Beef Enchilada Casserole

by Feels Like Home Blog™ on February 13, 2011

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This recipe is another in our challenge to try a new dish every week.

Since getting started, we have tried some awesome new recipes – and some duds.

We started with a cookbook from The Pampered Chef called 29 Minutes to Dinner. It’s really fantastic; if you go to a cooking show, you should consider it.

In case you’re wondering, I bought it myself and have had no contact with any representatives from The Pampered Chef, except when I myself was a consultant 10 years ago.

Anyway, that is the first cookbook I grabbed from my cookbook hoarding collection, so our first few new recipes have come from it.

We took this recipe to Joanne’s for dinner. After the 4 of us ate, then helped ourselves to seconds, there were no leftovers.

enchilada casserole

I had a second piece instead of dessert.

No kidding.

Beef Enchilada Casserole

Ingredients

1 pound 95% lean ground beef
1 tablespoon taco seasoning
1 can enchilada sauce
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup thick and chunky salsa, medium heat
12 tortillas (the original recipe called for yellow corn tortillas, but we used flour), cut into 1-inch strips
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, snipped and divided
2-3 cups shredded cheese (we used cheddar)
Sour cream
Lime wedges

Instructions

In a large skillet, cook the ground beef and taco seasoning over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes or until beef is no longer pink.
Add the enchilada sauce, water, and salsa to the beef.
Bring to a simmer* then remove from the heat.
Arrange one-third of the tortilla strips over the bottom of a round or square baking dish.
Top with one-third of the beef mixture and one-third of the cheese.
Sprinkle a tablespoon of cilantro over the cheese.
Repeat layers two more times.
Microwave the casserole on high for 3 to 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. (That’s not a typo. It really only takes a couple of minutes.)
Garnish with remaining cilantro.
Serve with sour cream and freshly cut lime wedges.

Notes

Don’t skip the fresh lime! I think that’s what made this casserole amazing.

What does bring to a simmer mean?

Simmer a food means that you cook it in a liquid that’s just below its boiling point. You might see occasional bubbles, but it’s not actively forming steam.

Photo source