Beef Enchilada Casserole

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Beef Enchilada Casserole

Beef Enchilada Casserole layers seasoned ground beef, soft corn tortillas, red enchilada sauce, and a blend of Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese in a 9x13 dish. Easy to assemble, hands-off in the oven, and ready to feed a hungry table of eight with serious leftovers.

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword beef enchilada casserole, casserole, easy enchilada casserole, enchilada casserole, ground beef enchilada casserole, mexican casserole

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Bake time 40

Total Time 1

Servings

Calories 319kcal

Author Maike Corbett

Equipment

9x13 Casserole Dish

Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef recommend 80/20, lower fat ratios can be used if desired
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or canola oil
1 large red onion chopped, 1 ½ cups
2 cloves garlic minced
2 4-ounce cans diced green chiles
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons paprika
18 white corn tortillas size: 6-inch
1 28-ounce can Red Enchilada sauce
1 8-ounce block Monterey Jack cheese shredded
1 8-ounce block Cheddar cheese mild, shredded

Instructions

Preheat the oven. Set to 375° Fahrenheit.
Brown the beef. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat (optional with 80/20 beef, but it does not hurt). Add the ground beef and brown it. Drain off any excess fat, transfer to a bowl, and set aside.
Sauté the aromatics. Add the onion to the skillet and cook for 2 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
Season everything. Return the beef to the skillet along with the green chiles, kosher salt, black pepper, cumin, chili powder, and paprika. Stir to combine and cook for 4 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat.
Mix the cheese. Toss the shredded Monterey Jack and Cheddar together in a small bowl.
Coat the dish. Spread one ladle (about ½ cup) of enchilada sauce across the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish to fully cover it.
Build the first layer. Arrange 6 tortillas over the sauce, then add another ladle (½ cup) of enchilada sauce on top. Add ⅓ of the beef mixture, then ⅓ of the cheese.
Repeat the layers. Layer 6 more tortillas, sauce, beef, and cheese two more times, finishing with all of the remaining cheese on top.
Bake covered, then uncovered. Cover the casserole dish with foil and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes to brown the cheese.

Notes

LAYER STRUCTURE

Each layer = 6 tortillas, ½ cup of enchilada sauce, ⅓ of the beef mixture, and ⅓ of the cheese mixture. Six 6-inch tortillas will overlap heavily in a 9x13 dish, which is what you want for full coverage and clean slicing.

TORTILLA PLACEMENT Make sure every tortilla is lying flat, not curled up against the side of the dish, and that every edge is covered with sauce, meat, or cheese. Any exposed tortilla edge will dry out and burn in the oven.

EXTRA BROWNING

For a deeper golden crust on top, broil the casserole for 2 to 3 minutes after the final bake. Watch closely so the cheese does not burn.

DRAIN THE BEEF 80/20 ground beef leaves a lot of fat in the pan after browning. Drain it well before adding the seasonings, otherwise the casserole bottom turns greasy and the layers slide apart when you cut into it.

TOPPINGS

Finish with sliced black olives, pico de gallo, chopped tomatoes, or fresh cilantro.

Nutrition