Absolutely Delicious Beef Enchilada Pie
If you’re craving the comforting, savory flavors of enchiladas but want a simpler, quicker way to enjoy them, look no further than this enchilada pie. With a combination of flour tortillas, shredded beef, black beans, corn salsa, and gooey cheese, this dish is a crowd-pleaser that comes together in under 30 minutes! Whether you’re making it for a family dinner or serving it at a casual gathering, this enchilada pie is sure to impress.
Erica’s Thoughts
Welcome back to Cook Once Eat Twice! This recipe is part of my series where we prep one main protein component and then use it for at least two unique healthy recipes. Today we are repurposing the incredible Mexican shredded beef from these burrito bowls into a magnificent layered enchilada bake!
An enchilada PIE!? Sign me up. Ain’t nobody got time to roll up each tortilla.
This is a very easy, very tasty answer to your weeknight dinner query my friends. The only chopping required is for the mountain of toppings- avocado, green onions, cilantro, etc, etc, choose your journey.
a few things before we begin:
- Get a really good quality enchilada sauce. I prefer the kind in jar, like this one, versus the canned kind.
- While I desperately hope you made the saucy shredded beef and enjoyed these chipotle-inspired burrito bowls, you can make this recipe with other protein types like seasoned ground beef, shredded pork or shredded chicken.
- Corn salsa adds subtle sweetness to the layers, but you can use frozen corn if you can’t find salsa (I get the one from Trader Joe’s!)
- Do ‘er UP with the toppings! I love tons of fresh herbs, a dollop of sour cream OR please tell me you have leftover queso sauce because it is so good here.
- My three-year-old loved this enchilada pie and gobbled up every bite! I hope it’s one your whole family will love as well.
This pie is a far cry from ‘traditional enchiladas’ but that does not make it any less delicious, enjoy!
What You’ll Need to Make Beef Enchilada Pie
Enchilada sauce: I love to use a jar of red enchilada sauce, like this one from Siete foods, instead of the canned variety. You can find it in the international food aisle near the other Mexican ingredients.
Flour tortillas: soft taco-sized flour tortillas, or 8-inch tortillas, work best for layering in this dish. They are usually on an end cap at the grocery store near the international foods aisle.
Shredded beef: we’re using leftover shredded beef from our burrito bowls! It is so simple and made in the Instant Pot with green chiles, tomato paste, taco seasoning mix and orange juice. But, if you didn’t make this particular recipe you could sub pre-cooked shredded beef, carnitas or shredded rotisserie chicken.
Corn salsa: corn salsa is a vibrant blend of corn, peppers, and spices, corn salsa adds a touch of sweetness and crunch to the pie. I love the one from Trader Joe’s but most grocery stores carry some version of corn salsa or corn relish. Please note that this is not salsa with corn in it, it’s CORN salsa- no tomatoes!
Black beans: beans add richness and texture to the enchilada pie. Look for them in the canned beans aisle.
Fajita veggies: if you have leftover sauteéd veggies from burrito bowls, use ’em up! If you don’t but still would like a boost of veggies you can sauté an onion and red bell pepper in a bit of olive oil over medium-high heat and season with taco seasoning.
Mexican blend cheese: you can use Monterey jack cheese, cheddar cheese or pepperjack cheese or a pre-grated blend of these cheeses often labeled as “Mexican blend”.
Toppings: top your enchilada pie with sour cream (or leftover queso sauce!), avocado, green onions, fresh cilantro, limes, tortilla chips, and sliced black olives.
How to Make Easy Enchilada Pie
Making enchilada pie is surprisingly easy! Here’s how you can create this layered, cheesy masterpiece in just 30 minutes:
Preheat the oven: heat oven to 350°F (175°C) to ensure it’s hot and ready for baking.
Assemble the pie in a skillet or oven-safe baking dish: use a 10-inch cast iron skillet or any oven-safe large skillet. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce into the bottom and spread it out evenly. Start with a flour tortilla. Coat it in the enchilada sauce by flipping it in the pan.
Add a third of your shredded beef (about 3/4 cup), followed by ¼ cup black beans, ¼ cup corn salsa, large spoonful of sautéed veggies if using and a big handful of grated cheese. Place another tortilla on top, add another 1/4 cup enchilada sauce, and repeat with another layer of meat mixture, beans, corn salsa, veggies and cheese.
Repeat this layering process once more. You should have a total of three layers and use four tortillas. Finish by topping the last tortilla with the remaining enchilada sauce and remaining cheese.
Bake: place your skillet in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden.
Serve: once out of the oven, let the enchilada pie stand for 10 minutes. Slice and serve with your favorite toppings like sour cream, avocado, green onions, cilantro, or queso sauce.
Expert Tips
- Make it ahead: You can prepare this enchilada pie in advance by assembling the layers and refrigerating it before baking. Just pop it in the oven when you’re ready for dinner! It also freezes beautifully. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze up to two months. Bake straight from the freezer for 45-55 minutes until cooked through, hot and bubbling.
- Use leftovers: for the best flavor, use leftover shredded beef, veggies and queso from burrito bowls. It adds richness and depth to the pie.
- Spice it up: if you like spicy foods, add chopped jalapeño peppers or a dash of hot sauce to the layers.
