Enchilada Casserole

Enchilada Casserole is simple, requires no rolling, and is a comforting family favorite—perfect for weeknights!

Enchilada Casserole is cheesy, delicious beef enchiladas in casserole form! Be sure to check out the chicken version of this dinner dish: Chicken Enchilada Casserole.

beef Enchiladas in Casserole form

Enchiladas are one of my favorite dinner recipes and this Enchilada Casserole is no exception.

How can you not love something that contains tortillas, beans, cheese and SO much flavor?!

So what makes this different than regular enchiladas? Well, really it’s just how it’s assembled. This has all the same elements of regular beef enchiladas but instead of filling and rolling each enchilada, you are layering all the ingredients in a baking dish multiple times.

The result? Layers of delicious ingredients that combine to make a yummy enchilada casserole that is perfect for any Mexican food lover!

How to make Enchilada Casserole

BEEF. Brown ground beef with onions in a large skillet. Drain off any fat. Mix in the taco seasoning, black beans, and frozen corn.

PREP. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with oil and add ½ cup enchilada sauce. I prefer (and highly recommend) making enchilada sauce from scratch.

LAYER. Arrange 3 tortillas on the bottom followed by ½ of the meat mixture, about ½ cup cheese, ½ cup enchilada sauce, and then 3 more tortillas. Repeat and then finish with 3 more tortillas, remaining enchilada sauce and cheese. 

BAKE. Cover and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 5 more minutes until cheese is fully melted and begins to brown.

GARNISH + SERVE. Let casserole sit 5-10 minute before slicing. Garnish with tomatoes, cilantro, and sour cream.

Topping Ideas

The options for garnishing this casserole are endless!

• tomatoes
• black olives
• cilantro
• green onions
• avocado
• red onions
• shredded lettuce
• sour cream
• salsa

What will you put on top of yours? I personally LOVE cilantro so I almost always garnish every Mexican dish with it. It’s refreshing and adds a pretty pop of color.

Recipe Tips

Bake Covered or Uncovered? The answer to this question is both and here’s why: You will want to start out cooking your casserole covered with foil for the first 25 minutes to keep it from drying out and to help it to cook evenly. Then you will want to remove the foil for the last 5 minutes so the cheese can get nice and browned and melty.

Tortillas: You may be wondering if flour or corn tortillas would be best when making this recipe, and really it’s a personal choice as to which flavor you prefer.

We used flour tortillas when making this, but corn would also work. We just recommend that you dip corn tortillas in the sauce before layering them to make them more soft and pliable in this dish.

If you are watching your carbs you could even use a “Carb Smart” tortilla as well.

Cook the tortillas? The good news is that whether you choose corn or flour tortillas there is no need to cook them first when making this dish (unless, of course, you use store-bought uncooked tortillas!). They will soften and taste amazing as they bake.

Storing Info

Make Enchilada Casserole ahead of time: Just make as instructed and cover with foil or saran wrap tightly and place in the fridge for up to 24 hours before baking.

To FREEZE: Most casseroles are great to freeze! Just place in a freezer safe dish, cover with foil tightly and place in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in fridge before baking.

You may need to add a few extra minutes to the cook time and may need to add more cheese on top.

To STORE the already cooked enchilada casserole, just place in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave.

We hope you love this cheesy enchilada casserole. Just know it can be modified to how you like it with the kinds of meats, beans and veggies used in it. 😉

What to serve with enchilada casserole:

• Spanish Rice
• Cream Cheese & Chicken Taquitos
• Black Bean & Corn Salsa
• Chicken Tacos

FOR MORE MEXICAN DISHES, CHECK OUT:

• Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
• Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
• Mexican Lasagna
• Chicken Chimichangas
• Taco Casserole