This quick and easy enchilada casserole has become one of our favorite, “throw it all together in a dish”, gluten free meals. It even beats out lasagna in our house and is easier to make. Cheese, tasty spiced meat, bean, chiles, corn tortillas, spices, and chiles combine into a warm cheesy main dish that will satisfy the pickiest eaters. We feel like it’s a ‘junk food’ treat, but made at home, so not as unhealthy as it tastes!
We often find casseroles heavy and pasta laden, but love the convenience of casseroles. Being able to throw everything in one pan and cook later saves time and makes meal planning easy. The prep is easy too for this Enchilada Casserole. Serve with a salad for a great weeknight meal or casual entertaining.
Gluten Free Enchilada casserole can be made ahead of time and baked later. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to bake. This may require a few more minutes to cook completely.
Too many leftovers? This recipe makes a lot! No worries, Enchilada Casserole will keep well in the refrigerator or freezer for leftovers later. To reheat from frozen, we like to thaw it in the refrigerator before reheating in the microwave. If it’s cooked too long in microwave, the tortillas and cheese could get chewy.
Tips for Quick & Easy Gluten Free Enchilada Casserole
- Using ground beef (meat) is budget friendly
- Sub out ground beef for ground turkey or plant based ground meat
- Use fresh ingredients like jalapeños and cilantro for toppings
- Hot sauce as a condiment allows for everyone to adjust the “heat” themselves
- Substitute taco seasoning for spices
- Cut the tortillas in half to completely cover each layer
- Canned medium salsa instead of enchilada sauce saves money
- Use mild, medium, or hot salsa according to your taste preference
- Store leftovers in freezer
Gluten Free Products We Love to Cook With
- Yellowbird Hot Sauces – We love their sauces. Made with whole ingredients, they are gluten and gum free. We use them almost everyday in our gluten free diets. Adds taste to eggs, salads, tacos, sauces…. Find it on Amazon → https://amzn.to/3XQtimg
- Celtic Sea Salt – We’ve used this for years for taste and health. A natural source of iodine and a great tasting salt. We keep it on the counter in salt crock. This salt is a coarse and “wet’ salt. You can use wet in cooking, but it needs to dry before putting in a grinder. Once the salt has “dried” in the crock, we put it in a grinder to make a fine sea salt for individual salting. Buying in a larger bag keeps the price more reasonable. Find it on Amazon →Celtic Sea Salt 5 lb
- Del Campo Soft Corn Tortillas – Not gum free, but less ingredients than most tortillas. Find it on Amazon → Del Campo Soft Corn Tortillas
- Green Mountain Gringo Salsa – of our favorite salsas! Not all salsas are labeled as gluten free, but this is! We sometimes find it in the stores, but if not it’s available on Amazon → Green Mountain Gringo Salsa, Medium
*These products have not caused a reaction for us. Please consult a medical professional or dietician for your own food allergen restrictions.
ALWAYS, ALWAYS READ LABELS!
No matter how many times we’ve bought a product, we read the labels. Companies often change ingredients or even manufacturing facilities. This recipe was adapted for our food allergies.
Enchilada Casserole – Quick and Gluten Free
Olive or avocado oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1lb ground beef (or turkey, plant based)
1 tsp. Sea salt
2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. chile powder
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
Black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons dried cilantro (or fresh chopped)
1 4 oz. can of chopped chiles, drained
1 15 oz. can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 ½ – 2 c. fresh salsa (can sub gluten free jarred salsa)
3 – 4 c. shredded 4 cheese Mexican cheese
12 -15 gluten free corn tortillas
Fresh cilantro leaves
Chopped jalapeños
Lime Wedges
Sour cream
Hot sauce
1. Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan. Add onion, cook and stir until onion is translucent. Push onion to sides and ground beef to center. Stir and break up ground beef until cooked through and beginning to brown.
2. Stir spices into onion and ground beef mixture. Add chiles and black beans stirring until well mixed.
3. Spray non-stick cooking oil in a 9 x 13 casserole dish. Spread a small amount of salsa on the bottom of the dish. Make a layer of tortillas on top. Next, spread about ⅓ of the beef, beans, and chiles mixture over tortillas. Then, add a layer of ½ – ¾ c. of salsa, spreading over the beef mixture. Evenly sprinkle a layer of ⅓ of cheddar cheese or until lightly covered with cheese. Repeat 2 more times layering tortillas, beef, salsa and cheese.
4. Bake in a 375° oven for 30-35 minutes or until the casserole is bubbly throughout. Serve with fresh cilantro, jalapeños, lime, sour cream, and hot sauce
For more great gluten free recipes and how we live a great life, gluten free check out our linktree
*These products have not caused a reaction for us. Please consult a medical professional or dietician for your own food allergen restrictions.
**This article contains affiliate links which we may benefit monetarily from.
