Beef Enchilada Casserole
By America's Test KitchenPublished on January 21, 2013
Yield
Serves 8 to 10
Ingredients
Before You Begin
If you can’t find Ro-Tel tomatoes, substitute 1¼ cups of diced tomatoes plus an additional jalapeño. Monterey Jack cheese may be substituted for the colby-Jack. Serve with sour cream, chopped scallions, and lime wedges.
Instructions
- TOAST TORTILLAS Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Grease 13- by 9-inch baking dish. Toast 3 tortillas in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until they bubble and turn spotty brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to plate and repeat with remaining tortillas.
- PROCESS TORTILLAS Tear 8 toasted tortillas into rough pieces and transfer to food processor. Add ¾ cup broth and Ro-Tel tomatoes (with juice) and process until smooth; transfer to large bowl. Add beef to empty skillet and cook over medium-high heat until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain beef in colander, then transfer to bowl with tortilla mixture.
- MAKE FILLING Add oil and onion to empty skillet and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, chili powder, and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomato sauce and remaining broth to skillet and simmer until slightly thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir half of tomato sauce mixture, 1½ cups cheese, 1 minced jalapeño, cilantro, and hot sauce into bowl with tortilla mixture. Season with salt and pepper.
- ASSEMBLE AND BAKE Arrange 6 toasted tortillas in bottom of baking dish. Spread filling evenly over tortillas. Arrange remaining tortillas over filling and top with remaining tomato sauce mixture. Bake until filling is bubbling around edges, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle remaining cheese and remaining minced jalapeño evenly over casserole. Bake until cheese is browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes. Serve.
Yield
Serves 8 to 10Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Tasters preferred the flavor of 85 percent lean ground beef in our Beef Enchilada Casserole to anything leaner. Canned enchilada sauce was one-dimensional, so we made our own by first sautéing onion and garlic in oil and then stirring in chili powder and cumin before pouring in canned tomato sauce and beef broth. After the sauce had simmered for a few minutes to thicken and concentrate, we mixed half of it with browned beef. Minced jalapeños and hot sauce added heat.
Deep corn flavor was key, but corn tortillas straight from the bag turned slimy in the casserole, and baking rendered them tough, chewy, and flavorless. The solution was to toast the tortillas first in a dry skillet. After the casserole had baked for a half hour, we sprinkled on colby-Jack cheese and minced jalapeño before returning the dish to the oven to bake until golden brown and bubbling.
Before You Begin
If you can’t find Ro-Tel tomatoes, substitute 1¼ cups of diced tomatoes plus an additional jalapeño. Monterey Jack cheese may be substituted for the colby-Jack. Serve with sour cream, chopped scallions, and lime wedges.
Instructions
- TOAST TORTILLAS Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Grease 13- by 9-inch baking dish. Toast 3 tortillas in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until they bubble and turn spotty brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to plate and repeat with remaining tortillas.
- PROCESS TORTILLAS Tear 8 toasted tortillas into rough pieces and transfer to food processor. Add ¾ cup broth and Ro-Tel tomatoes (with juice) and process until smooth; transfer to large bowl. Add beef to empty skillet and cook over medium-high heat until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain beef in colander, then transfer to bowl with tortilla mixture.
- MAKE FILLING Add oil and onion to empty skillet and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, chili powder, and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomato sauce and remaining broth to skillet and simmer until slightly thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir half of tomato sauce mixture, 1½ cups cheese, 1 minced jalapeño, cilantro, and hot sauce into bowl with tortilla mixture. Season with salt and pepper.
- ASSEMBLE AND BAKE Arrange 6 toasted tortillas in bottom of baking dish. Spread filling evenly over tortillas. Arrange remaining tortillas over filling and top with remaining tomato sauce mixture. Bake until filling is bubbling around edges, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle remaining cheese and remaining minced jalapeño evenly over casserole. Bake until cheese is browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes. Serve.
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