Easy Stacked Enchiladas Recipe (A Family Favorite from My Grandmother)
If you’re looking for an easy Tex-Mex casserole dish, this stacked enchiladas recipe might just be the one you’ll want to save. My grandmother shared this recipe with me several years before she passed away. I still treasure her handwritten copy on a sheet of paper from a Big Chief tablet.
Every time I pull it out, I’m reminded that the best family recipes don’t have to be fancy. They are just simple meals that are made with love and shared around the family table. This easy casserole is one of those treasured recipes that has become part of our family’s story, and I’m so happy to share it with you.
Quick Take:
- Recipe: Easy Stacked Enchiladas
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Servings: 6-8
This recipe lets you make enchiladas without rolling and stuffing individual tortillas. It is the easiest way to get the same taste with the ease of a casserole.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Some recipes become family favorites because they’re impressive. Others become favorites because they’re dependable.
These stacked enchiladas fall into the second category.
- Easy weeknight meal
- Uses simple pantry ingredients
- Great for feeding a family
- Can be made with ground beef or chicken
- Perfect make-ahead casserole
- A treasured family recipe passed down from my grandmother
If you are looking for other easy family meals, you might like some of my 30 minute meals.
How to Make
Unlike traditional rolled enchiladas, there’s no need to spend time filling and rolling tortillas. Instead, the tortillas are layered with a creamy meat filling, enchilada sauce, and plenty of cheese to give you a comforting casserole that’s both hearty and satisfying.
I only remember my grandmother making this recipe with ground beef, so that’s the version I have always made. While the recipe also works with cooked chicken, making it with beef brings back wonderful memories of dinners around her kitchen table.
Simple Ingredients
Jay doesn’t care for green onions that much, so I usually omit them. However, the last time I made this, I added a little dice red onion, and it was delicious.
Ingredients
For the Filling:
Detailed Instructions
Although it is not in my grandmother’s original instructions, I cut the tortillas into fourths to make them fit into the baking dish a little better.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Mix the filling ingredients together well.
- Dip each tortilla into the enchilada sauce. Place tortillas into a greased 1½-quart casserole dish, tearing them as needed to fit.
- Top with 3 or 4 tablespoons of the filling. Spread it over the tortillas.
- Sprinkle 1/3 cup of the grated cheese.
- Repeat layers, alternating the rest of the tortillas, filling, and cheese.
- Before adding the last layer of cheese, pour the remaining enchilada sauce over it all. Top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes or until good and done.
I love how Granny worded this one – “until good and done.” 🙂
What to Serve with This Dish
These are delicious served with:
- Spanish rice
- Refried beans
- Tortilla chips and fresh salsa
- Guacamole
Tips for the Best Stacked Enchiladas
- Brown the Ground Beef Well – If you are using ground beef, drain any excess grease before mixing it with the sour cream and the seasonings.
- Let It Rest – Allow the casserole to sit for about 5 minutes before serving.
- Make It Ahead – To save time, assemble the casserole earlier in the day, cover, refrigerate, and bake it when you’re ready.
- Use Freshly Grated Cheese – I don’t always do this, but if you grate your own cheese, it melts more smoothly that pre-shredded cheese.
Helpful Kitchen Items
Here are a few of my favorite items to use with this dish:
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Printable Recipe Card – Granny’s Stacked Enchiladas
Granny's Stacked Enchiladas
There are two food items I can say I love – enchiladas and casseroles! When you put these together, you have magic! My grandmother (Grace) gave me a recipe many years ago for what she called Stacked Enchiladas.
Ingredients
- 6-9 Corn Tortillas
- 2 1/2 Cups Grated Cheese
- 1 (10 oz.) Can of Enchilada Sauce
- Filling:
- 2 Cups Cooked Chicken, chopped fine or 1 Lb. Ground Beef, browned (I only remember Granny using beef.)
- 1 Cup Sour Cream
- 1/4 Cup Chopped Green Onions
- 1/2 t. Salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Mix the filling ingredients together well.
- Dip tortillas into the enchilada sauce and place in a 1 1/2 qt. casserole dish. Tear the tortillas to fit into the dish.
- Top with 3 or 4 tablespoons of the filling. Spread it over the tortillas.
- Sprinkle 1/3 cup of the grated cheese.
- Repeat layers, alternating the rest of the tortillas, filling, and cheese.
- Before adding the last layer of cheese, pour the remaining enchilada sauce over it all. Top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes or until good and done.
Notes
This recipe is written in my grandmother's handwriting with her own words. I can hear her speaking this!
If you love quick and easy dinners like this, be sure to check out some of my other 30 minute meals your family will love for even more simple weeknight ideas.
Faith Reflection
Just as treasured recipes are passed from one generation to the next, our faith is also meant to be shared.
Deuteronomy 6 reminds us to teach God’s truth to our children as we sit in our homes, walk along the road, lie down, and get up. Some of the best lessons aren’t taught in a classroom, they happen around the dinner table.
As we prepare meals for those we love, we also have opportunities to share encouragement, laughter, prayer, and the faithfulness of God. A simple casserole like this one may fill hungry stomachs, but a family gathered together can nourish hearts.
A Recipe Worth Passing Down
There is something special about cooking from a handwritten recipe, especially for me when it is on a Big Chief tablet (Granny was known for always having one handy).
Every stain, folded corner, and faded pencil mark tells a story. My grandmother probably never imagined that years later I’d still be pulling out this little piece of paper to make dinner for my family.
Recipes become more than instructions. They become memories we taste. I’m thankful she took the time to share this one with me, and I hope it finds a place around your family’s table as well.
Maybe one day you will pass it along on a handwritten piece of paper to someone you love.
Related Posts
Delicious Chicken Pot Pie Recipe
Simple Menu and Meal Planning Tips
Daddy’s Beef Stew
Momma’s Chocolate Cake
Aunt Joy’s Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers
Until next time,
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“How sweet Your Word is to my taste – sweeter than honey in my mouth.”
Psalm 119:103
Excited to try this, Susan. As you know, we love Tex-Mex anything, so this is definitely up my alley. Plus, I’m always looking for ways to help in the kitchen. I haven’t been able to make a full meal yet, but I’m learning, and these simple ideas are really helpful. Plus, I love that you can do this as a make-and-take for sick loved ones too. Hugs, CoCo