Delicious and Cheesy Beef Enchilada Casserole for Dinner

This veggie-packed beef enchilada casserole is mild, so put out the hot sauce and chopped jalapeños if you're feeding heat-seekers. The quick and easy dinner recipe makes extra cheese sauce—save it to make One-Pot Mac & Cheese with Cauliflower & Brussels Sprouts later in the week (see Associated Recipes) or serve it with steamed vegetables, such as broccoli, for an easy side dish.

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Cheesy Beef Enchilada Casserole

• Servings: 4
• Cook Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

Cheese Sauce

• 4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick)
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups of reduced-fat milk
• 2 ½ cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ½ teaspoon salt

Enchiladas

• 2 teaspoons avocado oil or canola oil
• 8 ounces 90%-lean ground beef
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 (4-ounce) can of diced green chiles
• 8 corn tortillas, cut into quarters
• 1 large tomato, seeded and chopped

Italian Dressing

• ¾ cup red-wine vinegar
• 5 tablespoons water
• 1 ½ tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 large clove of garlic
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 ¾ cups extra-virgin olive oil

Slaw

• 1 (14-ounce) package of coleslaw mix
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided

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Instructions

1. To prepare cheese sauce: Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk constantly until thickened and just starting to turn light brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly add milk, whisking constantly. Cook, stirring often until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 10 to 12 minutes. (Do not boil.) Remove from heat and, a handful at a time, whisk in Cheddar and Parmesan until smooth. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt. (Reserve 2 1/2 cups for another use.)
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 9-inch (or similar size) baking dish with cooking spray.
3. To prepare enchiladas: Heat avocado (or canola) oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef, onion, and bell pepper and cook, crumbling the beef with a wooden spoon, until it is no longer pink and the vegetables are tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in corn, cumin, chili powder, and garlic powder; cook, stirring occasionally until the corn is heated through and the spices are fragrant about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
4. Stir green chiles into 1 1/2 cups of the warm cheese sauce. Arrange one-third of the tortilla wedges in the prepared baking dish, overlapping as necessary to fit. Top with half the beef mixture and 1/2 cup of the cheese sauce. Repeat with half the remaining tortillas, the remaining beef mixture, and 1/2 cup of the cheese sauce. Top with the remaining tortillas, the remaining 1/2 cup cheese sauce, and tomato. Bake until bubbling, about 15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, prepare to dress: Combine vinegar, water, sugar, mustard, garlic, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper in a blender. Puree until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add oil and puree until creamy. (Measure out 2/3 cup and transfer the remaining dressing to a large mason jar; refrigerate for up to 1 week.)
6. To prepare slaw & serve: Toss coleslaw mix with 1/4 cup cilantro and 2/3 cup dressing in a medium bowl. Top the casserole with the remaining 1/4 cup cilantro and cut it into 4 servings. Serve with the slaw.

To make ahead

Prepare cheese sauce (Step 1). Transfer to a 4-cup heatproof container and let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Refrigerate for up to 5 days. Prepare to dress (Step 5); refrigerate for up to 1 week.

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 1/4 cups casserole & 1 1/2 cups slaw

Per Serving: 727 calories; protein 26.4g; carbohydrates 54.4g; dietary fiber 10.3g; sugars 14.4g; fat 45.7g; saturated fat 13.7g; cholesterol 77.1mg; vitamin a iu 5996IU; vitamin c 94.7mg; folate 67.6mcg; calcium 391mg; iron 3.9mg; magnesium 88.8mg; potassium 758.9mg; sodium 632.7mg.

Exchanges: 5 fat, 3 1/2 vegetable, 2 lean protein, 2 starch, 1 high-fat protein