Easy Enchilada Casserole

Easy enchilada casserole is a simple recipe that your whole family will enjoy. Enchilada casserole is quick to assemble, perfect for when you need dinner on the table in a hurry. 

The first time I drove up to Fort Wayne for an official date with Andy, he cooked for me. He cooked this tasty enchilada casserole for me. He did a great job of cooking but I was most impressed with the fact that he took the time to cook for me. It was one of the many things that I liked about Andy. Obviously I found many more since I married the man!

Since we’ve been married, I’ve learned to make this family favorite recipe of his. It really is an easy recipe – that reheats wonderfully. Often, we’ll eat enchilada casserole for dinner and take the leftovers to school for lunch the rest of the week.

When our kids were born and started eating table food, this surprised me by becoming one of their favorite recipes early on. I think the covering of cheese on top is very enticing whether you are young or old! I hope you enjoy this easy and delicious recipe as much as we do!

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Ingredients:

1.5 pounds of hamburger
1 onion, diced
1 can (10 ounces) mild enchilada sauce
1 can (15 ounces) refried beans
16 ounces shredded Colby cheese
1 bag tortilla chips

Directions:

Brown hamburger and onion in a large skillet. Drain grease off the meat. Add enchilada sauce and refried beans. Simmer for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, crush tortilla chips and grate cheese.

Assemble casserole in a 9 by 13 pan. Start by layering half the bag of chips, followed by half the meat mixture and half the shredded cheese. Repeat the layers, ending with cheese on the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Additional Notes:

I tend to use a little less hamburger (closer to a pound) in an effort to be more frugal with this recipe. You can also use less cheese (closer to 12 ounces) but my husband insists that the more cheese, the better! You can use Doritos instead of tortilla chips for some extra spice.

Serve the casserole hot with sour cream and lettuce, or serve as is. Like I mentioned earlier, any leftovers that you may have will reheat nicely in the microwave.

I like to cook my enchilada casserole in a 9×13 glass Pyrex pan. My pan has a cover that came with it (like this one) and I love it! It is perfect for so many recipes but especially this one because I can immediately cover up any leftovers for the fridge without making any more dishes. If you don’t have some covered Pyrex pans, add them to your Christmas list. You will be glad you did!

Easy Enchilada Casserole

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 12 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1.5 pounds of hamburger
• 1 onion (diced)
• 1 ounces can mild enchilada sauce (10)
• 1 ounces can refried beans (15)
• 16 ounces shredded Colby cheese
• 1 bag tortilla chips

Instructions

1. Brown hamburger and onion in a large skillet. Drain grease off the meat.
2. Add enchilada sauce and refried beans. Simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, crush tortilla chips and grate cheese.
4. Assemble casserole in a 9 by 13 pan. Start by layering half the bag of chips, followed by half the meat mixture and half the shredded cheese. Repeat the layers, ending with cheese on the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Notes

You can use less meat (1 pound) and less cheese (12 ounces) to make this a more frugal but equally delicious meal.