Enchilada Casserole

I love a good casserole, and this one doesn’t disappoint. It has all of the flavors of chicken enchiladas (with a few worthwhile additions), but eliminates the only tedious part of making enchiladas: all that rolling. In this recipe, you just layer all your components in a casserole dish, bake until melty and saucy, add your desired toppings, and serve! In under an hour, you’ll have a crowd-pleasing weeknight dinner on your hands that everyone will get excited about.

What People Are Saying:
“This is excellent! I use green enchilada sauce instead of red though. I've been asked for the recipe numerous times.” -mil3521

How To Make An Enchilada Casserole

INGREDIENTS

• Onion: Here, the onion is our main aromatic, adding a lot of flavor and aroma to the base of the casserole. A yellow onion is going to be your best bet here, as its slightly more mellow texture and flavor when cooked won’t overpower the other ingredients.
• Bell Pepper: This dish is very easy to customize, so feel free to cut out the bell pepper if you aren’t a fan—I know not everyone is—but I really do stand by the extra pop and slight crunch of sweetness that it brings. I went for a red bell pepper for extra sweetness, but feel free to swap it out for your favorite color (they’re all the same pepper just at different stages of ripeness!)
• Garlic: Everything needs garlic. Here it adds another level of punchy aromatic flavor that makes this casserole that much more delicious.
• Black Beans: Black beans have a rich, earthy flavor and creamy texture that help balance out some of the sweeter flavors in the pepper, onion, and corn, plus they add some extra protein.
• Corn: I know you may not initially think of corn when you think of an enchilada, but the fresh pop of sweetness in each kernel is such a welcome addition to this casserole. Give it a shot.
• Chicken: For the chicken, I prefer to use shredded chicken to make things quick and easy. This makes sure the chicken is better spread throughout the casserole and you don’t end up with some bites with no chicken and others with huge chunks.
• Green Chilis: Canned green chilis add a slight kick here without being overpowering, but, just like most of the ingredients here, are totally customizable. If you want some extra heat feel free to swap them out for jalapeños, serranos, or another spicy pepper.
• Enchilada Sauce: For ease, I used store-bought enchilada sauce in this recipe, and it works great, but if you have the extra time I would recommend making a homemade enchilada sauce to take the flavor up that extra step.
• Corn Tortillas: Corn tortillas are the move here. The masa works perfectly with the other ingredients and helps ground the casserole, plus they just hold up much better than flour tortillas. If you want a little extra bite, try pan frying the tortillas before layering, or opt for tostadas.
• Cheddar & Monterey Jack: As far as the cheese goes, Monterey Jack and cheddar are my preferred choices, but you can choose your favorite melty cheese. If you’re looking for the ultimate casserole, I highly recommend freshly shredding your cheese.
• Garnishes: I think the best garnish here is the classic combination of sour cream, cilantro, and avocado. The creaminess of the sour cream and avocado lend themselves well to the casserole, while that little bit of fresh, green flavor of the cilantro helps cut through all of the cheese and cream.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

To start the casserole, preheat the oven and place a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and allow it to come up to temperature and become slick, then add in onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until both are soft. Then add in garlic and cook for another minute before adding in the black beans, corn, chicken, and green chilis. Cook this mixture until it is completely warm though, about 5 minutes. Set aside ½ cup of enchilada sauce then pour the remaining sauce into the skillet and stir to combine.

Pour and spread the remaining ½ cup of enchilada sauce into a baking dish then layer 6 corn tortillas in the dish so that tortillas overlap and cover the entirety of the bottom of the pan. Pour ⅓ of the casserole mixture over the tortillas then top with about ⅓ of the cheese mixture. Repeat these steps twice more to create three layers of tortillas, casserole mixture, and cheese, finishing with cheese on top.

Place the enchilada casserole into the hot oven and bake until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling, about 30 minutes.

Then remove the dish from the oven and garnish with sour cream, cilantro, avocado, or your choice of garnishes, and serve.

The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.

Recipe Tips

• Perfect your layers. Instead of rolling all of the enchiladas, this casserole untraditionally speeds up the process by layering everything together in the pan. You’ll first cook your desired fillings, then add half of your enchilada sauce to combine. Next, spread your remaining sauce in the pan, then begin to layer your tortillas, filling, and cheese. After layering, bake until melty and bubbling, top with your desired toppings (sour cream and avocado of course), and get to eating!
• Make the casserole special to you. Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to food, and casseroles are some of the best compromises due to their customizability. This casserole is no exception. Switch out the red enchilada sauce for a green, sub in or out your vegetable preferences, or add in extra seasonings to your taste. The point is, the casserole you make should be the casserole you want to eat.

Enchilada Casserole Variations

Like most casseroles, this recipe is completely customizable. Switch things up and use ground beef in place of chicken, or add extra veggies like bell peppers, mushrooms, multiple kinds of beans, or sweet potatoes. While you can totally buy store-bought, if you have the time, I highly recommend making homemade enchilada sauce. It takes very little time and effort, but results in a truly unbeatable flavor.

Storage

If you have any leftovers then you're in luck! This casserole stays great in the fridge (4 to 5 days) and freezes even better (up to 2 months). The main piece of advice I’d offer is that you should skip the microwave for any reheating. Tossing a slice in a 350º oven for a bit will help you crisp up the tortillas again and get the cheese nice and melty.