I’ve known Esther for over 30 years. We worked together at the American headquarters of a major car manufacturer. We hit it off right away and have been friends ever since. When she got married, she and Joe moved to our town.
Before we moved to Arizona she shared her Enchilada Casserole recipe with me. We were at her house and she showed me the process while the kids played. I was taking notes like a crazy woman. She knew it by heart, her hands expertly dipping tortillas finishing with a perfect assembly. The first thing I did when we got home was to move my notes to a recipe card. I was writing so fast I even spelled Casserole wrong, oops.
Think of it like lazy enchiladas. No rolling, only layering. All the fabulous taste without all the work.
It’s also flexible. Use whatever meat you want. You can add more or less. There’s not a lot of measuring going on, you can customize it for your tastes.
We make this with chicken 99% of the time and use about a pound of meat, although I don’t actually weigh it. I put the breasts in the Crock Pot or Instant Pot and cook it then shred it. I use about half of a bottle of Herdez Salsa Verde as the moisture in both.
If you’re using ground beef or ground turkey, you want to season it with garlic, salt, onions, cumin and oregano to taste while you cook it.
While the meat is cooking, add a large can of enchilada sauce to a medium sized pot. Add garlic, onion and one teaspoon of vinegar and bring to a boil. Vinegar is the key ingredient! Let that simmer for a few minutes. When the sauce is ready, spoon some into the meat mixture.
We’ve modified this over the years and don’t dip the tortillas in oil anymore. Part speed and part trying to cut some calories. If you want to do it this way, heat the oil and heat the tortillas in the oil long enough to make them a little crispy. Not hard like a taco shell, just a tiny crisp.
Your hands will get messy putting this together. I put the cheese in a bowl so it’s easier to grab when I need it.
Ready, let’s layer!
Dip the tortillas in the sauce and layer in the bottom of the casserole dish. I like to add , four across the bottom then one more split in half.
Next I pile on the meat. I’ll often spoon more sauce here or on the cheese.
Now it’s time to add the cheese, spreading it it evenly over the meat.
Repeat the tortilla, meat and cheese layer then top it with more tortillas.
Pour the rest of the sauce over the top. I use a fork to open space around the dish so the sauce will go all the way down to the bottom.
Cover and bake at 325° for 35-45 minutes. Serve with beans, rice and shredded lettuce. You can freeze leftovers in a sealed container.
Esther’s Enchilada Casserole
- 1 large can enchilada sauce
- Meat of choice
- Garlic, salt, onion, cumin & oregano to taste
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- Corn tortillas
- Shredded cheese
- Heat oil in skillet and fry tortillas until just a little crisp. Set aside on paper towels to drain. We often omit this part.
- Cook meat, seasoning to taste.
- Bring enchilada sauce and vinegar to a simmer.
- Wet tortillas in sauce and layer in bottom of casserole dish. Add meat and cheese. Spoon sauce on top.
- Repeat layering tortillas, meat cheese until dish is full.
- Top with one last tortilla layer and pour sauce on top.
- Cover and cook at 325° for 35-45 minutes.
Freeze leftovers in a sealed container.