Beef and Cheese Enchiladas

Beef and Cheese Enchiladas with a savory ground beef filling rolled up in corn tortillas, topped with enchilada sauce, and finished with a creamy cheddar cheese sauce. Add your favorite enchilada toppings, and you get a hearty and comforting dinner!

Old-school beef enchiladas get a cheesy upgrade with my go-to cheddar cheese sauce, which I love to use on all things. So, instead of just shredded cheese on top, you pour a creamy cheese sauce over the top of the enchiladas before they go in the oven. 

You end up with the best beef and cheese enchiladas with seasoned ground beef green chile filling, a saucy top with enchilada sauce, cheese sauce, and shredded cheese to make it even more fun.

Add your favorite toppings and add a bowl of chips and salsa on the side. It’s the makings for a very delicious dinner, and I think you’re gonna love it.

Recipe Instructions

There are three main parts to this recipe: making the ground beef filling, making the cheese sauce, and assembling the enchiladas. I like to use corn tortillas, but you can use flour tortillas, too!

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Beef and Cheese Enchiladas

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Beef and Cheese Enchiladas with a savory ground beef filling rolled up in corn tortillas, topped with enchilada sauce, and finished with a creamy cheddar cheese sauce.

• Author: April Anderson
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 12 enchiladas 1x
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Bake
• Cuisine: Mexican-American

Ingredients

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For the Enchiladas

• 1 teaspoon of vegetable or canola oil
• 1 pound 90% lean ground beef
• ½ cup chopped white onion
• 1 (4-oz) can diced green chiles
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• Juice of 1/2 a lime
• 1 (15-oz) can of red enchilada sauce, divided
• 12 white corn tortillas
• 4 ounces shredded Monterey jack cheese, divided
• 4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese, divided

For the Cheese Sauce

• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 3/4 cup half and half
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.  Spray a 9×13″ casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Make the beef filling: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook it partially way through for about 5 minutes.  Use a spatula to break up any larger pieces.
3. Add the chopped onion and continue to cook until the onions are softened, about five minutes.
4. Add the green chilis, chili powder, salt, pepper, and lime juice.  Stir well to combine and remove the pan from the heat.
5. Make the cheese sauce: Place the cornstarch and 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese in a bowl and toss to coat the cheese evenly.
6. In a medium saucepan, warm the cream over medium heat. Add the coated shredded cheddar cheese and salt and stir until the cheese melts and the sauce is smooth and creamy.
7. Assemble the enchiladas: Measure out 1/4 cup of the shredded cheese (2 tablespoons of each kind) and set it aside. Add the rest of the shredded cheese to the beef mixture in the pan.
8. Spread a thin layer of enchilada sauce in the bottom of the baking dish, enough to fully coat the bottom.
9. Fill each tortilla with the beef and cheese mixture, roll it up, and place it seam-side down in the baking dish.
10. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the enchiladas, then the cheese sauce, then finish with the remaining shredded cheese in an even layer over the sauces. Cover the baking dish with tin foil.
11. Bake! Place the baking dish in the oven and bake the enchiladas, covered, for 15 minutes. Uncover, then bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes longer. 

Notes

Enchilada Sauce: Use store-bought or try my easy enchilada sauce recipe.

Garnishes: Serve the enchiladas with your favorite garnishes. I like fresh cilantro, guacamole, sour cream, and green onions.

Make-Ahead: You can assemble the enchiladas, cover them, and refrigerate them up to a day in advance. You may need to add a few minutes of baking time if you do this.

Leftovers: Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 enchilada
• Calories: 273
• Sugar: 2.5g
• Sodium: 625.5mg
• Fat: 14.9g
• Saturated Fat: 7.2g
• Unsaturated Fat: 5.9g
• Trans Fat: 0.4g
• Carbohydrates: 18.7g
• Fiber: 2.9g
• Protein: 16.7g
• Cholesterol: 52.4mg

The nutrition is an estimate only. It was calculated using Nutrifox, an online nutrition calculator.

Recipe Tips

You can swap the ground beef for ground turkey or ground pork. Or, use shredded cooked chicken and make chicken enchiladas.

Green chile or the same amount of canned jalapenos works great in this recipe.

I like the Monterey Jack-cheddar cheese combo, but you can use one kind of cheese. Or, try using pepper jack cheese. Any of these will work for the creamy cheese sauce, too.

Toppings and Garnishes

While the enchiladas bake, get all the toppings ready because you know you’ll want to load them up. Here are some ideas:

• Shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes
• Diced jalapenos 
• Chopped onion or sliced green onions
• Sliced black olives
• A scoop of sour cream or guacamole
• Diced avocado
• A drizzle of salsa or spoonful of pico de gallo
• Chopped fresh cilantro

FAQ

I hope you give these beef and cheese enchiladas a try soon! The flavors are great, and that creamy cheese sauce takes them to a whole new level. Enjoy!

Happy cooking,

More Mexican-Inspired Recipes

This cheesy beef enchiladas post has been updated from the archives. It was first published in March 2022.