Easy Enchilada Casserole Recipe

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This easy enchilada casserole packs in all the spicy goodness of traditional enchiladas with half the work. A family favorite for a Mexican dinner.

Since everyone in the family loves Mexican food and Tex-Mex, I’m always thinking up new ways to combine the much loved flavors.

The idea for this easy ground beef enchilada casserole came from an old church cookbook of my grandma. I made a few changes based on ingredients I had in pantry, but the family loved the results.

enchilada casserole in a pan with one serving missing

About Enchilada Casserole

Flavor: The filling is creamy and lightly spicy. You can always spice it up a little more with jalapeño peppers, a spicy enchilada sauce or more green chilies.
Texture: This casserole has a lot of texture due to the ground beef, black beans and green chilies. The cream of mushroom soup and enchilada sauce allows the filling to be smooth and creamy. The tortilla chips will soften slightly during the baking, especially on the bottom. The top chips will stay a little crispier.

If you love Mexican casseroles, try our easy tamale pie!

What is in enchilada filling?

Enchiladas are generally filled with some type of meat (beef, chicken or pork), black beans, green chiles and sometimes rice or corn.

To give the filling flavor, I added enchilada sauce (use store bought or make your own), garlic and onion.

Tomato paste thickens the filling and cream of mushroom soup softens the flavors and makes it a little creamier.

collage of how to make an easy enchilada casserole with tortilla chips

How to Make Enchilada Casserole

Cook. In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef, onion and garlic together until the beef is no longer pink and the onion becomes translucent. Drain off any fat.
Simmer. Add the soup, enchilada sauce, tomato paste, drained chilies, drained black beans and salt. Mix well, then allow the mixture to simmer in the skillet over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
Assemble. Spread half of the coarsely crushed tortilla chips in the bottom of a 9×13” casserole dish. Spread the meat mixture evenly over the chips.
Bake. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining chips and then cheese on the top of the meat. Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

a plate of tortilla chips and enchilada casserole

Enchilada Casserole Toppings

In Mexican dishes, many times the toppings are what take the flavor to the next level.

Try topping with sour cream, guacamole, fresh cilantro, black olives, a squirt of fresh lime juice or fresh sliced avocado.

Serve alongside rice and refried beans.

Recipe Variations

Don’t have tortilla chips? Use corn tortillas or flour tortillas. You can even use leftover hard taco shells.
Use chicken instead of beef for chicken enchilada casserole. Shredded chicken breasts or rotisserie chicken.

Easy Enchilada Casserole

4.70 from 30 votes

This easy enchilada casserole packs in all the spicy goodness of traditional enchiladas with half the work. A family favorite for a Mexican dinner.

Servings 10

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

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Ingredients

2 pounds 85% lean ground beef
1 cup diced yellow onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
10.5 ounces cream of mushroom soup 1 can
10 ounces red enchilada sauce 1 can
6 ounces tomato paste 1 can
4 ounces diced green chilies 1 can, drained
15.5 ounces black beans rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon salt
11.5 ounces tortilla chips coarsely crushed (I used homestyle thick chips)
2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese or cheddar cheese

Instructions

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef, onion and garlic together until the beef is no longer pink and the onion becomes translucent. Drain off any fat.
Add the soup, enchilada sauce, tomato paste, drained chilies, drained black beans and salt.
Mix well, then allow the mixture to simmer in the skillet over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Spread half of the coarsely crushed tortilla chips in the bottom of a 9×13” casserole dish.
Spread the meat mixture evenly over the chips.
Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
Sprinkle the remaining chips and then cheese on the top of the meat.
Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Serve with sliced green onion, sour cream, guacamole or pico de gallo.

Notes

Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.

The calories shown are based on the casserole being cut into 10 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 piece. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**

Nutrition

Author Julie Clark

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Mexican

Calories 556

Keyword ground beef casserole, mexican casserole

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you use salsa instead of enchilada sauce?

You can, but it will change the flavor and the texture of the casserole.

Can you make this casserole in advance?

I don’t recommend making this in advance because the tortilla chips will become chewy. You could make the enchilada filling in advance, then layer and bake when you’re ready. This would save quite a bit of time and be a great after work meal.