Tex-Mex Enchilada Casserole
This Tex-Mex enchilada casserole is truly the best when it comes to homemade Mexican meals. It is mild in spiciness with tremendous flavor.
Before we even get started, let me just say that I know many of you (don’t look away, I’m talking to YOU!) are going to dismiss this recipe because of the ingredient list.
And while I admit, it’s on the long side, I have to implore you to dig deep within your cooking soul and trust me when I say that it looks worse than it really is. Promise.
With absolutely no exaggeration in my words, this Mexican-inspired meal is hands down the best Mexican/Tex-Mex style recipe I have ever posted. I’m not kidding.
I make a decent amount of Mexican food but am usually left a bit underwhelmed and 90% of the recipes never get posted because I really, really only want to put the best of the best out here for you to try.
This enchilada casserole is truly the best of the best.
It is mild in spiciness (you could definitely heat it up more if you like) but has tremendous flavor from the classic cumin/chili powder/coriander trio and the myriad of peppers, onion and garlic. Quickly browning the corn tortillas before assembling is brilliant because while they soften a bit during baking, they keep a tasty amount of tenderness and bite which keeps the casserole from becoming a soggy, mushy mess.
And I don’t know about you but I firmly believe that soggy, mushy casseroles do not belong on the planet.
I have my share of food cravings; Mexican-inspired dishes are rarely, rarely among them. Until now. I literally have wanted to make this casserole every day since we first had it
. The leftovers are fantastical and I already have the real deal on our menu plan for next week because it is just that good. I mean, just look at it.
Doesn’t it scream “eat me up” with all that cheesy, saucy, black bean goodness? In the words of others far more eloquent than I: Holy Yum.
What To Serve With This:
Tortilla chips (or for something more fancy these Curried Nachos with Mango Salsa)
Fresh, seasonal fruit
Steamed veggie or something like this Skillet Squash Medley
One Year Ago: Brown Sugar Crackle Cookies
Two Years Ago: Healthy Chicken Nuggets {Baked}
Three Years Ago: Lemon Berry Trifle
Tex-Mex Enchilada Casserole
Ingredients
- 14 corn tortillas cut into thirds
- 1 ½ pounds ground beef or lean ground turkey
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 medium red or green bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
- 1 large poblano chile, diced
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 2 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 cups Monterey jack cheese, shredded
- Chopped cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a 9X13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside.
- Arrange the cut tortillas in a single layer on two large, rimmed baking sheets. Bake the tortillas until slightly crisp, about 15 minutes.
- In a large 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef or turkey with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper breaking the meat up into bite-sized pieces. Cook until the meat is no longer pink, 5-7 minutes. Scrape the meat onto a plate and wipe the skillet clean (you may need to drain off excess grease from the meat depending on the fat content).
- In the same skillet over medium heat, add the butter and olive oil and stir in the onion, bell pepper, poblano, corn and garlic. Cook until the veggies are softened, 3-4 minutes. Stir the flour, chile powder, cumin and coriander into the vegetable mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth, whisking constantly. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until thick, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in the beans, lime juice and season with salt and pepper.
- Line the bottom of the greased baking pan with 1/3 of the baked tortillas. Layer with 1/3 of the meat and then 1/3 of the veggie/sauce mixture and then sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheeses. Repeat that process again twice more ending with the cheeses.
- Bake the casserole until hot and bubbly, about 30-35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes or so before serving. Garnish with chopped cilantro.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted from Cuisine at Home October 2012 (cut out significant amount of butter/oil, changed the meat mixture and a few other spices and added cilantro)
109 Comments on “Tex-Mex Enchilada Casserole”
Made this casserole last week and it was a hit!!!!! Flavorful and easy, the best type of meal. Made extra sauce because we enjoy a messy enchilada. Paired perfect with a simple salad. Thanks again for making dinner time delicious.
Any recommendations on how to make this recipe gluten free? What could I use in place of the flour to thicken the sauce?
You could use cornstarch or arrowroot powder.
Hi Mel!
For your Tex Mex enchilada casserole,
what size tortillas should I use?
Thought I’d use a rotisserie chicken in lieu of the beef.
Love your recipes.
Thank you,
Lea
Thank you! I usually use 6-inch tortillas.
Are the ingredients and instructions missing enchilada sauce? From the name and pictures, I assumed enchilada sauce (or it components) would be included, but I don’t see it.