- Don’t skip the rest time: letting the pie cool for a few minutes before slicing ensures the layers stay intact.
- Be a little extra: make your own homemade enchilada sauce!
Variation Ideas
Looking to switch things up? Here are some easy ways to customize your enchilada pie:
- Vegetarian enchilada pie: omit the beef and replace it with roasted vegetables like zucchini, bell peppers, and onions for a tasty vegetarian version.
- Chicken enchiladas: substitute the beef with shredded rotisserie chicken. If you do this, I’d recommend tossing the rotisserie chicken with a little salsa, taco seasoning and cream cheese for more flavor.
- If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet: make this in a pie plate, springform pan or round casserole dish.
- Gluten-free version: use corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas for a gluten-free alternative.
FAQs
Yep. Feel free to swap the shredded beef with chicken, ground turkey, lean ground beef, or extra black beans + veggies for a vegetarian option.
Absolutely! You can assemble the enchilada pie a day ahead, cover it with foil, and refrigerate it. When you’re ready, bake it straight from the fridge, you might need to add a few extra minutes of cook time.
Yes, this recipe freezes well. Assemble the pie, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. To reheat, bake from frozen at 350°F for about 45-50 minutes. Don’t forget to remove the plastic wrap!
Use 100% corn tortillas instead of a flour tortilla. Since they are smaller, you’ll have to use 3-4 tortillas per layer.
Store leftover enchilada pie in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.
You can use fresh or frozen corn kernels.
If you love this enchilada pie recipe you’ll love these other easy meals:
In case you missed the first installment of Cook Once Eat Twice check out easy meal prep chicken breast, chicken and pomegranate mason jar salads and chicken and broccoli casserole recipe.
If you try and like this recipe please don’t forget to leave a comment and star rating down below! If you love more lifestyle, behind the scenes and ‘eating in real life’ type of content come find me over on Instagram, @itsaflavorfullife, I love connecting with you all there!
Next time you’re craving Mexican cuisine, beef burrito bowls and enchilada pie are on the menu!
Print
Easy and Absolutely Delicious Beef Enchilada Pie Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
- Total Time: 30-35 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Casserole
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Mexican
Description
Layers of flavorful and tender beef, black beans, enchilada sauce and melty cheese, everything you love about enchiladas reimagined in pie form!
Ingredients
- 1 15oz jar red enchilada sauce
- 4 8-inch flour tortillas (soft taco size)
- 2 cups Mexican shredded beef
- 3/4 cup black beans
- 3/4 cup corn salsa (or frozen corn kernels)
- 2 cups leftover sauteéd peppers and onions (optional, if you have them)
- 8 oz grated Mexican blend cheese
- toppings: sour cream, leftover queso sauce, avocado, tomatoes or salsa, green onions, cilantro, limes, tortilla chips, sliced black olives
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a 10-inch cast iron skillet or oven safe skillet add a big spoonful of enchilada sauce and spread it all the way around the bottom of the pan. Add a tortilla, flipping it in the sauce so it gets coated in sauce. Next add a third of the shredded beef (about 3/4 cup), followed by ¼ cup black beans, ¼ cup corn salsa, a spoonful of sautéed veggies (if using) and a big handful of cheese. Add another tortilla and spoonful of enchilada sauce and repeat this layering two more times. Finish with the fourth and final tortilla and top with the remaining enchilada sauce and cheese.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes. Let stand 5-10 minutes, slice and serve! Top with sour cream, avocado, green onions, cilantro, olives or leftover queso if you have it!
Notes
If you want to add veggies but don’t have any leftover: sauté ½ sliced sweet onion and 1 sliced sweet pepper in a swish of avocado oil for 10-15 minutes until softened and caramelized. Season with 1 teaspoon taco seasoning.
Refer to above blog post for process photos, expert tips and answers to frequently asked questions.
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Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 recipe
- Calories: 395
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 987.1 mg
- Fat: 17.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 29.3 g
- Fiber: 2.8 g
- Protein: 29.6 g
- Cholesterol: 80.6 mg
This was so yummy! Easy to make and so flavorful. I topped it with sour cream, sliced avocado, cilantro, and hot sauce. Will def make again!
I made this in combo with the beef bowls and it was so easy and delicious! Next time I’m going to try corn tortillas, because sometimes I don’t love the texture of flour tortillas with all the sauciness. I also added the leftover cottage cheese queso from the beef bowls, and it was amazing.
THIS RECIPE. When I say this is the best enchilada pie of my life I am not kidding. In the words of Hilary Duff, “this is what dreams are made of.”
This was so good 😊 and froze well for my meal prep I make sooo many of these recipes on your blog for my night shifts at the hospital !!
I love this Jill, thanks so much for sharing! I imagine that if I was working night shift a yummy slice of enchilada pie is exactly what I’d be craving. Thank you for the work you do!
I tried both these cook-once eat-twice recipes, but at separate times. So with the full roast, I made two enchilada pies, or 2.5, actually. Was going to freeze some but ended up blessing someone else with dinner. It’s quite hearty due to plenty of beef. I used corn tortillas for GF, that worked great.
The corn salsa was fun to discover, I could eat that right from the jar for sure. I think the recipe has enough flavor that regular frozen corn would be fine as well. Did not use the queso for this one, it was still yummy.