Shredded Cheese for Beef Enchilada Recipe
Like in all recipes where cheese is a main player, I recommend that you shred your own cheese for this recipe. Pre-shredded cheese is coated in preservatives. It is what keeps it in nice individual pieces in the bag in the store. However, those same preservatives keep it from melting well. As mentioned in the notes of this recipe, I highly recommend that you take the time to shred your own cheese. It is so important to me that you note that the enchilada sauce I use in that recipe and in this one is not a traditional enchilada sauce. Traditional enchilada sauce starts with chiles, not tomatoes. My sauce is quick to make, delicious, and is like the ten times better version of the canned sauces you get in U.S. grocery stores. These incredible beef enchiladas are the best combination of flavors made with easy-to-find ingredients. You will love it. Even better, you can make it 24 hours in advance or freeze it to have a great comfort food dinner on hand. For the full list of ingredients and printable recipe, head to the bottom of the post. That said, I do not judge people based on their cooking. If you don’t have time to make enchilada sauce, use two cups of store-bought sauce. Another great option is to make my enchilada sauce ahead of time. This will save time when you are putting the enchiladas together, making this a faster dinner. If you do make the sauce ahead of time, you will want to make sure that you warm it up before dipping in the corn tortillas. This is what makes them easy to roll.
Making Enchiladas Ahead
The ultimate way to make this recipe for beef enchiladas a fast weeknight dinner is to make them the day before. When making in advance, instead of putting them in the oven, wrap them in aluminum foil and bake within 24 hours. The step of dipping the tortillas in the enchilada sauce slows this recipe down for sure. But I would argue that it is 100% worth it. A way to make it all quicker is to make my Beef Enchilada Casserole instead, there is no rolling with that one. If your family prefers flour tortillas and that is the only way that you will make this recipe, go for it! It will still be delicious. Flour tortillas become a little gummy, but it is still delicious. Here is what you will want to do:
Use eight flour tortillas that are approximately eight to nine inches in diameter (instead of 10 six-inch corn tortillas).Pour about 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce into the bottom of the baking dish.Fill the tortillas with the filling, and place seam side down in the baking dish.Top the enchiladas with sauce and then cheese.
Storing Leftovers and Reheating
Leftovers of this beef enchilada recipe can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to four days. Reheat in a covered baking dish for 25 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Alternatively, you can cover them in a microwave-safe dish and cook for three to five minutes at half power. Always use your best discretion when it comes to leftovers. When baking, transfer from the freezer to the preheated oven. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. If you are making this in advance, I highly suggest doubling all of the ingredients and just making two trays. You can do this in the recipe card below by hovering over the serving sizes, and with the sliding scale shows up, moving it until it reads “20 enchiladas.”
Cilantro Lime Rice: Super simple to make and so delicious. A bite of enchilada paired with a bite of this rice is heaven.Crockpot Pinto Beans: This is a great, healthy side for this main dish.Corn Salsa: This would be fantastic with a bowl of chips on the table, but would also work as a side salad!Margaritas: You simply will not find a better margarita recipe. It is fantastic.
If you make this ground beef enchilada recipe or any of my other recipes, please leave me a comment and let me know what you think! I love hearing from you!
