Cinco de Mayo is going to suck this year. I didn’t have big plans to go out, but it falls on a Tuesday this year! Cinco de Mayo 2020 was supposed to be a movie (or at least a fun Instagram story) but the ‘Rona makes going to Mexican restaurants a dream deferred. Alas, one of the blessings of the pandemic is that we’ve been cooking most of our own meals, which is a relaxing distraction from negative news cycles. If I’m hands-on in the kitchen, I can’t check my news feed. Well actually I can, so yea..the comfort food content is about to be even more poppin’.
In today’s post, I’m going to share how we made a beef enchilada casserole. This is the perfect easy meal for an at-home Cinco de Mayo celebration. Paired with Spanish rice and refried or black beans on the side, you have a filling and delicious meal that will surely elevate your mood. Topped with fresh guacamole and an ice-cold margarita, Cinco de Mayo shall go on, pandemic be damned!
Keep reading to see my beef enchilada casserole recipe.
Tools
Rectangular baking pan
Spatula
Aluminum foil
Ingredients
Cooking oil
Chopped green onions (optional)
Chopped green bell pepper
Chopped red onion
Minced garlic
Ground meat (I used beef, but feel free to substitute other meat or non-meat protein)
Taco seasoning
Corn tortillas
Shredded cheese
Enchilada sauce (use store bought, or make it yourself)
Sliced black olives (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°. Heat oil in a non-stick skillet. Add the chopped vegetables, sauteing until fragrant. Add the ground meat and taco seasoning, cooking through until no longer pink. Turn off the heat and drain the excess fat.
Get the baking pan and layer the bottom with tortilla shells, enchilada sauce, ground meat, and cheese. Repeat this layering process until you reach the rim of the baking pan (approximately three layers). Finish the top layer with sliced black olives and green onion (optional).
Cover the enchilada pie with foil and bake it in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool, and enjoy!
