25 April 2024

Enchilada Casserole - For Now or Later - Homemade Freezer Meals

Enchilada Casserole - For Now or Later - Homemade Freezer Meals / www.delightfulrepast.com

It was time for Enchilada Casserole, and I thought "Why not make a bigger batch and have four meals out of it?" One for now and three for later. You know, I'm all about streamlining and am never happier than when my freezer is full of homemade freezer meals!

Since I'm usually cooking for two, I freeze two portions in my favorite 3-cup rectangular glass storage containers that are just the right size and shape for two pieces of anything you make in a 13x9x2-inch baking dish and cut into 8 pieces. You might need a different size container for the number of servings that make a meal in your house.


Enchilada Casserole - For Now or Later - Homemade Freezer Meals / www.delightfulrepast.com


This casserole can be made with ground beef or chopped cooked chicken or whatever you like. For convenience, I used frozen chopped onions and canned green chiles.

I couldn't compromise on the sauce though, and homemade is really not that much trouble. It's a pretty basic and simple sauce that packs a lot of flavor. And you can adjust it however you like. If a canned sauce has too much of something for your taste, you can't do anything about it.

Do you love casseroles? My father did not like casseroles (or chicken or ground beef), so we never had them. I love them! 


Enchilada Casserole - For Now or Later - Homemade Freezer Meals / www.delightfulrepast.com

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ENCHILADA CASSEROLE

(Makes 8 servings)

The Meat

1 1/2 pounds (24 ounces/680 grams) ground beef (I use organic grassfed 85% lean) 
OR 4 cups chopped cooked chicken, and omit the 3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped onions
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 4-ounce (113 grams) can diced mild green chiles

The Sauce

3 tablespoons (1.5 ounces/43 grams) unsalted butter 
3 tablespoons (27grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper 
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon oregano
3 tablespoons (2 ounces/57 grams) tomato paste 
3 cups (24 fluid ounces/710 ml) lower sodium chicken broth

The Casserole

12 ounces (340 grams) cheese, shredded (I use half jack and half medium cheddar)
9 6-inch white corn tortillas
4 1/2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil


1 In large skillet, cook the ground beef, breaking it up and browning it well. Remove the fat from the pan by your favorite means: covering pan with lid and draining it off, tilting the pan and spooning it out with a large metal spoon, or using a turkey baster. Then add the onions and salt, and cook for a few minutes. Then stir in the diced chiles. Remove from the heat. OR cook the onions in a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, stir in the chopped chicken and chiles, and set aside.

2 In another skillet or saucepan, melt the butter and blend in the flour, paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, cayenne, and oregano. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in the tomato paste until smooth and fragrant. Whisk in the broth. Bring the sauce to a simmer. When it begins to bubble, continue cooking and stirring for about 10 minutes, until sauce is thickening. Remove from the heat. 

3 Spread 1/3 cup (2.67 fluid ounces/79 ml) of the sauce in a lightly greased 13x9x2-inch baking dish.

4 Heat a griddle (my square griddle can cook 2 tortillas at a time), put 2 little 1/2 teaspoon puddles of oil (about the size of a quarter) on the hot griddle. When oil is hot, lay down the 2 tortillas and cook for about a minute, turning them several times. Repeat to lightly cook all 9 tortillas. Stack them neatly and cut in half. 

5 Dip each tortilla half in the sauce as you assemble the casserole. Place 4 halves with cut edges against the long sides of the baking dish and then 2 halves down the middle. Top the first layer of tortillas with 1/3 of the meat mixture, then 1/3 of the cheese mixture. Make second layer of tortillas, meat, and cheese. For the third layer, tortillas and meat, then pour over the remaining sauce, and top with cheese. 

6 Preheat oven to 350F/180C/Gas4. Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes, or until bubbly and browned. Let stand for 30 minutes before cutting into 8 pieces. Place 2 pieces in each of 4 of my favorite 3-cup lidded Pyrex storage containers. Freeze for up to 3 months. 

7 When ready to serve, remove plastic lid and heat in microwave until heated through. Plate and garnish with sour cream, a squeeze of lime, chopped cilantro, or sliced green onions. Serve with Mexican RicePinto Beans or Refried Beans, and Broccoli Salad.

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean

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34 comments:

Thomas "Sully" Sullivan said...

