Beef Enchilada Casserole Cheese (Printable Version)

Seasoned ground beef layered with tortillas, enchilada sauce, and cheese for a classic Tex-Mex comfort dish.

# What You Need:

→ Beef Filling

01 - 1 lb ground beef
02 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 tbsp olive oil
05 - 1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies
06 - 1 tsp ground cumin
07 - 1 tsp chili powder
08 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
09 - 1/2 tsp salt
10 - 1/4 tsp black pepper

→ Sauce & Assembly

11 - 2 cups red enchilada sauce
12 - 8 corn or flour tortillas (6-inch)
13 - 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
14 - 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
15 - 1/4 cup sliced black olives
16 - 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
17 - Sour cream for serving

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook 2–3 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
03 - Add ground beef to the skillet. Cook, breaking up meat, until browned and cooked through, about 5–6 minutes. Drain excess fat.
04 - Stir in green chilies, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Cook 1 minute. Remove from heat.
05 - Spread 1/2 cup enchilada sauce over the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
06 - Layer 4 tortillas over the sauce, overlapping slightly. Top with half of the beef mixture, 3/4 cup cheddar, and 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese.
07 - Drizzle 3/4 cup enchilada sauce over the layer. Repeat with remaining tortillas, beef, and cheese.
08 - Pour remaining enchilada sauce over the top. Sprinkle with any remaining cheese and black olives.
09 - Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
10 - Uncover and bake an additional 10–15 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and lightly golden.
11 - Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with sour cream if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Everything you love about enchiladas without the tedious rolling and individual wrapping
  • The layers get all melty and interconnected in ways rolled enchiladas never could
  • Feeds a crowd with minimal active time and maximum payoff
02 -
  • The resting period is not optional or you will end up with a delicious but sloppy mess on the plate
  • Corn tortillas can tear easily when they are layered warm so do not stress about perfection
  • You can assemble this the night before and bake it straight from the fridge just add 5 to 10 minutes
03 -
  • Fry your tortillas in hot oil for 10 seconds per side before layering if you want extra structure and flavor
  • Room temperature ingredients melt together better than cold ones straight from the fridge

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