Sometimes you just need a good comfort food recipe… a recipe that is easy-to-make… and a meal that every member of your family will eat without complaints. I’ve got one one those recipes for you: Beef and Bean Enchilada Casserole
Beef and Bean Enchilada Casserole
This dinner idea is a simple one: rather than rolling the ingredients up into a corn tortilla, the ingredients are layered into the casserole dish instead. It’s the best of both worlds, all of the flavors of enchiladas in a quick and easy to make casserole.
🛒Ingredients needed:
- ground beef
- onion
- chili pwder & cumin
- canned pinto beans
- canned diced green chiles
- sour cream
- flour
- garlic powder
- tortillas
- enchilada sauce
- mixed cheddar/Jack shredded cheese
- optional toppings
✏️How to make Beef and Bean Enchilada Casserole:
*The complete, printable recipe with all ingredients and instructions is at the end of this post.
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Preheat the oven to 350℉. Spray a 9×13-inch pan or 2-quart baking dish with nonstick spray.
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In a large skillet, cook the ground beef and onion together over medium heat until the beef is browned and the onion is tender. Drain any fat, if needed. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, beans, and chiles; set aside.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream, flour and garlic powder.
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Place half of the tortillas in the bottom of the prepared dish, tearing them apart as needed to cover the bottom (overlapping is fine). Top with half of the meat mixture, spoon half of the sour cream mixture on top of the meat, and drizzle ¾ cup of the enchilada sauce on top of that. Repeat the layers one more time. At this point, you can cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 24 hours before baking (take off plastic wrap). Or you can bake now and enjoy!
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Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese and bake 5 minutes or so more, until the cheese is nice and bubbly. Serve immediately.
➡️Recipe Tips:
- If you want to add some more layers…try adding corn, olives or feta cheese! Try substituting a can of chili beans for refried beans.
- If you’re counting calories, you could try using low carb flour tortillas in place of the corn tortillas.
- If you are preparing this recipe as gluten-free, be sure to use brands of pinto beans, enchilada sauce and corn tortillas that are known to be GF. Use an alternative thickener in place of the all-purpose flour, such as cornstarch or a GF flour blend.
✔️What to serve with Beef and Bean Enchilada Casserole:
- Since this is a casserole, it doesn’t need much with it, but I think a simple fresh green salad goes nicely with it.
- If you’re in the mood for a glass of wine with this dish, I think a good Argentinian Malbec with its dark fruit flavors would be a great compliment.
- Serve a small scoop of Vanilla Bean Ice Cream to top off this meal.
★How to Store:
Since this recipe makes 8 servings you very well may have leftovers. Store them in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or you can freeze it in a tightly sealed container for up to 3 months.
❤️Why I love this recipe:
- We love this recipe, usually served on a bed of shredded iceberg lettuce and then topped with sour cream, guacamole and chopped tomatoes.
- I love that it makes plenty so there are leftovers for lunches or maybe even for dinner on another night.
- If I’m feeling extra ambitious, I have a great recipe for Enchilada Sauce. It really amps up the flavor and I love that, plus, it’s a very popular recipe with my RecipeGirl readers too!
Casserole recipes you might like to try:
- Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- Easy Taco Casserole
- Tex Mex Black Eyed Pea Casserole
- Ritz Chicken Casserole
- Tex Mex Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Cowboy Casserole
- Chicken Spaghetti Casserole
Beef and Bean Enchilada Casserole
Totally easy dinner that is family friendly too!
Ingredients
- 8 ounces lean ground beef
- ½ cup chopped sweet onion
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- One 15-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- One 4-ounce can diced green chiles
- 8 ounces sour cream (light is fine)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Eight 6-inch corn tortillas
- 1½ cups enchilada sauce
- 1½ to 2 cups mixed cheddar/Jack shredded cheese
- topping suggestions: chopped tomatoes, sour cream, guacamole
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Spray a 9x13-inch pan or 2-quart baking dish with nonstick spray.
- In a large skillet, cook the ground beef and onion together over medium heat until the beef is browned and the onion is tender. Drain any fat, if needed. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, beans, and chiles; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream, flour and garlic powder.
- Place half of the tortillas in the bottom of the prepared dish, tearing them apart as needed to cover the bottom (overlapping is fine). Top with half of the meat mixture, spoon half of the sour cream mixture on top of the meat, and drizzle ¾ cup of the enchilada sauce on top of that. Repeat the layers one more time. At this point, you can cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 24 hours before baking (take off plastic wrap). Or you can bake now and enjoy!
- Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese and bake 5 minutes or so more, until the cheese is nice and bubbly. Serve immediately.
Notes
- *If you are preparing this recipe as gluten-free, be sure to use brands of pinto beans, enchilada sauce and corn tortillas that are known to be GF. Use an alternative thickener in place of the all-purpose flour- such as cornstarch or a GF flour blend.
- *Suggestions for additional layers: corn, olives, feta cheese
- *Change-it-Up: Sub canned chili beans for the pinto beans (undrained).
Nutrition
Serving: 1g, Calories: 197kcal, Carbohydrates: 26g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 27mg, Sodium: 586mg, Potassium: 387mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 484IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 90mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Have you ever tried freezing this – could it work?
I haven’t. I think I’d be worried that it would get soggy.
This looks awesome- however, my husband does not like beans – would you recommend a substitute?
Corn?
LOOKS YUMMY ,CAN’T WAIT TOO TRY THIS!
I made this for a family gathering last night, and I used refried black beans instead. It was so good – and easy! Everyone loved it!
Do you have the break down of how many calories fat content etc
Not for this one- no.
This is really similar to one I’ve done and thought you might want to try this also. I use tortilla chips instead of actual tortillas. Just throw a few handfuls into the pan and then sprinkle all the ingredients around.
The recipe says the pinto beans should be drained and rinsed.
But down at the bottom, in the suggestions, it reads: *Change-it-Up: Sub canned chili beans for the pinto beans (undrained). Which should be undrained – chili beans or pinto beans – confused?
Recipe sounds wonderful!!
If you use pinto beans, drain and rinse them. If you use chili beans, you want all of the sauce included in the can, so don’t drain.
Has anyone tried substituting greek yogurt for sour cream? Will it work?
I haven’t tried it, but it might work. Will give it a different flavor for sure.
Do we really have to set it 24 hours or can i just cook it as soon as i finish prepared it?
No, you *can* refrigerate it up to 24 hours before baking, but it’s certainly not necessary to refrigerate it at all.
If I leave the flour out of the sour cream mixture, will it do ok?
It won’t thicken as much.