Ground Beef Enchilada Casserole Recipe

Ground Beef Enchilada Casserole is layered with ground beef, corn tortilla’s and enchilada sauce. Easy ingredients and full of flavor casserole recipe.

Ground Beef Enchilada Casserole Recipe:

You are going to love this Enchilada Casserole Ground Beef Recipe. You don’t have to soak the tortilla’s in the enchilada sauce or heating them. All the ingredients are layered in a casserole dish for a quick and easy weeknight meal.

There is no need to add in beans, rice or corn. All you need to do is brown the beef and begin layering the ingredients in the casserole dish. Top the authentic mexican ingredients with cheddar cheese for a family favorite casserole.

Add some chips, salsa and avocado to complete this meal. This casserole is a crowd pleaser and perfect for the big game party or simple enough to serve an easy weeknight dinner idea.

Can I Use Homemade Enchilada Sauce?

I am always trying to find ways to make ingredients at home and this Red Enchilada Sauce is no exception. I love that these ingredients are simple and I always seem to have them in my pantry.

We like to spice up the enchilada sauce when we make it. You can add in some more cayenne pepper to enhance the heat into the sauce. I prefer to use homemade sauce, but the can sauce works great with this recipe.

Ingredients: 

• Lean Ground Beef 
• White Onion, finely diced 
• Taco Seasoning (approximately ½ a packet) 
• Red Enchilada Sauce – also try Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce Recipe
• Corn Tortillas 
• Cheddar Cheese, shredded 
• Fresh Cilantro, chopped (optional) 

How to Make Ground Beef Enchilada Casserole: 

• Prepare the Oven – Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

• Cook the Ground Beef – Brown the ground beef with the diced onion and taco seasoning. Brown in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook until the beef is browned and the onions are soft (approximately 5-6 minutes). 

• Add Enchilada Sauce – Pour approximately ⅓ of a cup of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9X13 baking dish. 

• Layer with Corn Tortillas – Then layer the tortillas on top of the enchilada sauce.  It’s ok to tear them in half so that they line the bottom of the pan. 

• Top with Beef – Then top with approximately half of the beef mixture, approximately ¾ cup of red enchilada sauce and ½ cup of the shredded cheese. 

• Continue Layering – Repeat these layers a 2nd time in the casserole pan. 

• Add More Tortillas – Then top with more corn tortillas, the remaining enchilada sauce and the remaining shredded cheese. 

• Bake – Cover the pan with foil and bake for 20 to 30 minutes.  Uncover the pan and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes. Until cheese is melted.

• Serve and Enjoy – Let the casserole sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes to sit.  Top with the fresh cilantro. Then cut, serve and enjoy with a side of beans and rice for a complete meal.

Ground Beef Enchilada Casserole Tips:

• Ground Beef – When cooking the ground beef, make sure to add in the onion and taco seasoning. This really enhances the flavor when it is cooked all together.
• Enchilada Sauce – We used canned enchilada sauce, but you can easily make your own with easy ingredients.
• Lean Ground Beef – When buying the ingredients for this casserole dish, I like to use lean ground beef. This helps with cutting down on the grease while the casserole is baking.
• Cheese – When I add a cup of cheese to this casserole dish, I try to keep the distribution of the cheese light. This helps with cutting down on the grease but still giving it that cheesy flavor.
• Tortillas – To make sure everything cooks evenly and it fits in your casserole dish, cut the tortilla and layer.
• Broil – If you like you cheese to have a burnt crispy top, I recommending turning the broil on in your oven. Just a few minutes and the results are amazing.

Variations:

• Creamy Enchilada’s – If you want your enchilada’s to have a creamy texture mix in some cream cheese to the beef mixture.
• Green Sauce – You can use different sauces for this recipes. Try it with green sauce or use a hot sauce if your family can handle it.
• Low Carb Option – If you are following a low carb diet, you can use low carb tortillas. They really have improved the test and I am sure your family won’t be able to tell the difference.
• Change the Cheese – You can mix the cheese if you prefer. Add pepper jack cheese to your cheddar cheese mix for a little heat to the enchiladas.
• Green Chiles – Add green chiles to the ground been mixture for added flavor.

Topping Ideas:

There are so many different topping ideas for this enchilada casserole. You can definitely serve as is, but we like to serve with different options. Here are some of our favorites:

• Slice Black Olives
• Chopped White Onions
• Fresh Lime
• Slice Avocados
• Pico de Gallo
• Homemade Salsa
• Sour Cream
• Black Beans

How do you Make Beef Enchiladas not Soggy:

If you are having problems with the tortilla getting soggy, you may need to fry the tortillas. This creates a barrier between the sauce and the tortilla so it doesn’t soak up the sauce.

Make sure you drain your ground beef and don’t add to much cheese to the casserole. This will also helps in keeping the enchiladas from getting soggy.

What to Serve with Enchilada Casserole:

We like to keep things simple when we serve this casserole. Here are some of our simple side dishes.

• Refried Beans – Serving a side of refried beans is an easy choice with this meal. You can also serve black beans or pinto beans.
• Mexican Rice – We love making homemade spanish rice. We usually have white rice already frozen so it easy to add in the spanish rice ingredients to complete this meal.
• Garden Salad – You can easily make a large garden salad to balance out this meal. A light and refreshing salad pairs well with this casserole.

Corn Tortillas vs Flour Tortillas:

In this recipe we like to use corn tortillas. When we make traditional enchilada we like using flour tortillas because they are easy to roll. Corn tortilla will tear if you don’t soak them in sauce before wrapping.

Can I use flour tortillas instead of corn?

Since everything is layered in this recipe and there is no wrapping involved, I like the using corn tortillas. But you can use flour tortillas if you prefer. Flour tends to soak up the sauce more so I prefer the corn. However, several readers have made it with flour and love it.

Can I Make this in ahead of time?

Yes, this casserole is perfect to be made ahead of time. If I know I have a busy day coming up, I prepare this casserole as indicated and place in the refrigerator.

Then when I am ready to cook it, I set it out for about 20 minutes and then place in the preheated oven. Everyone can grab a serving and quickly eat before they head out the door.

How to Store Leftovers:

Storing leftovers is easy to do with this recipe. I like to place the leftovers in individual containers in the refrigerator. If stored properly these enchiladas will last about 4 days.

To reheat, place on a microwave save dish and reheat in 1 minute intervals. If you have leftover sauce you may need to add to keep from drying out.

Why we Love Ground Beef Enchilada Casserole:

• Easy Recipe – We love to change things up when we make enchiladas. This is an easy way to make them and even my kids can help.
• Simple Ingredients – It only takes 6 ingredients to make this hearty enchilada casserole. The flavors combined make this a family favorite.
• Family Friendly – When this is on the menu, my kids get so excited because they know they can help and it taste amazing.
• Quick to Make – This is a quick weeknight dinner idea but it also great when I have friends and family over.
• Meal Prep – My husband loves these enchilada leftover. They reheat up well and the flavor is amazing even several days of being in the refrigerator. This is the perfect meal to prepare at the beginning of the week and eat for lunch.

Print Recipe for Ground Beef Enchilada Casserole:

More Enchilada Recipes:

• Easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole
• Baked Enchilada Chicken Recipe
• Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Enchilada Casserole