Enchiladas are a spicy Mexican recipe that consist of beans, meat, vegetables, and sauce normally encased in a tortilla. If you don’t have time for the necessary prep, then one way you can prepare enchiladas is as part of a casserole.
This creates what is essentially a sumptuous, Mexican lasagna with tortillas instead of pasta sheets. We’ve compiled some of the best Enchilada casserole recipes below, so you can give them a try next time you are preparing dinner.
1. Vegan Enchilada Casserole
Most of the recipes we will be looking at today will involve a lot of chicken and beef. As such, we decided to put the vegan one first to save anyone reading a list of recipes they can’t eat.
Black beans are used to substitute the meat since they are high in protein, and this recipe teaches you how to make your own delicious vegan enchilada sauce.
This meal only takes 45 minutes to prepare, which makes it great for those evenings when you don’t have enough time for lots of cooking.
2. Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Casserole
This recipe is a healthy casserole that contains vegetables, pinto beans and shredded chicken arranged in layers between tortillas. You can use store-bought enchilada sauce for this dish or make your own if you know how.
If you are gluten intolerant, then the only thing you will need to change to enjoy this recipe is buying gluten-free tortillas. Freshly chopped cilantro, diced avocado, or red onions all make great garnishes for adding to this recipe.
This casserole serves eight people and takes 50 minutes to prepare and cook.
3. Beef Enchilada Casserole
A lot of the recipes on this list will use chicken, but you can also make enchilada casseroles with beef if you prefer. For this dish, you will only need six different ingredients, which makes it very easy to prepare.
The enchilada sauce in this recipe is combined with salsa for an extra spicy kick that goes great with the cheese.
This casserole only take about 30 minutes to cook and serves up to 8 people, which makes it a great choice for small families and anyone hosting guests.
4. Tex-Mex Enchilada Bake
This recipe is very similar to regular enchiladas in that you wrap your mix in the tortillas before adding the cheese sauce. With both beef and pork mince in the filling, this tray bake is very high in protein.
The sauce poured over this recipe makes use of cheese and sour cream, for a rich, creamy texture.
You will need to spend a little longer on prep for this meal, and it takes forty-five minutes to cook, but once you taste the result you will be happy you took the time.
5. Easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Sometimes you just want to eat without having to spend ages preparing food. This casserole only uses four ingredients, and the only prep required is dicing the chicken and arranging the layers of tortillas.
Once it is done, you can garnish your casserole with freshly chopped cilantro and spring onions. If you can dice up the chicken quickly, or buy pre-processed chicken, then you will be able to make this dish in much less time than the stated 1 hour and 5 minutes.
6. Chicken And Bean Enchilada Casserole
This recipe that gives you a link for making your own enchilada sauce, but you can just as easily use the store bought variety instead. As well as chicken and cheese, this casserole includes refried beans for an authentic Mexican taste.
You can whip up this dish in just 45 minutes, which makes it super quick and easy to make. If you are catering for specific dietary requirements, then the chicken can be easily substituted with beef or vegetarian taco meat.
7. Stacked Beef Enchiladas
The person who made this casserole has nicknamed it Mexican lasagna because of the way the tortillas are arranged with layers of sauce in between them.
This recipe teaches you how to make your own delicious enchilada sauce from cilantro leafs, cayenne pepper, and vine tomatoes. This dish serves up to 8 people and takes just over an hour to fully cook.
It is recommended to use corn tortillas, but you can use regular flour ones if you don’t have any.
8. Chicken And Pinto Bean Enchilada Casserole
If you like beans and prefer them to not be refried, then you will love the whole pinto beans used in this casserole. When combined with the shredded chicken, this dish is very high in protein as well as absolutely delicious.
There is a brilliant selection of optional garnishes you can use to finish this meal such as sour cream, red onion, olive and chopped cilantro. Using store bought enchilada sauce, you can easily make this dish in 45 minutes or less.
9. Chicken Enchilada Bake
For this recipe, you will need to mix your chopped vegetables and chicken with about half of your Enchilada sauce. This allows the flavor to properly infuse into all the ingredients for a tastier dish.
It only takes 50 minutes to prepare and cook this sumptuous Mexican style lasagna. At the end, you can garnish your casserole with diced avocado for a meal that is extra creamy and packed with nutritional goodness.
10. Chipotle Enchilada Casserole
If you have ever tried Enchiladas before, then it may have been at a Mexican restaurant such as Chipotle. Well with this recipe you can recreate the exact flavor of Chipotles enchiladas with some of their branded chili powder.