It’s a homemade enchilada sauce that is included in the recipe (ingredients and instructions) – it’s in step #4
Hi Mel, I love this recipe but haven’t made it in a couple of years and since then, all of my local stores have stopped carrying the poblano chili ♀️. I just can’t find it. Not sure what’s up with that, but is there another chili pepper similar you would sub or just leave it out?
I’d probably throw in a green bell pepper or even a can of green chiles?
My partner and I love this recipe! I recently came up with a great vegetarian alternative: I replace the meat with some roasted Sweet potato and a can of red kidney beans! I cut up one large sweet potato and roast it until it’s soft, covering it with a bit of oil and cinnamon and paprika before putting it in the oven. Then, once it is finished roasting I mix it together with the red kidney beans! Works great and adds a different dimension to an already fantastic meal!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! About how many steps could you do the night before you actually cook the casserole? I always have more success getting dinner on the table if I can do most of the prep in advance! Thank you!
You could prep this entire thing the night before and bake the next day!
Thank you so much! That is super helpful! I’m horrible at knowing what can be done in advance as far as cooking goes! 🙂 Thank you!!!
This was beyond awesome! I don’t know why I didn’t try it earlier. I had a lot of ground meat leftover from a big event I cooked for and used it in this dish. So, so, so good! Even had company with it and it was not fancy, but definitely company-worthy and everyone loved it. I served it with your honey fruit salad and a simple lettuce/tomato/avocado salad with the dressing from your Mexican Chopped salad. All of it was fabulous. The only sub I did was flat parsley instead of the cilantro since my husband is allergic to cilantro. And, it was super easy when my friends asked for all the recipes to refer them to your site. Thanks for making me feel like a rockstar!
HI Mel, super excited to make this. I’ll be making a turkey and veggie version. How do I change this recipe if making veggie only. Do I still need the broth?
Hi Genie – I’m not sure how it would work to change this to a turkey/veggie version but I’d probably still use the broth.
Just made this tonight with 7 flour tortillas instead (the uncooked kind). And it was delicious!! Husband and kids scarfed it down. Thanks Mel!!
Thanks for the awesome recipe! I made this for dinner tonight – and subbed in flour tortillas instead of corn, because that was what I had on hand. I think it would be even better with corn tortillas, but the flour tortillas were still very, very delicious. When I try a new recipe I always ask my husband, “Do you like it?” (Then he gives me an honest Yes or no answer.) And the follow up, “How often would you like me to make this recipe?” His response tonight? “Every day!” Not sure I’ve ever heard that response! Thanks, Mel!
Hey Mel! I love this recipe but tonight we have family running in all different directions. Do you think it would work in a crockpot? Thanks!
I haven’t made it that way, Karen, but it’s certainly worth a try. Report back if you attempt it.
This recipe is amazing!! Thank you so much for sharing! I love tex-mex, but my family, not so much. I made this as a surprise dinner and they loved it!
Plus I wasn’t in the kitchen forever!
Thanks again!
I wanted to add that I’ve frozen half of this. I pulled it out the night before and had to cook it a little longer, but it was just as good.
This was great, though I’ve come to expect nothing less from your recipes! I served it with tortilla chips and one of those new chopped salad kits from Dole, the chipotle ranch one. Went very well together.
We have just finished dinner, and this delicious dish was the star! I knew I would like it but was skeptical about my husband. He had two huge helpings and has some packed for tomorrow’s lunch already. Mel, I’ve just discovered your blog and am so please with how it’s working with my fairly new emphasis on clean eating. Your recipes fit wonderfully with my Weight Watchers program, often with little or no adjustment. You have a new fan!
Thank you, Sharon! Your comment made my day and I hope you continue to enjoy the recipes!
Made this last night and my family loved it! Thanks! I used white corn tortillas and it was great. I used two poblanos but otherwise everything as written. It was a tad dry — I might have over-thickened the vegetable mixture?
Made this for dinner last night. It was delicious! My picky eaters even went for 2nds. This is the 3rd recipe from your site I have made and all have gotten a thumbs up at my house. I am loving your website!
If we wanted to sub chicken how much? The same as the ground beef? 1 1/2 lbs? Thanks
Brianne – I’d probably use 2-3 cups cooked, cubed chicken.
I just came across this amazing sounding recipe while on the Six Sister’s website. I have all the ingredients to make this and I may just make it tomorrow night. I can not wait to try this one!!! Thanks in advance!
