Beef Enchilada Casserole - Prepare a very Tex-Mex-style Friday dinner

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Beef Enchilada Casserole - Prepare a very Tex-Mex-style Friday dinner

Making your own enchilada sauce at home may seem like a daunting task, but you'd be surprised how quickly it cooks.

Simply roast the dried ancho chiles until fragrant, then toss them with hot beef broth, onion, garlic, and chipotle chiles in adobo sauce.

The chipotles add a smoky element to the enchilada sauce, making it taste like it's been simmering for hours.

While making your own enchilada sauce at home is pretty simple, you can always use a jarred or canned enchilada sauce for this recipe.

The best ground beef to use

We prefer to use ground chuck for this recipe. Instead of putting oil in the pan, we bring the ground beef up to temperature along with the pan.

This slowly processes the fat, which eliminates the need for oil. After the fat is drained from the meat, We use the same pan, still slippery from cooking the meat, to sauté the aromatics.

Exchanges and Substitutions

• Use flour tortillas to make this recipe instead of corn tortillas.
• Instead of making homemade enchilada sauce, use canned sauce.
• Use ground pork or ground poultry instead of beef. For ground turkey or chicken, you'll need to start heating the pan with a tablespoon of oil, since it's much leaner than red meat.
• Make this a seafood enchilada casserole by substituting the ground beef for chopped, peeled, and peeled shrimp. Sauté shrimp for 3-4 minutes in 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil before adding aromatics to recipe.
• Choose your favorite type of cheese over Monterey Jack. The stickier the better, so consider cheeses like bread, Oaxaca cheese, or asadero cheese.

Ingredients

• 2 pound (908 g) ground mandrel
• 1/2 medium white onion, diced (about 1 cup)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
• 1/2 jalapeño, seeded and minced (about 1 tablespoon), optional
• 1/2 cup (56 g) taco seasoning, homemade or store-bought
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup (237 ml) beef broth or water
• 1 (15 oz) can (425 g) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 3 1/2 cups red enchilada sauce (canned or homemade)
• 18 to 24 (4.5-inch) corn tortillas
• 1 pound (454 g) Monterey Jack cheese, grated (about 5 cups, lightly packed)
• optional coverage

Cream

• chopped cilantro
• sliced jalapenos

Special equipment

• 9 x 13-inch casserole

Method

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C)

Brown the meat:

Add ground beef to a 12-inch skillet. Bring the skillet to medium heat. While the pan is heating up, use a spoon to break up the meat. Brown the meat, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 7 minutes. When the meat is no longer pink, remove and discard the fat.

Sauté the vegetables and season the meat:

Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeño to the meat and continue cooking over medium-high heat until the onions are translucent, about 6 minutes.

Sprinkle the taco seasoning and kosher salt over the mixture in the skillet. Then add the beef broth (or water) to the pot and stir until the beef mixture is evenly covered.

Finally, add the drained black beans to the pan and stir to combine.

Making Casserole Layers:

Pour 2 1/2 cups of the enchilada sauce into a wide, shallow pie plate or bowl. One at a time, dip the corn tortillas into the enchilada sauce in the bowl, making sure each is evenly coated with the sauce.

Cover the bottom of a 9x13-inch pan with the dipped tortillas, overlapping slightly to completely cover the bottom of the pan.

Sprinkle 3/4 cup shredded cheese over this layer of tortillas.

Spread half of the ground beef mixture over the cheese in an even layer. Top meat with another 3/4 cup cheese.

Repeat layering process by layering more tortillas, sprinkling about 1 cup cheese, remaining meat mixture, and another 1 cup cheese.

Top with the remaining tortillas dipped in enchilada sauce.

Pour the remaining enchilada sauce from the bowl over the top of the assembled casserole. If you prefer a spicier casserole, pour an additional 1/2 cup of sauce over the entire casserole in the skillet.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the surface of the enchilada pan.

Bake the casserole:

Cover the baking sheet with aluminum foil and bake the casserole for 25 minutes.

Carefully remove foil and bake until cheese is completely melted and beginning to bubble, 10 to 12 more minutes.

Cool and decorate:

Let the casserole cool on the counter for 10 to 15 minutes.

Cut the casserole into 8 squares. Serve the beef enchilada casserole garnished with sour cream, chopped cilantro, and jalapeño slices.

Store leftover cooled enchilada casserole in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Don't miss this easy Beef Enchilada Casserole tutorial

Source: Rachel cooks with love

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