This dish also includes ground cumin for an extra spicy kick that goes great with the cheese. It takes about 50 minutes to make dinner for 6 with this filling and delicious casserole.
RELATED: 17 Traditional Mexican Drinks
11. Chili Beef Enchilada Casserole
This is another recipe that teaches you how to make your own Enchilada sauce using tomatoes, cumin and chicken stock. With two teaspoons of chili powder in the sauce and chopped green chilies through the filling, this meal is a great one for spice fans.
Since ground beef cooks a bit faster than chicken, this recipe only takes 50 minutes to make. You can garnish this casserole with freshly chopped tomatoes and olives if you want to add even more incredible flavors to the mix.
12. Roasted Veggie Enchilada Casserole
If you aren’t the biggest fan of meat, then don’t worry, we have included an option for all of our vegetarian readers as well. This casserole includes sweet potatoes, cauliflower, red bell peppers and spinach for a vegetable extravaganza.
It takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes to cook, but it is worth it for a dish that is both delicious and nutritious. The only thing you need to change to makes this casserole vegan is using vegan cheese instead of the regular dairy variety.
13. Easy Enchilada Casserole
Instead of using enchilada sauce between the layers of tortillas, this recipe uses a mixture of salsa and cream of chicken soup. This really helps to bring out the chicken flavor as well as giving the casserole a much creamier texture.
The dish serves between 8 and 10 people, which makes it a great choice for when you are expecting guests. It does take at least 50 minutes to cook, though, so remember to leave enough time for prep and cooking.
14. Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Casserole
This casserole uses green chili enchilada sauce instead of the usual red variety. The green chili sauce offers a much fresher flavor that goes very well with the sour cream and cheese.
Since it takes about an hour and a half to cook, this recipe may be the most time-consuming on this list. Still, you will be happy you put in the effort when you taste this cheesy, chicken delicacy.
15. Chicken Enchilada Casserole Without Tortillas
If you are trying to cut back on your carbs, then this casserole can be made without any tortillas. This makes it less of a lasagna and more of a typical casserole that uses enchilada ingredients.
With shredded chicken, cheese and the option of a sour cream garnish, this meal is very tasty and equally filling. There is also cauliflower in this casserole for creating a thicker texture and soaking up more of the sauce.
RELATED: The 27 Best Mexican Recipes
Final Thoughts
If you want the taste and texture of enchiladas without as much of the prep, then any of these casseroles would make a great alternative. They use all the same ingredients, but remove some of the tiring prep work which usually takes up time.
The best thing about any casserole is how versatile they are, and you can easily substitute ingredients outs for other ones as you prefer without running the recipe.
So next time you are in the mood for Mexican food, why not give one of these recipes a try instead of ordering a takeout.
Frequently Asked Questions?
What Is The Difference Between An Enchilada And A Burrito?
Both enchilada and burritos consist of meat, beans, and vegetables encased in a tortilla.
The difference is that burritos often contain rice for soaking up the moisture and have no sauce on the outside. Enchilada on the other hand are covered in a thick, creamy cheese sauce before being baked.
Are Tortillas Gluten-Free?
Not all tortillas are free from gluten, and those that are made from flour will be unsuitable for anyone with a gluten intolerance. If this is a problem, then you can buy corn tortillas instead, which are healthier and completely gluten-free.
Should I Cover Enchilada Casseroles While Baking?
Most recipes will require you to cover your casserole with a sheet of tin foil while baking. This is to prevent too much moisture from escaping and to help the flavors properly infuse into all the ingredients.
You should always remove the tin foil at the end and cook for a further 5-10 minutes before serving
15 Amazing Enchilada Casserole Recipes
Create delicious Mexican style lasagnas with these 15 amazing recipes for making a sumptuous and spicy enchilada casserole.
Ingredients
Directions
- Pick a recipe from the list above
- Click the recipe name and visit the website
- Collect the ingredients and cook the food
- Enjoy – don’t forget to leave a review
Recipe Video
Through this blog I hope to help others learn the basics and more intricate details of cooking. I know from personal experience how frustrating it can be to cook a meal, only to realize you are missing one ingredient from your list. This is why I love to write articles chatting readers through some great substitutes that can be used in an emergency.
I hope you will find this blog useful, and that it will help you to develop your culinary skills, to help you cook up a storm!
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Marc Sdoia
Monday 1st of August 2022
I have enjoyed a beef tongue in green sauce, accompanied by black beans, typical Mexican food, very tasty.