This is one of my family’s favorite recipes. It is definitely on the repeat list. My middle schoolers even love to make this kid-friendly enchilada recipe on their own. We eat this meal a minimum of once a month. I bet your family will love it too! Step-by-step instructions with pictures follow. Feel free to scroll to the bottom of this post for the direct recipe.
(This post contains affiliate links. I will be compensated for any purchase made through my links. Thank you for helping to support my family!)
This kid-friendly enchilada recipe is one of my all time favorites! I don’t even know how many times I have made it. My whole family loves it so much that we have very few leftovers each time (and the kids fight over who gets whatever is left the next day!). I call any meal that even the leftovers are fought over a definite success!
Start by cooking your meat. I typically use ground beef in mine. You could use chicken or cheese or whatever your heart desires. It’s hard to go wrong with enchiladas. I add diced onion, green pepper, and minced garlic to the meat after it browns. I also add in chili powder, cumin, and a generous sprinkling of salt and black pepper.
After the meat is cooked and seasoned, set it aside and start on your sauce. The recipe for the red enchilada sauce I use originated here, but I have found through my years of cooking that I just can’t make a recipe without changing it at least a little bit.
I recommend gathering all your ingredients and spices before you start. It makes it so much easier and less stressful, believe me! In this picture, you see I used diced tomatoes instead of tomato sauce. I did this for a very special reason: when I opened my cabinet, there was no tomato sauce there….. They were great in it, by the way. So feel free to use whichever one you prefer or have on hand.
The original recipe says to caramelize the minced garlic and add the spices before putting in the tomatoes. I have found that it is hard to keep everything from burning while you are measuring out so many different seasonings. So I sauté the garlic in the olive oil; then go ahead and stir in the tomato sauce before adding the spices and herbs. It works well for me!
Also note that I use much less water than called for in the original. I found all that water takes way too long to cook down.
Once your sauce is simmering, it’s time to put the casserole together. Be sure to drizzle some of the sauce on the bottom of the pan to keep the tortillas from sticking and burning.
Tearing each tortilla in half fills the bottom of the pan better than keeping them whole. I used to fill the tortillas with the meat and roll them before placing them in the dish, but I’ve found layering them works much better and is quicker. Plus, it’s a job for even the littlest hands!
Once the tortillas are in, spoon in all the meat, a layer of cheese, a light layer of sauce, and place another layer of tortillas on top of that. Next comes the rest of the sauce and cheese.
Place the completed dish in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is thoroughly melted. It’s best to let it sit for a few minutes before cutting into it once you take it out of the oven.
Serve with whatever toppings and sides your family loves. Personally, I like to serve this yummy enchilada recipe topped with avocado and sour cream with black beans and my version of Mexican rice on the side.
I know your family will enjoy this kid-friendly enchilada recipe as much as mine does!
For more kid-tested and approved recipes, look under the Recipes tab above.
Kid-Friendly Enchilada Recipe
Ingredients
30 pack corn tortillas
8 oz shredded cheese (cheddar, colby jack, or a fiesta blend all work well)
For meat filling:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb ground beef (or chicken or 16 oz shredded cheese)
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4-1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
Allow olive oil to heat in frying pan (I use one similar to the one above – mine is 12×16 inch because it holds enough for my large family. I can’t recommend an electric skillet enough! I use it for almost every meal!). Add in the onion and minced garlic and sauté for a few minutes before adding in the meat. Once the meat is browned, stir in all spices. Turn down heat and start on sauce.
For the sauce:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced onion
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup salsa
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1/4-1/2 cup water
Allow olive oil to heat in frying pan or saucepan over medium high heat. Add in minced garlic and allow to caramelize, stirring constantly. Once caramelized, pour in tomato sauce and turn down heat to medium low. Begin to add in spices and herbs, salsa, and water. Allow to simmer for a few minutes, stirring often.
Once sauce has simmered. Drizzle a small amount over the bottom of a 13×9 inch baking pan. (I love my Pyrex baking dish! I use it for all my casseroles.)
Preheat
Top with avocado, sour cream, and salsa. Serve with black beans, refried beans, rice, green salad, or whatever your family likes!
Check out the Recipes page for more kid-tested recipes! I do more than recipes, though. I have tons of Activity ideas for all ages as well as curriculum and book reviews and parenting encouragement for those of us in the trenches. I’d also love for you to check out the Chasing Those Moments Shop for resources tailor-made for families.
Follow Chasing Those Moments on Pinterest to see more recipes and activities that I think you’ll love.
Like Chasing Those Moments on Facebook to keep up with latest!
I’d love to keep in touch. You can subscribe to the email list using the form above and to the right to find out what’s going on with the website, write to me, and even get some freebies.
It takes a lot of time and money to maintain a website and continue to produce great content. If you’ve been blessed by the content here and would like to make a donation to help keep the site up and running, I’d be so grateful. You can click here or use the donate button in the sidebar.
Did you make these yummy enchiladas? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!
