Enchilada Casserole comes together in about 15 minutes and is much easier than traditional enchiladas. Ground beef, corn tortillas, enchilada sauce, and plenty of veggies are layered together, topped with cheese, and baked to melty, bubbly perfection!<\/p>\n
![\"Enchilada](\"https:\/\/dontwastethecrumbs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Enchilada-Casserole-Cover_resized.jpg.webp)
\n<\/picture>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nI had my first enchilada as a waitress at a Mexican food restaurant in high school. It didn\u2019t look very pretty on the plate, but it was my favorite meal to order during my shift break.<\/p>\n
Fast forward several years, and I still love the taste of enchiladas<\/a>, but I don\u2019t always have the time or energy to make them the traditional way.\u00a0<\/p>\n Instead, I opt for this easy beef enchilada casserole, where everything is layered together, topped with cheese, and baked until it\u2019s warm, bubbly, and delicious!<\/p>\n Enchilada casserole has quickly become a family favorite, and it\u2019s one of my go-to ideas when we\u2019re hosting company<\/a>. It\u2019s also:<\/p>\n It\u2019s also fantastic as leftovers\u2026if any of it makes it that far!<\/p>\n The ingredient list for this beef enchilada bake may feel long on paper, but I promise you it\u2019s pretty short once you get cooking.<\/p>\n Make it Spicier. <\/strong>Add a pinch of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes to the filling mixture, use pepper jack cheese, or add a small can of diced jalapenos for additional flavor and a bit more kick.<\/p>\n Baked enchilada casserole gets even better when you top it with taco toppings, like diced tomatoes, diced avocado, red onion, sour cream, black olives, or fresh cilantro. Top with your favorites!<\/p>\n It\u2019s VERY easy to switch this beef enchilada casserole to a chicken enchilada casserole \u2013 simply swap the ground beef for cooked, shredded chicken! The recipe as written calls for 1 pound of ground beef. For chicken and enchilada casserole, you\u2019ll need 2-3 cups of shredded cooked chicken.<\/p>\n Try this easy Sheet Pan Chicken Breast Recipe<\/a>, All-Purpose Slow Cooker Chicken<\/a>, or a rotisserie chicken if you\u2019re in a pinch!<\/p>\n You can make this a vegetarian enchilada casserole by simply omitting the ground beef. You may want to add seasoned tofu, soy protein crumbles, lentils, or black beans to beef up the contents of the casserole.<\/p>\n Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375F and prepare the red enchilada sauce. <\/strong>This takes about 7-10 minutes and is worth every minute. I\u2019ve tested this recipe using both my own enchilada sauce and canned enchilada sauce, and the homemade sauce<\/a> by far made the best-tasting casserole!<\/p>\n Step 2: While the enchilada sauce simmers, <\/strong>cook a pound of ground beef in a large saucepan<\/a> over medium heat until there\u2019s very little pink, breaking up large clumps into small pieces using a potato masher (this is my favorite<\/a>).<\/p>\n Step 3: To the ground beef,<\/strong> add the chopped onions and peppers and cook over medium-low until the onions are soft, for about 3-5 minutes. Add the diced green chilies (not drained), beans (drained and rinsed), corn (drained), and 2 cups of enchilada sauce. Stir to combine everything really well. Remove from the heat and set aside.<\/p>\n Step 4: Pour \u00bd cup of enchilada sauce<\/strong> evenly over the bottom of a 9\u00d713-inch baking dish<\/a> (no need for cooking spray). Tear the tortillas in half and layer about 8 pieces over the enchilada sauce, so that the entire bottom of the dish is covered. Spoon \u2153 of the beef mixture evenly over the tortillas and then sprinkle \u2153 of the cheese over the filling.<\/p>\n Step 5: Repeat with a second layer of tortillas<\/a> <\/strong>and then pour another \u00bd cup of enchilada sauce over the tortillas. Repeat with \u2153 of the enchilada filling mixture spread evenly over the tortillas, and then sprinkle \u2153 of the cheese over the filling.<\/p>\n Step 6: Finish with a third layer of remaining tortillas,<\/strong> \u00bd cup of remaining enchilada sauce, the remaining enchilada filling mixture, and the remaining cheese.<\/p>\n Step 7: Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.<\/strong> Remove the aluminum foil and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the cheese is thoroughly melted. Remove from the oven and serve warm with your desired toppings.<\/p>\n Tip: <\/strong>You can make this enchilada casserole ahead of time by following the recipe through all the layering (step 6). Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight. Bake straight from the fridge in a preheated oven, following the baking times in the recipe.