Make Ahead Layered Enchilada Casserole Recipes

DOUBLE-DUTY LAYERED ENCHILADA CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. In a large bowl, mix reserved chili, corn and beans. Spread 1 cup chili mixture into a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Layer with 2 tortillas, 2 cups chili mixture, 1 cup cheese and 1/2 cup enchilada sauce. Repeat layers. Top with the remaining tortillas and chili mixture., Bake, covered, 20-25 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, until cheese is melted, 10-15 minutes longer. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting. If desired, serve with lettuce and tomatoes. Freeze option: Cover and freeze unbaked casserole. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 375°. Cover casserole with foil; bake as directed, increasing covered time to 40-45 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in center reads 165°. Serve as directed.

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.

LAYERED VEGETABLE ENCHILADA CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini and onion and cook for 5 minutes or until they're tender. Stir in the spinach and corn. Cook and stir until the spinach is wilted.
• Spread 1/2 cup enchilada sauce in a 3-quart shallow baking dish. Line the bottom of the baking dish with 6 tortillas, overlapping as needed. Spread with half the remaining enchilada sauce. Top with the vegetable mixture and half the cheese. Top with the remaining tortillas and enchilada sauce.
• Bake for 20 minutes. Top with the remaining cheese and bake for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Sprinkle with the cilantro before serving, if desired.

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°.

ENCHILADA CASSEROLE III

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• In a medium bowl, mix the dry enchilada sauce according to package directions, replacing tomato sauce with the tomato paste and water
• In a large skillet, brown the ground beef with garlic salt and onion powder; drain fat. Mix refried beans and 1/2 cup of the prepared enchilada sauce with the meat.
• Dip enough corn tortillas to cover the bottom of a 3 quart casserole dish in the remaining enchilada sauce. Arrange tortillas in the dish. Spoon in half of the meat mixture, covering the tortillas. Spread half of the Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses over the meat. Cover with another layer tortillas dipped in enchilada sauce. Spoon in remaining meat mixture and top with a final layer of tortillas dipped in enchilada sauce. Pour any remaining sauce over the layers and top with remaining cheese.
• Cover and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.