Has anyone tried freezing this?! It’s too much for our family of three at one meal…I like to make large casseroles in three loaf pans and freeze two for quick meals on busy nights. Just was hoping someone could share their thawing experience! Although it sounds like there’s usually not leftovers to experiment with 😉
Nicole – I haven’t tried freezing it because we usually eat it up in a day or so (with leftovers) but my guess is that it would freeze great. Good luck if you try it!
Mel, it may be worth noting that grocery stores may be labeling the poblano as a pasilla, as another commenter discovered. I checked today, and my store had pasillas, not poblanos, though the anaheim was still tasty. That might be why so many people couldn’t find them.
I was pretty skeptical about midway through this recipe (also… it didn’t come together especially quickly for me, but I already know I take FOREVER on most recipes), when my sauce started to thicken, it wasn’t what I was expecting. I guess I’ve never had a Mexican-style casserole without tomato something. But I was pleasantly surprised! Both my husband and I liked it enough to take seconds. I used an anaheim pepper, since I couldn’t find a poblano.
With the hunts currently going on, I have had a lot of time on my hands and have made many of these recipes. This dish is SO good that after my husband and 13 yr old got home… My son came upstairs to my room and said, “thanks for dinner, it is soo good. I’m not done but I just wanted to let you know” What!?!? Is this my kid? Needless to say, Best feeling ever! Thanks Mel for sharing so many delicious recipes.
SO yummy! I made this with cooked chicken, the sauce was delicious and I loved the texture from the toasted corn tortillas. Real winner Mel!
Could I substitute the ground beef for shredded chicken, or would that be weird? Cooking for a large group, but trying to accommodate some. Also how many would this feed?
Hi Leslie – I think shredded chicken would be delicious. This serves 6-8.
The flavour of this is really good! I’d like it to be a little saucier next time though – my tortillas stayed kinda tough and dry. Next time I’ll add a bit more chicken broth I think.
This was so amazing!! I made an enchilada casserole a while ago, I don’t know where I got the recipe, but it wasn’t that impressive, so I was hesitant to try this. Wow, I was sooo wrong!! This had so much flavor and the crisp corn tortillas, this is a great one!! I added some sliced avocado in addition to the cilantro on the side, but followed everything else exactly! So so many of your recipes in my regular rotation now, I love you Mel!!
My family really enjoyed this. It was my first time using a poblano chile, but it won’t be my last! Thanks so much.
I was looking for a Tex Mex dish to make for “my night” of cooking at the family beach vacation next week! I found it! I’m going to make guacamole and my frozen margarita mocktails to round it off. Looking forward to tasting this! Thanks for sharing.
I made this for dinner tonight with your Mexican rice on the side. So yummy!!! Thanks for another amazing recipe!
Mel!
Whenever i want to try a new recipe, yours is the blog i turn to. This recipe is fantastic. I made the dish as a casserole without adding the tortillas, and stuffed tortillas with the mix after, as a wrap. And i also used mexican chile powder which was fantastic. This dish was a complete hit with my boyfriend – it is going into regular rotation for sure! Also, now i know what combination of spices to use to make my own taco seasoning, as i hate buying the seasoning packets from the grocery store, as they have just way too much sodium content!
thanks for this. 🙂
Susan
We made this for dinner last night. This meal was super yum, when our lips and mouth weren’t on fire! LOL. I struggled with buying the Chil”e” powder. I wasn’t sure what kind to buy since there were a few options, but none of them were straight up “chile” powder. In an attempt to not spend $5-$7 on a bottle of chile powder, I bought a small package of arbol chile powder in the Mexican isle at my grocery store. It was $1.50 and the perfect amount! I soon learned not all “chile” powders are the same. I purchased a chile powder that is the equivalent to cayenne pepper and proceeded to put 2 tablespoons into my vegetable mix. Unfortunately, I did not know this until I sampled the vegetable mix and it was very, very spicy. After a quick google search we learned the spice level of the arbol chile and the “fun fact” the Chile De Arbol Powder is on the high end of the heat scale… Oops! So in summary, be careful with the chile powder you buy/use unless you like it *SPICY!*
Wow — this was fantastic! A real crowd pleaser! I garnished with chopped avocado along with the cilantro. Definitely will make again!
Looks like I’m a little late to the party, but I made this tonight and it was awesome. I used a “Mexican chili powder” blend which is a little spicier, since there were just adults eating it, and halved the recipe, but it turned out great. Agree it’s a little labor-intensive, but SO worth it. Yum!