loves the contrast of a bright, fresh salad. You can go as simple as a green salad and toss in some crushed tortilla chips, sunflower seeds, bell peppers and black beans or go big with southwest salad, Mexican salad, Mexican street corn salad or grilled corn salad.  You can also go the pasta salad route with Mexican street corn pasta salad.
• Vegetables.  You can jam all your veggies into the salad or serve the salad along with, or in addition to, elote (Mexican Grilled Street Corn – AH-mazing) baked asparagus, roasted broccoli,  roasted Brussels sprouts or roasted butternut squash.
• Fruit.  Keep it simple and serve this Beef Enchilada Casserole with your favorite fruit such as pineapple, cantaloupe, or grapes or amp it up with any of these fabulous options: pina colada fruit salad, fruit salad with honey lime vinaigrette, grape salad, winter fruit salad, or caramelized grilled pineapple.
• Dessert!  Finish off your homemade Mexican fiesta with Tres Leches Cake for the win!  

Enchilada casserole side ideas

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CAN I MAKE ENCHILADA CASSEROLE IN ADVANCE?

Yes!  This Enchilada Casserole is the perfect make-ahead meal to either assemble and bake within 24 hours or to bake and freeze. 

• Assemble and refrigerate: make and assemble the entire Enchilada Casserole in advance, tightly cover and refrigerate (without baking) for up to 24 hours. When ready to cook, bake according to recipe directions, increasing the baking time (with the foil on) by approximately 10 minutes or until the casserole is hot and bubbly and completely heated through.  Note, that the longer the enchiladas are refrigerated, the softer the tortillas will become so it is a good idea to char the tortillas first.
• Make meaty enchilada sauce:  make the meaty sauce complete with all the add-ins up to 3 days in advance and refrigerate or freeze for up to 3 months.  If you use cold sauce in your casserole, you will need to bake it an addition 10 minutes or so with the foil on.
• Prep toppings: chop and store toppings in airtight containers or baggies in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

HOW LONG IS ENCHILADA CASSEROLE GOOD FOR?

Enchilada Casserole should be tightly covered in plastic wrap or foil or transferred to an airtight container.  When stored correctly, it’s good for up to 5 days. Of course, always use your best judgment.

HOW TO REHEAT ENCHILADA CASSEROLE?

This Beef Enchilada Casserole reheats exceptionally well both in the oven and in the microwave.

• OVEN:  cover the pan with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
• MICROWAVE:  reheat individual servings in the microwave by transferring to a microwave safe plate and microwaving for 60 seconds.  Continue to microwave at 20 second intervals until heated through.

CAN I FREEZE ENCHILADA CASSEROLE?

Yes, you may freeze this Beef Enchilada Casserole, just be aware that the tortillas will become much softer.  It is a good idea to char the tortillas or use thicker tortillas like La Tortilla Factory if you plan on freezing.

TO FREEZE ENCHILADA CASSEROLE:

• Let enchilada casserole cool completely (or freeze before baking).
• Wrap casserole securely with plastic wrap, then with aluminum foil.
• Label and freeze for up to 3 months.
• When ready to eat, cover tightly with foil and bake from frozen at 425 degrees F for 60 minutes, uncovered and bake an additional 15-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

LOOKING FOR MORE MEXICAN DINNER FAVORITES?

• Chicken Fajitas
• Cilantro Lime Chicken Taco Salad
• Baked Ground Beef Tacos
• Carne Asada
• Street Tacos
• Baja Fish Tacos
• Chicken Burrito Bowls
• Smothered Chicken Burritos
• Cheesy Taco Soup