‘Tis the cardinal rule of bachelorhood. Three-in-one meals are the “order” of the day when I face-off with the stove. I think it’s an evolutionary throwback to hunting or foraging. You make a kill, chow down, and stow the rest high up on a tree branch. Refrigeration has refined the possibilities. Thank the powers on high for spices. (I buy weapons grade mustard and bar-be-cue sauce by the case.) And now we understand how Christopher Columbus bumped into America while looking for a shortcut to the West Indies as part of the spice trade.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Sully, love it, but I am glad to be able to skip that first step and to have the refinement of refrigeration!

chickenruby said...

Not something I'd usually choose to eat, but it does look lovely.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Suzanne!

Angie's Recipes said...

It looks like a really comforting and moreish casserole!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Angie! Finished the last one a couple days ago. Hated to see it come to an end!

Gerlinde de Broekert said...

I love enchiladas and yours looks delicious.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thank you, Gerlinde!

Jeanie said...

I'm saving this one. It would be a terrific winter dish -- or a good summer dish at the lake, especially when company is coming and you want to spend the time with them and just heat up something! Thanks!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Jeanie, thanks so much. Glad you like it. I like to think of you guys enjoying it at the lake!

Liz That Skinny Chick Can Bake said...

I love this idea, Jean! Next time my youngest comes home I'll make one for us and one for him to take back to Ohio to have on hand for dinner.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Liz! You're a good mom!

Jeff the Chef said...

I like the way you think. If I had all day every day to cook, maybe I'd feel differently, but the way things are, most things that I cook have do do double duty somehow, for instance as leftovers, or as a future meal.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thank you, Jeff. Yes, that's it. At times of my life when I've had more days of "had all day" I didn't do things like this!

TONY said...

This looks very tasty Jean. A sort of lasagne without the lasagne.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Tony. Yes, you could call it Mexican lasagne! Completely different flavours, but ...

Phil in the Kitchen said...

I love a casserole and, since I'm having a particularly busy time at the moment, the thought of having some in the feezer is ideal. One thing I haven't done for far too long, though, is adding tortillas for that contrast and extra texture. Lovely stuff.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks so much, Phil! And I've had casseroles with tortillas that were not fried a bit first, and they are not good. Be sure to fry the tortillas.

Sherry's Pickings said...

This sounds tasty Jean. I don't mind a casserole now and then :)
cheers
sherry

TONY said...

Hi Phil. I had a look at your link. I see you live in Cobham. I live in Raynes Park near Wimbledon. There are eleven miles between us. Cobham gets a mention in jane Austen's Emma. I am sure you knew that. All the best, Tony

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Sherry. I made a huge one last night and now have 6 meals-for-two stacked in my freezer!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Tony, this is something I haven't seen before—turning my comments section into an introductions service! Let me know if you guys meet up!

Bernideen said...

This looks so delicious! We would love this one!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks so much, Bernideen. I thawed one of these meals-for-two for this evening's dinner. I so love having home-cooked "convenience" food on a busy day!

Anonymous said...

Jean, I love casserole dishes and this one sounds like a winner. I will have to try this sometime. Thanks for the blog visit. I you try the spaghetti pie recipe. Take care.
Julie’s Creative Lifestyle

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Julie, thanks so much. Yes, I'm going to try the spaghetti pie soon!

Cocoa and Lavender said...

This is a casserole that I have learned to love since moving to Tucson! As I have the tiniest freezer in the world, I usually make single batches, but never just for the two of us… I always make this when I entertain, and like to use individual baking dishes. Lovely recipe, Jean!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thank you, David. I think two things make it a cut above many similar dishes—homemade sauce and cooking the tortillas.

Chatty Crone said...

Oh, my goodness this is funny - I was just looking for a enchilada recipe - no kidding and it looks soooo good! Thanks. Glad to find you again.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thank you, CC! I still have four of these dinners-for-two in my freezer, so that makes me very happy, knowing we can have a nice homemade dinner with very little effort on a busy or tired day. Hope you'll try it soon!

R's Rue said...

I need to make this. It may be my Sunday meal.
www.rsrue.blogspot.com

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, R. I made another batch last week and so have three frozen dinners-for-two ready to go! Hope you like it as much as we do.

Melynda@Scratch Made Food! said...

Jean, so perfect for smaller families! Thanks for sharing with us at SSPS, pinned for all to enjoy!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks so much, Melynda! Much appreciated. Like you, I really prefer scratch made food!