Beef Enchilada Casserole
A Beef Enchilada Casserole has all of the flavors or the traditional Mexican meal and simplifies the recipe by layering ingredients in a casserole dish rather than rolling them.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 499kcal
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 10 small tortillas halved (corn or flour)
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 cup onion finely chopped
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground pepper
- 15 ounces black beans or pinto
- 7 ounces diced green chiles drained
- 2 cups enchilada sauce homemade or canned
- 2½ cups Mexican blend cheese shredded
Sauce:
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp all purpose flour
- ¼ cup finely diced onion
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 30 ounce (2 15-ounce) cans tomato sauce
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp Mexican oregano
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 jalapeno halved,seeded
- 4 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp tomato bouillon or chicken bouillon
- 1 cup chicken broth
Toppings:
- Sliced avocado
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 1 jalapeno seeded and diced
- 1 tomato diced
- Sour cream
- Salsa
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, cook the ground beef till it is no longer pink.
- Add the onion, garlic, smoked paprika, salt and pepper and cook for 4 more minutes.
- Add the black beans and green chilis and heat for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- While the beef is cooking, place the onion, garlic, ½ the tomato sauce, cumin, oregano, chili powder, jalapenos, tomato paste and bouillon in a blender and blend till smooth.
- In a saucepan, heat the olive oil and stir in the flour, cook for 1 minute till the raw smell has cooked out. Then whisk in sauce from the blender. Add the remaining tomato sauce and the chicken broth. Stir till combined.
- Cook the sauce till hot and bubbly. If it is too thin, cook a bit longer and the flour will thicken the sauce. As it cools if it thickens too much, add a little more chicken broth.
- Preheat the oven to 350° and spray a 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray.
- Lay tortillas over the bottom of the pan, spoon some of the sauce over the tortillas. Then spread with half the beef mixture, and sprinkle with cheese.
- Repeat layering everything till the top is sprinkled with cheese. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes. The enchiladas should be bubbly and the cheese melted.
- Serve with your choice of toppings: sliced avocados, diced tomatoes, cilantro, sour cream, etc.
Notes
Storage:
- To Store: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- To Freeze: Assemble the casserole as instructed, cover tightly with foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, thaw the dish in the refrigerator overnight and allow to come to room temperature on the counter before it goes in the oven. It can also be frozen in individual portions once cooked.
- To Reheat: Cover the casserole with foil and reheat at 350°F for about 30 minutes or until heated through. Optionally, single portions of enchilada casserole can be heated in the microwave.
- You can use canned enchilada sauce if you want a quicker cooking time.
- You can make extra enchilada sauce and store it in the freezer. The next time you want to make this dish, just thaw it in the microwave or in a pan on the stove.
- If you use a ground beef with a higher percentage of fat, make sure you drain off the fat after cooking the ground beef.
Nutrition
Calories: 499kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 2121mg | Potassium: 1059mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 1785IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 506mg | Iron: 6mg