Easy Beef Enchilada Casserole Recipe

Beef enchilada casserole in a baking dish, sliced and ready to serve

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Easy Beef Enchilada Casserole Recipe

A cozy, cheesy beef enchilada casserole layers tortilla chips instead of tortillas with seasoned ground beef, black beans, and homemade red enchilada sauce. It all bakes in one dish in under an hour.

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 25

Total Time 45

Servings

Calories 445kcal

Author Jennifer

Equipment

1 large skillet
1 baking dish 13x9, 11x7, 9x9, or 8x8

Ingredients

For the filling:

1 pound ground beef (I use 85/15)
1 small yellow onion diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 can (4 ounces) mild diced green chiles or 1 fresh Anaheim pepper (optional)
1 can (15 ounces) black beans drained and rinsed
2 cups red enchilada sauce divided (half a batch of my homemade sauce, or store-bought)

For the layers:

6 ounces tortilla chips (roughly half a 12-ounce bag, or about 6 cups) or 12 small corn tortillas
3 cups shredded colby jack cheese (or a Mexican blend or mild cheddar)

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 by 13 inch (or similar size) baking dish and set it aside.
In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef with the diced onion, salt, and pepper, breaking up the meat as it cooks, until cooked through (it takes about 6 to 8 minutes). Drain off the fat.
Stir the green chiles, black beans, and 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce into the beef. Warm together for 1 to 2 minutes, then remove from the heat.
Spread 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce across the bottom of the prepared dish. Add a single overlapping layer using about half the tortilla chips.
Top with half the beef mixture, drizzle with about 1/2 cup of the sauce, and sprinkle on about 1 1/2 cups of the cheese.
Repeat the layers: the remaining chips, the remaining beef mixture, the last 1/2 cup of sauce, and the remaining 1 1/2 cups of cheese on top.
Bake uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the edges are golden.
Let the casserole rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing and serving so it stays intact.

Notes

Slightly stale chips work wonderfully here and hold their shape well. To keep the layers sliceable, go easy on the sauce between layers, since the chips soak it up as they bake. You can replace the homemade enchilada sauce with about 2 cups of store-bought sauce.

Nutrition