Make Ahead Cheese Enchilada Casserole Recipes

MAKE AHEAD CHEESE ENCHILADA CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Mix Monterey jack cheese, cheddar cheese, onion, sour cream, parsley, salt and pepper; Set aside.
• Combine tomato sauce, water, green pepper, chili powder, oregano, cumin and garlic and heat to boiling, stirring occasionally.
• Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes; Pour into a 9-inch ungreased pie pan.
• Dip each tortilla into sauce to coat both sides.
• Spoon about 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture onto each tortilla.
• Roll tortilla around filling.
• Arrange the rolled tortillas seam-side down in a 13 x 7 inch baking dish.
• Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas.
• Sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheddar cheese.
• Bake uncovered at 350°F for about 20 minutes, or until hot and bubbling.
• Garnish with sour cream and sliced black olives.
• **NOTE: After sprinkling with cheese, you may cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours then bake uncovered in 350°F oven for 35 minutes.

MAKE AHEAD LAYERED ENCHILADA CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Combine ground meat, onion, pepper and seasonings. Cook until meat is brown. Drain fat.
• Mix soup with enchilada sauce and water until well blended and add to the ground meat mixture. Simmer for about 10 minutes and reserve.
• Grease 9x13" baking pan. Layer six tortillas, half meat mixture with the sauce and half grated cheese.
• Repeat another layer with the remaining ingredients. Cool completely. Cover with foil and refrigerate 24 hours.
• Bake at 350ºF. for 45 minutes covered with foil until heated through before serving.
• Serve with shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, sour cream, salsa and guacamole if you like.
• VARIATION: this casserole can also be made filling each flour tortilla with the ground meat and rolled up, then covered with the enchilada sauce and soup mixture, and the grated cheese on top. Refrigerated and heated before serving.

MAKE-AHEAD CHEESY CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

Steps:

• Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
• Mix chicken, 1 1/2 cup Mexican cheese, roasted peppers, chile peppers, and sour cream in a bowl until well combined.
• Heat enchilada sauce in a 12-inch frying pan. Dip a tortilla in the sauce until well coated and slightly softened. Top with 1/2 cup chicken mixture.
• Roll up tortilla and place seam side-down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas and chicken mixture. Top enchiladas with remaining sauce and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Spray a sheet of foil with cooking spray, and place it greased side down on the dish; seal to cover.
• Refrigerate until ready to cook, up to 2 days.
• When ready to bake, remove enchiladas from the refrigerator and let sit for 30 minutes. Keep foil cover on.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake in the preheated oven until bubbly, about 1 hour.

MAKE-AHEAD CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and just beginning to brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in chicken, pimentos, and cream cheese. Season with salt and set aside.
• Heat 1/8 inch oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Use tongs to dip 1 tortilla into the hot oil just until it blisters and turns limp, about 3 seconds; do not fry until firm or crisp. Continue with remaining tortillas, stacking them on a plate between paper towels when heated.
• Spoon about 1/3 cup filling down the center of each tortilla, then roll to enclose. Place enchiladas, seam-side down, in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Remove enchiladas from the refrigerator. Spoon cream over top and sprinkle with Monterey Jack cheese.
• Bake, covered, in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake until hot and bubbly, about 15 minutes longer.

ENCHILADA CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large skillet, cook ground beef over medium heat until no longer pink, breaking it into crumbles; drain. Stir in enchilada sauce and salsa; set aside. , Place 2 tortillas, overlapping as necessary, in the bottom of a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Cover with a third of the meat mixture. Top with 1 cup corn; sprinkle with 1-1/3 cups cheese. Repeat layers once, then top with remaining tortillas, meat and cheese. , Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes or until bubbly., Freeze Option: Cover and freeze unbaked casserole. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake casserole as directed, increasing time as necessary to heat through and for a thermometer inserted in center to read 165°.