Cheesy Ground Beef Enchiladas

This Cheesy Ground Beef Enchiladas recipe is a great easy weeknight dinner! It's made with refried beans, corn, cheese, and enchilada sauce.

This post is sponsored by Crystal Farms Cheese® but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

These Ground Beef Enchiladas make the perfect weeknight meal. They're flavorful and hearty and give you just the right amount of that homey comfort food we all love.

Throughout the summer months we tend to eat pretty light in our household. There's a lot of salads, wraps, roasted vegetables - The stuff we pick from the garden ends up on the dinner table.

When it's hot and humid I like food that doesn't weigh me down but lets me enjoy the season comfortably.

By the end of summer, though, I start to crave meatier dishes with some substance. My mind drifts toward roasts and stews - The dishes that fill your home with comforting aromatic smells as they slowly cook.

To bridge the seasonal gap between those lighter salads and heavier stews I settled on a dish that incorporates all those elements; these Cheesy Ground Beef Enchiladas.

Jump to:

• What Vegetables Are Best In Enchiladas?
• How Long Does It Take To Sauté The Filling?
• How To Make Ground Beef Enchiladas
• How Long Does It Take To Bake Enchiladas?
• What To Serve With Ground Beef Enchiladas
• Can I Freeze These Enchiladas?
• Cheesy Ground Beef Enchiladas

What Vegetables Are Best In Enchiladas?

These are Cheesy Ground Beef Enchiladas but there's nothing like adding some fresh vegetables to really make the flavors pop!

Garlic and onion are added for flavor along with bell peppers and sweet corn. The peppers give this dish a great earthiness and the corn gives it nice sweetness and texture.

You can add greens like spinach, kale, or Swiss chard to the ground beef if you'd like some more color and flavor.

1. To start, mince 6 cloves of garlic, 1 onion, and dice 1 large bell pepper (any color).
2. Cut the kernels off 2 cobs of fresh sweet corn. Frozen or canned corn can be used in this recipe in place of fresh. I went with fresh because it's August in Minnesota and I do live in corn country, after all.

How Long Does It Take To Sauté The Filling?

The next step is to saute the all those veggies along with some ground beef - This provides the meaty filling for the enchiladas.

1. Heat a skillet to medium-high and add 1 Tbsp. of olive oil.
2. Add the garlic and onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Add the peppers and corn along with ¼ tsp. each of kosher salt and pepper.
3. Sauté the veggies for another 5-6 minutes, stirring often.
4. Once the veggies have started to soften add 1 - ½ lbs. of ground beef. Break the ground beef into smaller chunks continuing to break it apart as it cooks.
5. Add 2 tsp. smoked paprika, 1 tsp. cumin, and 1 tsp. chili powder along with another pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté for 7-8 minutes or until the meat has fully cooked through.

Now let's talk cheese. If there's one thing that enchiladas need it's cheese. I was really excited to try this Whole Milk Mozzarella Cheese from Crystal Farms®.

I love this cheese because it's rich but light at the same time. The whole milk gives it a nice creaminess but it doesn't overpower the other flavors in the dish.

It's a natural cheese with that's rich in calcium and like all the cheese from Crystal Farms it's gluten free.

I can say with all certainty that this whole milk mozzarella is the PERFECT cheese for these enchiladas. The melt factor is spot on!

How To Make Ground Beef Enchiladas

Because these are Cheesy Ground Beef Enchiladas I thought it was proper to add it inside of AND on top of the tortillas. It goes right in there with the beef and beans.

This recipe is gluten free and uses gluten free tortillas. There are a number of gluten free tortilla wraps on the market today. Mission makes a Soft Taco Wrap and an Almond Flour Wrap that work great for enchiladas.

Alternately, you can use corn tortillas. If using corn tortillas, wrap a stack of them in a damp paper towel and microwave them for 30 seconds or so to make the tortillas more pliable, so that they don't break when rolling.

Feel free to use flour tortillas if gluten is not an issue for you.

1. Heat 1 can of refried beans on the stove top according to package instructions.
2. Once the beans are heated form a little assembly line with the them, the beef, the cheese, and some tortillas.
3. Spread a spoonful or two of refried beans in a tortilla and top it with a spoonful or two of meat and a sprinkling of cheese.
4. Pour ¼ of a can of gluten free red enchilada sauce (or regular red enchilada sauce if not gluten free) into the bottom of a 9x13 inch cake pan.
5. Roll the tortilla tightly and continue with the remainder of the beef and beans.
6. Line the tortillas up in the pan until it is full (feel free to use a second cake pan and make a second batch if necessary).

How Long Does It Take To Bake Enchiladas?

Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and pour the remainder of the enchilada sauce on top of the tortillas. I used a 28 oz. can of enchilada sauce and had enough for a second small batch.

I used Old El Paso brand of enchilada sauce to make this recipe, as it is gluten free. It is widely available and you can find it in the Mexican section of your local grocery store.

Feel free to use any brand if gluten is not an issue for you.

You can alter the spice level of these enchiladas, based on the heat level of the enchilada sauce used. I usually opt for mild or medium, but you can choose a hotter variety if you prefer.

Check out this tutorial if you'd like to Make Your Own Enchilada Sauce.

I baked the second batch and froze them for another meal (yay for freezer meals!).

1. Spread the sauce evenly over the tortillas and sprinkle with more cheese. You can use as much or as little cheese as you like.
2. Pop the pan(s) in the oven and bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes (depending on how browned you like the cheese).

Remove the pan from the oven once the enchiladas have baked and get ready to serve.

Looking for more ground beef recipes? Don't miss these!

• Tater Tot Hotdish
• Philly Cheese Steak Sloppy Joes
• Pizza Stuffed Peppers
• Grilled Blue Cheese Burgers
• Cabbage Roll Bowls
• Stuffed Juicy Lucy Burgers
• Jalapeno Sauce Burgers

What To Serve With Ground Beef Enchiladas

I like to serve them with some diced tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.

You can top this meal with anything you would use to top tacos or your favorite Tex Mex dish.

Radishes, pickled onions, pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream, queso fresco, jalapeno peppers, salsa, or fresh greens are all great toppings.

I love meals like this with a side of Spanish Rice, Southwest Chipotle Coleslaw, or Black Bean Corn Salad.

Love Southwest flavors? Don't miss these recipes!

• Enchilada Stuffed Peppers
• Southwest Ground Beef Slow Cooker Chili
• Turkey Rice Stuffed Poblano Peppers
• Baked Southwest Egg Rolls
• Roasted Poblano Guacamole Burgers
• Cilantro Lime Kohlrabi Coleslaw
• Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Skillet Chipotle Chicken Tacos

Can I Freeze These Enchiladas?

Yes! Enchiladas make a great freezer meal.

Any leftovers should keep for 3-4 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Allow the dish to cool completely before transferring to the fridge for storage.

How To Freeze

1. Bake the enchiladas as directed in the recipe, remove from oven, and allow to come to room temperature.
2. Once cooled, cover tightly with plastic wrap and top with aluminum foil (they can also be baked in a disposable aluminum pan), label with the date, and store in the freezer up to 3 months.

How To Thaw

1. Allow to thaw in fridge overnight. Place the pan in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven and bake for 20-25 minutes with foil.
2. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes at 350 with foil.

If you love Cheesy Enchiladas but are looking for a lighter version check out this Quinoa Enchilada Casserole!

Looking For More Enchilada Recipes? Don't Miss These!

Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas

Creamy Seafood Enchiladas

Mole Chicken Enchiladas