Beef Enchilada Casserole Cheese (Printable Version)
Savory layers of spiced beef, corn tortillas, and melted cheese baked into a warm Tex-Mex dish.
# Ingredient List:
→ Meats
01 - 1 lb ground beef (80/20 recommended)
→ Vegetables & Aromatics
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
→ Spices
04 - 2 tsp chili powder
05 - 1 tsp ground cumin
06 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
07 - 1/2 tsp dried oregano
08 - 1/2 tsp salt
09 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
→ Sauces
10 - 2 cups red enchilada sauce (store-bought or homemade)
→ Casserole Layers
11 - 8 corn tortillas (6-inch), quartered
12 - 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
13 - 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
→ Garnishes (optional)
14 - 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
15 - 1/2 cup sliced green onions
16 - Sour cream, for serving
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 375°F.
02 - In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until browned, breaking it up with a spatula (about 5 minutes). Drain excess fat if needed.
03 - Add the chopped onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, and black pepper; cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Pour in 1 cup of enchilada sauce and stir to combine. Remove from heat.
05 - Spread 1/4 cup enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish.
06 - Layer one-third of the tortilla pieces over the sauce. Top with half the beef mixture, then sprinkle with a mix of cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese (about 1/3 of the total cheese).
07 - Add another layer of tortillas, the remaining beef, and another third of the cheese.
08 - Top with final layer of tortillas, remaining enchilada sauce, and the rest of the cheese.
09 - Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
10 - Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and golden.
11 - Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Garnish with cilantro, green onions, and serve with sour cream if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The layered texture means every bite has crispy edges, soft tortilla, and that perfect cheese pull that makes people reach for their phones
- It feeds a crowd without any fancy rolling techniques, so you get all the enchilada flavor with half the work and even more comfort
- Leftovers somehow taste better the next day, making it the gift that keeps on giving for lunch
02 -
- Dont skip the rest time after baking, otherwise your beautiful layers will slide apart into a delicious mess that still tastes amazing but looks like a casserole explosion
- Corn tortillas can be stubborn, but quartering them instead of rolling whole ones makes this so much faster and actually gives you better texture throughout
03 -
- Warm your corn tortillas in the microwave for 30 seconds before quartering them, and they will be less likely to crack when you layer them
- Let your beef mixture cool slightly before assembling, otherwise hot filling can make the tortillas soggy before they even hit the oven