Love enchiladas? Our family has been making this Green Chili Enchiladas Recipe since I was a child and it’s SO yummy, easy to make, and freezes perfectly!
Guest post from Brigette Shevy
Green Chile Enchilada Casserole Recipe (Family Favorite!)
Green Chile Enchiladas is a recipe our family discovered many years ago in the cookbook, Once-A-Month Cooking, and it immediately became a family favorite!
These creamy, cheesy enchiladas are easy to put together and freeze beautifully.
Growing up, Green Chile Enchiladas was always a personal favorite of mine. Now that I have my own family, I’ve come to appreciate it even more! After all, any freezer-friendly recipe that is simple to make and uses inexpensive ingredients plus tastes amazing is a winner in my book!
Green Enchilada Casserole Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef
- 1 ¼ cups finely chopped onion
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 8-12 flour tortillas (I use the large size)
- 12 ounces (3 cups) of shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
- 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup (or homemade equivalent)
- 1 ½ cups sour cream
- 1 4-ounce can of diced mild green chiles
Should enchiladas have corn or flour tortillas?
Flour tortillas will be easier to roll without cracking, but if you are gluten-free or simply like the taste of corn tortillas better, they will work fine too.
Just make sure the corn tortillas are warm before you try to roll them with the ingredients — otherwise they might crack and the filling will spill out.
What cheese is best for enchiladas?
Any cheese that is gooey when melted will work well for enchiladas. Try using a Mexican blend of shredded cheese, or even a spicier Pepper Jack if you want.
Avoid mozzarella as that can be too “thick” when melted.
Hatch Chile Enchiladas Recipe Variations
This recipe as written is mild, so if you prefer your Mexican food spicy, you will want to jazz it up with some real hatch chiles (that are more traditional and a little bit hotter than regular green chiles), hot peppers, or extra seasonings.
I usually serve jalapenos and hot salsa on the side, but feel free to make it your own and to the spice level of your liking!
How to make Green Chile Enchiladas
1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Grease a 9″ x 13″ pan and set aside.
2. In a skillet, brown ground beef and onions. Drain grease and return meat mixture to pan.
3. Stir chili powder, salt, and pepper into the meat mixture.
4. Spoon some of the meat mixture into each tortilla and top with cheese (remember to reserve 1 cup of cheese for topping).
5. Roll up tortillas (I usually tuck the ends inside while rolling them) and place seam side down in your 9″×13″ pan.
6. In a medium-sized bowl, combine soup, sour cream, and chiles and pour over tortillas. (If you are making this up ahead of time, cover the pan with foil and stick it in the freezer at this point).
7. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes.
8. Remove from oven, sprinkle reserved cheese on top, and bake (uncovered) for an additional 10 minutes.
Should you cover enchiladas when baking?
Yes, you should cover the enchiladas with aluminum foil if they start to look a little too brown on the top, or if the sauce soaks in and they look a little dry. Using aluminum foil will lengthen the cooking time a bit, but keep the enchiladas soft and pliable.
That said, you will want to keep them uncovered for the last 10 minutes so the cheese gets nice a melty (and doesn’t stick to the foil!)
How to Serve Green Chile Enchilada Casserole Recipe
We often pair this recipe with Spanish rice, a tossed salad, and some chips and salsa for a simple, budget-friendly company meal that will feed a crowd!
You could also serve with a “buffet” of condiments — sour cream, guacamole, salsa, queso dip, spicy peppers, tomatoes, green onions, cilantro, shredded lettuce, etc.
Green Chili Enchiladas Recipe Storage
You can make this recipe in advance and store in the fridge for a day or so (covered with plastic wrap or aluminum foil). You can also freeze it in a covered pan for several months.
Store any leftovers in a food storage container — they are great reheated for lunch the next day!
Green Chile Enchiladas FAQs
The nature of this dish is to saturate the tortillas with sauce… so they will be very “soft”, possibly soggy. If you don’t want soggy tortillas, you can use less sauce or bake for longer.
We use cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and diced mild green chiles — but other recipes may call for different ingredients.
It depends on the ingredients you use — you can make/buy mild, medium or hot enchilada sauce that’s red or green.
The main difference between green enchilada sauce and salsa verde is that enchilada sauce is cooked, and salsa verde is raw. Enchilada sauce also requires liquid (either stock or water), but salsa verde ingredients are simply blended together and eaten as is.
You’ll want to add the sauce before cooking, otherwise the tortillas will become very dry and crack.
Hatch Chile Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs ground beef
- 1¼ cups onion chopped
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 12 flour tortillas
- 12 oz Monterey Jack cheese shredded and divided
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 1½ cups sour cream
- 4 oz mild green chiles diced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Grease a 9″x13″ pan and set aside.
- In a skillet, brown ground beef and onions. Drain grease and return meat mixture to pan.
- Stir chili powder, salt and pepper into the meat mixture.
- Spoon some of the meat mixture into each tortilla and top with cheese (remember to reserve 1 cup of cheese for topping).
- Roll up tortillas (I usually tuck the ends inside while rolling it) and place seam side down in your 9″×13″ pan.
- In a medium size bowl, combine soup, sour cream, and chiles and pour over tortillas. (If you are making this up ahead of time, cover the pan with foil and stick it in the freezer at this point).
- Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes.
- Remove from oven, sprinkle reserved cheese on top, and bake (uncovered) for an additional 10 minutes.
Nutrition
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Brigette is a full-time wife and mother who is blessed with three amazing bundles of energy and another on the way. She enjoys music, experimenting in the kitchen, homeschooling her children, finding great deals, long-distance running, and anything chocolate.
Reader Interactions
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Christa says
I made these today. Delish! I used gr. Turkey instead of gr. Beef and it turned out great. I also added ground Cumin and garlic to the meat for additional seasoning. I’ll be making this again for sure! Thanks so much.
Jordan says
That sounds like a great substitution! I am so happy that you enjoyed! -Jordan, MSM Team
Melissa says
You can reduce the fat by using turkey as ground meat and 3/4 cup condensed milk and 3/4 sour cream.
Trisha says
Sub shredded chicken and corn tortillas. A staple in our home!
Karen says
Sounds delish! Have you ever tried them with corn tortillas? I have a surplus of corn tortillas that I bought on sale and would love to use them. I have all these ingredients on hand, so this could be tomorrow night’s dinner 🙂
Lyssa says
How do you freeze your enchiladas?
Brigette says
If you read through the instructions, I explain when/how to freeze these. Hope this answers your question!
Lana says
Instructions on how to cook them after freezing? Should they be thawed first, etc.
Brigette says
I always thaw them and cook them as directed in the recipe. You could probably stick them in the oven frozen as well (or partially thawed), but I’m not sure how long they would need to cook for.