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A spatula lifting a square serving of beef enchilada casserole topped with jalapeño slices, avocado, and cilantro from a baking dish.

Beef Enchilada Casserole

Beef enchilada casserole layers seasoned beef, tortillas, beans, and cheese for an easy dinner that has all the flavor of classic enchiladas!
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total: 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 6 -8 servings
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Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 1 medium green bell pepper cored and chopped
  • 1 medium red bell pepper cored and chopped
  • 1 pound lean ground beef I used 90%
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 (28-ounce can) red enchilada sauce, divided
  • 1 (15-ounce can) reduced sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 (4-ounce can) diced green chiles
  • 12 6-inch corn tortillas
  • 8 ounces Colby Jack or Montery jack cheese grated (2 cups)
  • Optional for serving: sliced jalapeño, sliced avocado, lime juice, diced tomato, plain Greek yogurt or sour cream, chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F. Coat a 9x13-inch casserole dish with baking spray.
  • Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high. Add the onion, green bell pepper, and red bell pepper. Sauté until the vegetables are starting to become tender, about 10 minutes.
    Diced onions, red bell peppers, and green bell peppers sautéing in a gray pan.
  • Add the beef, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, and salt. Cook, breaking the beef into small crumbles, until no pink remains, about 6 minutes.
    Ground meat cooked with diced onions, carrots, and green peppers in a skillet.
  • Stir in 1 cup of the enchilada sauce, black beans, and green chiles. Simmer and stir until thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
    A skillet filled with a mixture of ground meat, black beans, and diced vegetables in a red sauce.
  • Pour the remaining sauce into a wide shallow bowl (a pie plate works well). Spread ¼ cup of it into a thin layer across the bottom of the prepared dish.
    A rectangular white baking dish coated with a thin layer of red enchilada sauce.
  • Working one at a time using tongs, dip 4 tortillas in the sauce, turning to coat both sides and letting the excess drip off. Arrange them in the dish, staggering them so most of the bottom of the dish is covered.
    Four red sauce-covered tortillas in a rectangular white baking dish.
  • Spread one-third of the beef mixture over the tortillas, then sprinkle with ½ cup cheese.
  • Repeat: 4 dipped tortillas (try to offset the staggering with the layer below so the tortillas cover open gaps the first did not), half of the remaining beef, ½ cup cheese.
  • For the final layer, dip and arrange the final 4 tortillas and spread with the remaining beef. Pour any remaining sauce over the top and sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup cheese. Cover the pan tightly with foil.
    A rectangular baking dish filled with beef enchilada casserole topped with shredded cheese and ground meat.
  • Bake 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake 10 minutes more, until hot and bubbly and the cheese is melted.
  • Let rest at least 10 minutes to set up before slicing. Serve hot with toppings of choice.

Notes

  • TO STORE: Refrigerate leftover beef enchilada casserole in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
  • TO REHEAT: Warm individual servings in the microwave or reheat covered in a 350°F oven until hot.
  • TO FREEZE: Freeze in airtight, freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1(of 6)Calories: 532kcalCarbohydrates: 53gProtein: 36gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 83mgSodium: 1994mgPotassium: 781mgFiber: 12gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 1995IUVitamin C: 54mgCalcium: 361mgIron: 6mg
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