Dan’s Enchilada Casserole
Jul 08, 2011, Updated Oct 03, 2017
This may sound a little silly, but I’m a fan of Christmas in July. ย Though we don’t actually celebrate Christmas in our family, I do love the holiday season. Any excuse for a taste of the holidays — even if it’s half way through the year — makes me smile a little. ย So what does an enchilada pie have to do with the holidays? Let me explain.
Every year, we host an annual New Year’s party bacchanal up in the mountains, lasting for a week or so. Most meals are communal, and inevitably we end up making this enchilada casserole one of the nights. It’s a simple, inexpensive, and foolproof crowd-pleaser that scales up very easily to feed forty hungry party animals (quadruple the recipe, use larger pans!).
This recipe has become such a staple at the party that each time we make it at other times during the year, I think of the holidays. ย Having made one of these casseroles the other day, I started dreaming about snow, home-brewed beer, my best friends, a roaring fireplace, and a rousing game of sloshball (not necessarily in that order). ย To me, that’s Christmas — even if it’s actually ninety degrees and sunny outside today.
I tip my hat to my friend Dan, who shared his recipe with us many years ago. I’ve adapted it and tweaked it over the years, and really, it’s a little different every time, since we use much of whatever we’ve got on hand.
It’s easily adaptable to specialized diets, too. ย Already vegetarian (adding meat is soย not necessary — it’s hearty enough!), we usually make one “regular” version and one vegan version (just skip the cheese), and most people have trouble deciding which they like more. If you use corn tortillas, it’s gluten-free, too. A couple of years ago, I started using 100% whole wheat tortillas instead of regular flour tortillas, and people didn’t even notice.
This healthy recipe is a great example of theย My Plateย guidelines (even if it’s not divided into separate compartments). ย It’s about 1/4 grains (tortillas), 1/4 protein (beans), 1/4 vegetables (spinach, mushrooms, peppers, onions), and 1/4 fruit (tomatoes, avocado) — with a bit of dairy (cheese) on top.
But I haven’t even mentioned the best part yet.ย Christmas Day Leftovers!
Dan's Enchilada Casserole
Ingredients
Sauce Base:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cups red enchilada sauce, see below, or one large can low-sodium enchilada sauce
- 1 1/2 cups 1 can black beans
- 1 can no-fat low-sodium refried beans
- 10-12 corn or 100% whole wheat tortillas, read ingredients carefully; look for tortillas with short ingredient lists!
Extra Goodies:
- 1 small can of diced green chiles
- 3 to 5 cloves crushed garlic
- 1/2 to 2 large diced jalapeรฑos, check for spiciness, jalapeรฑos vary considerably
- 1 cup quartered mushrooms
- bunch fresh spinach, frozen or canned works, too
- 1 cup corn
- 1 cup potatoes, sliced into 1/4" rounds and blanched
- 1 cup shredded cheese, part-skim mozarella, jack, or "Mexican blend," all work well
- sliced avocado, for garnish/topping
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute the diced onion for 3-4 minutes, until it starts to soften.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, and add the enchilada sauce, black beans, and refried beans to the saucepan. Stir slowly until mixed thoroughly.
- Add any "extra goodies" to the sauce and continue heating and stirring until it starts to simmer. Be sure to stir continuously, else it may start to splatter as it comes to a boil.
- The goal is not necessarily to cook the veggies and sauce, rather to be sure it's evenly mixed and hot. If using fresh spinach, you'll want the leaves to be wilted/softened, so they don't take up too much space.
- Once everything is mixed well, turn off heat and start layering the casserole in a lightly greased 9x13 baking pan.
- First, add thin layer of the sauce to the bottom (if you start with tortillas first, they may burn). Add a layer of tortillas (see diagram, below). Then alternate sauce and tortillas until there's about 1/4" of space left (or you run out of sauce or tortillas!), ending with a layer of sauce on top. Be sure all the tortillas are covered by sauce; any tortilla that's not covered will dry out.
- Sprinkle the cheese on top, and cover with aluminum foil. "Tent" the foil so it's not resting on the cheese (this makes it easier to remove later).
- Bake at 350ยฐF for 40 minutes. (If doubling the recipe, or using a deeper pan, you may want to bake a little longer). Remove foil, and bake for another 10 minutes, until cheese begins to brown. Allow to cool for at least ten minutes before serving.
I made this last night and it was fantastic. I made it pretty much as-is, except when I made the enchilada sauce I added one chili from a can of “chilies in adobo sauce” to give it smoky chipotle flavor (then added the onions and garlic and pureed), and I added squash instead of potatoes. It was so perfectly hearty and delicious. I can’t wait to eat the leftovers for lunch today. :o)
This may be one of those recipes that you have to grow up eating to appreciate. I made an amazing homemade enchilada sauce to use with this recipe, but the end result was one of the most disappointing recipes that I’ve ever tried. I am surprised to read that this is a holiday staple for large gatherings, and that a few people tried the recipe and sent in a favorable comment. I am a really good cook, but maybe I missed something. I’ll leave it at that.
Making this for date night dinner for my boyfriend tonight ๐ Paired with homemade salsa and chips! Perfect to, as we’re going salsa dancing after!