This enchilada casserole delivers all the flavor without the fuss! Made with a savory homemade sauce, it’s easy to prepare and tastes just like classic enchiladas
Prep Time 30 minutesmins
40 minutesmins
Total Time 1 hourhr10 minutesmins
Course Main Course, Main Dish
Cuisine American, Mexican, Texmex
Servings 8
Calories 529kcal
Ingredients
Enchilada Sauce
6tbspcooking oilolive, peanut, sunflower, etc
6tbspall purpose flour
⅓cupchili powdersee notes
2tspgarlic powder
1tspsalt
1tspcumin
1tsporegano
4cupswater
2tbspBetter than Bouillon Beef
Meat Mixture
1½lbslean ground beef
1tbspcooking oil
1onionmedium, diced
1canblack beansdrained, about a 15oz can
1candiced green chilisabout a 4oz can
6flour tortillaslarge size
3cupscheeseshredded, see notes
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish.
Enchilada Sauce
In a large saucepan, whisk together 6 tbsp cooking oil and 6 tbsp all purpose flour. Place on burner over medium-high heat.
Whisk completely into the flour paste: ⅓ cup chili powder, 2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp cumin, and 1 tsp oregano.
Slowly whisk while pouring in 4 cups water then add 2 tbsp Better than Bouillon Beef . While occasionally stirring, start the meat mixture (instructions below). Once sauce starts to simmer, turn down until just at a simmer until ready to assemble the casserole.
Meat Mixture
In a large frying pan over medium heat, brown 1½ lbs lean ground beef and crumble into small bits. Drain, leave aside.
Add prepared onion to pan with 1 tbsp cooking oil and cook until onion starts to turn translucent. Return beef to pan and stir in drained black beans and 1 can diced green chilis. Turn to low until ready to assemble the casserole.
Assemble
Remove pans from heat.
Spread ½ cup of sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
Cut 2 tortillas in half. Place them so that the straight (cut) edges line the sides of the dish, fully covering the bottom.
Spread half of the meat mixture on top of the tortillas.
Sprinkle ⅓ of the cheese over the meat layer.
Pour ¾ cup of sauce over the cheese.
Repeat the tortilla layer by cutting and placing 2 more tortillas in the same manner.
Spread the remaining half of the meat mixture on top of the tortillas.
Sprinkle another ⅓ of the cheese over the meat layer.
Pour another ¾ cup of sauce over that cheese layer.
Place the final 2 tortillas in the same cut-and-place fashion, then pour the remaining sauce on top.
Finish by sprinkling the last of the cheese over the sauce.
Cover the pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted and bubbly.
Notes
Chili powder: the better the quality here, the better the sauce (and casserole) will taste. You can also customize how much you use. Cheese: 3 cups is the average amount we use, but if the block is almost finished, I might shred the rest of it, adding a cup extra cheese. There's no such thing as too much cheese. I usually use sharp (or "old" in Canada) cheddar, but Pepper Jack would be good as well, or a mixture, even adding some mozzarella to up the cheesy-gooeyness.