Beef Enchilada Casserole

I live in the land of Tex-Mex cuisine, which has given me a great appreciation for dishes like this beef enchilada casserole. It takes some of the labor out of making traditional enchiladas. Instead of rolling individual enchiladas, the corn tortillas are dipped in a homemade enchilada sauce and left flat. Taco seasoning is used to flavor a simple ground beef and black bean filling nestled between layers of Monterey Jack cheese. 

If you’re on the hunt for your next weeknight casserole, this one is sure to fit the bill. 

How to Make Homemade Enchilada Sauce

Making your enchilada sauce at home may seem like a tall order, but you’d be surprised by how quickly it comes together. Simply toast the dried ancho chiles until they’re fragrant, then blend them with hot beef stock, onions, garlic, and chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. The chipotles add a smoky element to the enchilada sauce, making it taste like it’s been simmering for hours. 

Although making your own enchilada sauce at home is fairly simple, you can always use a canned or jarred enchilada sauce for this recipe. Las Palmas or La Victoria are my favorite brands of canned enchilada sauce. 

The Best Ground Beef to Use

I prefer to use ground chuck for this recipe. Instead of adding oil to the pan, I bring the ground meat up to temperature along with the pan. This slowly renders its fat, which eliminates the need for oil. After draining the grease from the beef, I use the same pan—still slick from cooking the beef—to sauté the aromatics.

Swaps and Substitutions 

• Use flour tortillas to make this recipe instead of corn tortillas. 
• Instead of making homemade enchilada sauce, use canned sauce.
• Use ground pork or ground poultry instead of beef. For ground turkey or chicken, you’ll need to begin heating the pan with a tablespoon of oil since it’s much leaner than red meat.
• Make this a seafood enchilada casserole by replacing the ground beef with chopped peeled and deveined shrimp. Sauté the shrimp for 3-4 minutes in 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil before adding the aromatics to the recipe. 
• Choose your favorite type of cheese in place of the Monterey Jack. The gooier the better, so consider cheeses like panela, Oaxaca cheese, or queso asadero.

Serving Suggestions 

This recipe is a stand-alone meal that I top with sour cream, chopped cilantro, and jalapeño slices. I’ll sometimes add pico de gallo and guacamole if I have some in the fridge, or a simple garden salad. 

If you want to stretch this casserole to serve more people, you can cut smaller servings and serve it with steamed white rice or Spanish rice and stewed beans. 

Make It Ahead

You can assemble this casserole and store it in the fridge for 2 days. Just be sure to store it well-covered and allow the baking dish to come to just about room temperature before putting it into the hot oven (the precaution is to avoid shattering your baking dish).

If you’d like to freeze the casserole:

• Assemble the beef enchilada casserole as instructed and wrap the baking dish in a layer of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of foil. 
• Freeze the casserole for up to 2 months. 
• Thaw the frozen casserole in the fridge overnight and bake as instructed.
• You can also freeze the baked casserole. Wrap the container well and freeze the casserole for up to 2 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, or a 350°F (177°C) oven for 15 minutes or until warmed through.   

More Tex-Mex and South of the Border Casseroles

• Mexican Lasagna
• Easy Burrito Casserole
• Chile Relleno Casserole
• Tamale Pie
• Salsa Verde Chicken Bake