Baked Enchilada Casserole
Like enchilada lasagna, this casserole features layers of savory beef (studded with corn, green chilies, and beans), corn tortillas, and lots of gooey Mexican cheese. The corn tortillas are dunked in enchilada sauce before layering, so they’re extra flavorful and perfectly soft. This is a must for gatherings and game day!
This is such a fun casserole; there are plenty of flavors and textures to enjoy. The beef mixture is brimming with savory spices, corn, beans, and chilies – it’s good enough to eat on its own. The corn tortillas are dripping and flavorful thanks to the enchilada sauce. And the cheese pulls everything together.
I used ground beef this time, but poultry works too. If you would rather not use beef, swap in 1 pound of ground chicken or turkey for the beef.
You can make this dish spicy if desired. For a fiery dish, use hot enchilada sauce and more cayenne pepper. You can also use a hot chili powder. Serve the dish with hot sauce for an extra kick.
When serving this as a main dish, I suggest adding a crisp green salad to round out the meal. If you’re adding this casserole to a party spread, you don’t need anything else.
Can you make this dish in advance? Yes! Assemble the casserole as instructed, cover with plastic and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Pull the casserole from the fridge 30 minutes before baking and bake as instructed. If the casserole is still cold, you may need to add a few minutes to the baking time.
Baked Enchilada Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more/less to taste
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 15- ounce can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 11- ounce can Mexican style corn, or regular corn, drained
- 4- ounce can chopped green chilies, regular or hot
- 8 corn tortillas, cut into 4 wedges each
- 10- ounce can enchilada sauce, mild or hot
- 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese, divided
- Chopped fresh cilantro for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 13×9-inch baking dish with cooking spray or a thin layer of olive oil.
- Brown the beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until soft.
- Add the oregano, chili powder, cayenne pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Fold in the beans, corn, and green chilies and remove the pan from the heat.
- Pour the enchilada sauce into a bowl. Dip half of the tortillas in the enchilada sauce and arrange them in the bottom of the pan, overlapping them as necessary to cover the surface.
- Top the tortillas with half of the beef mixture and 1 cup of the cheese.
- Dip the remaining tortillas in the enchilada sauce and place them over the beef in the pan (reserve any remaining enchilada sauce).
- Top the tortillas with the remaining beef mixture. Pour over any remaining enchilada sauce. Top with the remaining cup of cheese.
- Bake, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes, until the filling is bubbly and the cheese melts.
- If desired, place the pan under the broiler to add color to the cheese.
- Top with cilantro and serve.