Quick and Easy Enchilada Casserole
Growing up, I absolutely HATED Enchiladas, and we seemed to eat them at least once a week. My mom also made a different version – an enchilada casserole that she called “Fake Enchiladas” – that my family gobbled up just as happily as the original.
I once asked her where she got the idea, and her story changed through the years. Originally she took full credit for the creation and execution of this meal, but recently she told me that she learned it from some woman in South America years ago.
I have no idea what the truth of the origins. All I know is that I grew up absolutely DESPISING this particular dish and refused to eat it for most of my life. In fact, it was a great surprise to me when only a few weeks ago, heavily pregnant and miserable because my body decided to have aversions to ALL of my favorite foods, I suddenly had an overwhelming craving for my mom’s “Fake” Enchiladas. Since I knew she was coming out for the birth of my baby, I immediately put her on notice that she would be required to make me a batch once she got here.
The hormones want what the hormones want.
Anyway, since I had no idea how to make it beforehand, I decided to document the recipe as she made it and share it here. I’ll also mention that her “Real” Enchiladas are made nearly the same way, but she puts the filling into corn tortillas and rolls them up to bake them. I don’t think I’ll EVER get a craving for that.
Here’s what you’ll need:
1 lb ground beef
2 cans Old El Paso red enchilada sauce
1/2 C sliced black olives
1/2 C diced onions
4 C shredded Mexican-blend cheese
1 bag Doritos
sour cream
sliced green onions (to garnish)
Is this even how traditional enchiladas are made? I wouldn’t know because I don’t eat them! Oh, it’s okay! I just looked it up, and Ree Drummond makes her enchiladas with similar ingredients (though way fancier), so I feel like this is okay.
Ahem.
To begin, fry up your meat and get your veggies chopped up so everything is ready to go. Ree would have you fry the onions with the meat, but mom says to keep them raw, so that’s what we do.
In an oven safe baking dish (my mom always used a huge metal mixing bowl, but I chose one of my cute clay dishes instead), add a quarter cup or so of your enchilada sauce.
Next, take a big handful of Doritos and crush them between your fists and then let them drop onto the sauce-covered bottom.
Throw on a layer of onions. You can always add more if you really like them or less if you don’t. We just did a sprinkling in the vain hope that my kids would eat this with us. Of course it didn’t work. My kids thought it was disgusting. Not every dish is a winner.
Now add your chopped black olives. Fun fact! My husband HATES black olives, but he still ate the meal and had leftovers for lunch the next day. Good man.
Then, throw down a nice layer of meat. I probably would have seasoned the meat if I was making it, but mom added nothing, so don’t be like me.
Finally, cover the whole mess with a whole bunch of cheese. I like cheese a lot, so I kept throwing more on it. Feel free to add a nice thick layer.
Okay. Now do all that again, layering sauce, Doritos, onions, olives, meat and cheese until you run out of ingredients or run out of space in your dish. Just make sure to douse the final thing in whatever is left of your enchilada sauce and then cover it in a final layer of cheese.
Now throw that bad boy in a hot oven and bake until the top is golden brown and bubbly and the cheese is melted. Or until your pregnancy cravings can’t stand it anymore and you remove it against mom’s advice. How hot of an oven, you ask? Well that’d be a nice detail to include, but I wasn’t paying attention, so let me call my mom and ask.
Ahem. Okay, mom says 325 degrees until it’s heated through.
Once it is done to your liking, rip it out of the oven and dig in! I threw on some sour cream and green onions, and voila!!
I may have also garnished with extra Doritos because I was trying to be fancy in a way only a nine-months pregnant chick can be.
Long story short… it hit the spot. I ate leftovers for days. And even though I had my baby two weeks ago, I am still craving Fake Enchiladas. I may have been converted.
What do you think? Would you try this?
Easy Enchilada Casserole
A delicious take on a traditional Mexican meal, these "fake" enchiladas use Doritos and layers of fillings to really make your tastebuds tingle!
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 cans Old El Paso red enchilada sauce
- 1/2 C sliced black olives
- 1/2 C diced onions
- 4 C shredded Mexican-blend cheese
- 1 bag Doritos
- sour cream
- sliced green onions (to garnish)
Instructions
- Brown your hamburger meat and get your veggies chopped up so everything is ready to go.
- In an oven safe baking dish add a quarter cup of enchilada sauce.
- Next, take a big handful of Doritos and crush them between your fists and then let them drop onto the sauce-covered bottom.
- Add layers of onions, olives, hamburger and cheese.
- Top with more enchilada sauce and then repeat your layers.
- Finish with final layers of sauce and cheese.
- Bake in a 325 degree oven until the cheese is brown and bubbly.
- Garnish with sour cream and green onions.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving:Calories: 410Total Fat: 29gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 105mgSodium: 412mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 29g
Katie Reed is a passionate writer and mother of four vivacious boys from Salt Lake City, Utah. Drawing from her own journey through TTC, pregnancy, and the joys of raising children, she offers a wealth of insight into the world of motherhood. Beyond her heartfelt tales, Katie delights her readers with family-friendly recipes, engaging crafts, and a curated library of printables for both kids and adults. When she’s not penning her experiences, you’ll find her crafting memories with her husband and sons—Dexter, Daniel, Chester, and Wilder.
it is the first time I see this and to be honest, it look tasty. Will do it this weekend with my daughter.