<\/p>\n Cool any leftover enchilada casserole completely before storing. You can either tightly cover the pan and refrigerate the whole thing or move the leftovers to an airtight container<\/a> in the fridge for up to 4 days.<\/p>\n The easiest method for freezing beef enchilada casserole is to make one and freeze one! That means assembling 2 pans at once, one for dinner and one for the freezer.<\/p>\n As you layer one dish, layer a second batch in a disposable 9\u00d713\u201d aluminum pan. You can find a 3-pack at the dollar store<\/a> (or a 30-pack in bulk on Amazon<\/a>), and you don\u2019t need a lid since you\u2019ll be covering it with aluminum foil anyway.<\/p>\n Freezing in a disposable pan means that you won\u2019t be losing one of your regular baking dishes to the freezer. Plus, taking a glass baking dish from the freezer to the oven can cause it to crack and break!<\/p>\n Whether you make your enchilada casserole recipes beef, chicken, or vegetarian, one of the best parts is loading up your serving with your favorite toppings!<\/p>\n This is a meal entirely on its own, but these are a few favorites we like to serve alongside:<\/p>\n This beef enchilada casserole is a great example of a meal that includes all 3 of your macros: protein, carbohydrates, and fat.<\/p>\n If you have specific macro-related food goals, here\u2019s how you can adapt the healthy enchilada bake to fit your needs.<\/p>\n Protein. <\/strong>Enchilada casserole naturally has plenty of protein from the ground beef and the beans, but you can double one or both of those for a protein-packed dinner!<\/p>\n Fat. <\/strong>The enchilada casserole recipe gets most of the fat from the cheese (and from toppings like sour cream or avocado). To lower the fat, use less cheese when assembling the casserole and skip those higher-fat toppings \u2013 you\u2019ll still have plenty of flavor from the yummy enchilada sauce and veggies!<\/p>\n Carbohydrates. <\/strong>The carbs here come from the tortillas and the beans. If you want to lower your overall carb count, only use half as many tortillas and make 2 thicker filling layers instead of 3.<\/p>\n There will always be a slight softening of the tortillas because they\u2019re getting layered with sauce and cheese, but using Corn Tortillas<\/a> instead of flour tortillas will keep the enchilada casserole from getting soggy. <\/p>\n You can also lightly toast the corn tortillas on a skillet<\/a> before assembling if you really prefer the firm texture of the tortilla.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n This enchilada recipe calls for both baking the enchilada casserole recipe covered to warm everything through and then uncovered to melt and brown the cheese.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nBEEF ENCHILADA CASSEROLE RECIPE<\/h2>\n
\n
![\"Ingredients](\"https:\/\/dontwastethecrumbs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Enchilada-Casserole-5_resized.jpg.webp)
RECIPES FOR ENCHILADAS CASSEROLE INGREDIENTS<\/h2>\n
\n
![\"Close](\"https:\/\/dontwastethecrumbs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Enchilada-Casserole-4_resized.jpg.webp)
CHICKEN ENCHILADA CASSEROLE<\/h2>\n
VEGETARIAN ENCHILADA CASSEROLE<\/h2>\n
![\"Enchilada](\"https:\/\/dontwastethecrumbs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Enchilada-Casserole-9_resized.jpg.webp)
HOW TO MAKE A HEALTHY ENCHILADA CASSEROLE<\/h2>\n
![\"Enchilada](\"https:\/\/dontwastethecrumbs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Enchilada-Casserole-6_resized.jpg.webp)
![\"White](\"https:\/\/dontwastethecrumbs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Enchilada-Casserole-7_resized.jpg.webp)
![\"Shredded](\"https:\/\/dontwastethecrumbs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Enchilada-Casserole-1_resized.jpg.webp)
![\"Homemade](\"https:\/\/dontwastethecrumbs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Enchilada-Casserole-3_resized.jpg.webp)
HOW TO FREEZE BEEF ENCHILADA BAKE<\/h2>\n
WHAT TO SERVE WITH CASSEROLE ENCHILADAS RECIPE<\/h2>\n
\n
![\"Shredded](\"https:\/\/dontwastethecrumbs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Enchilada-Casserole-2_resized.jpg.webp)
ADAPTING ENCHILADA CASSEROLE TO FIT YOUR MACROS<\/h2>\n
ENCHILADA CASSEROLE RECIPE FAQS<\/h2>\n
How do you keep enchilada casserole from getting soggy?<\/h3>\n
Is it best to bake enchiladas covered or uncovered?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Do you put sauce on enchiladas before or after baking?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/dontwastethecrumbs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Fight-Inflation-Workshop-Workbook-on-Spiral-e1697746286692.jpg)
<\/div>\n