Beef Enchilada Casserole
Beef Enchilada Bake is a layered casserole with seasoned beef, tortillas, rich sauce and melted cheese for an easy family-friendly dinner.
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 20 6-inch corn tortillas
- One 10-ounce can Ro-Tel tomatoes
- 1½ cups beef broth, divided
- 2 pounds 85% lean ground beef
- 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
- 2 medium sweet onions, finely chopped
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 3 15-ounce cans tomato sauce
- 16 ounces (4 cups) Colby Jack cheese, shredded
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Adjust the oven rack to the middle position, and heat the oven to 450℉. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Toast the tortillas, one at a time, in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until lightly browned (about 20 seconds per side); transfer to a plate and cover with a dish towel.
- Tear 8 toasted tortillas into pieces and add them to the bowl of a food processor. Add the tomatoes and their juice and ¾ cup of the broth and process until smooth; transfer to a large bowl. Add the beef to the skillet and cook over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain the beef in a colander and then stir it into the processed tortilla mixture.
- Add oil and onion to the empty skillet and cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder and cumin and cook until fragrant (30 seconds). Stir in the tomato sauce and the remaining ¾ cup of broth and simmer until slightly thickened, 5 to 7 minutes; transfer to a separate bowl.
- Add half of the tomato sauce mixture to the bowl with the beef. Then add 1½ cups Colby Jack, cilantro and tabasco to the beef mixture as well. Season it all with salt and pepper.
- Arrange 6 toasted tortillas in the bottom of the prepared dish (overlapping slightly). Spread the beef mixture evenly into the dish, then top with the remaining 6 tortillas followed by the remaining tomato sauce mixture. Bake until the filling is bubbling around the edges (about 30 minutes). Sprinkle with the remaining 2½ cups of cheese and continue to bake until the cheese is browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Let the casserole cool for 20 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Toast tortillas first for best texture
- Let rest before slicing for clean servings
- Use fresh cheese if possible
- Great make-ahead meal
- Adjust spice level with Tabasco
- This recipe can easily be made gluten-free (just make sure all ingredients are GF)
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 723kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 131mg | Sodium: 1572mg | Potassium: 1246mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 1962IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 523mg | Iron: 6mg