Enchilada Meatball Casserole

Enchilada Meatball Casserole is all the good things you love about an enchilada dinner - all in one dish.

Prep Time: 4

Cook Time: 1

Total Time: 5

Cuisine: Mexican, Mexican American, Tex-Mex

Diet: Gluten Free

Difficulty: Moderate

Newsletter: 2026-04-30

Allergen: Capsaicin

Calories per serving: 395kcal

~~ Meatballs ~~

1 pound (453.59 g) ground beef
1 (1) egg
¼ cup (28.25 g) Cheddar, grated
2 tablespoons (1.97 tablespoons) taco seasoning
½ teaspoon (0.49 teaspoon) onion powder
½ teaspoon (0.49 teaspoon) salt
¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) black pepper
½ cup (57.5 g) corn tortilla chips, crushed
2 tablespoons (1.97 tablespoons) cilantro leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons (1.97 tablespoons) *cheddar cheese powder
1 teaspoon (0.99 teaspoon) El Yucateco

~~ Sauce ~~

~~ Rice ~~

1 cup (236.59 ml) water, (boiling)
1 tablespoon (0.99 tablespoon) tomato powder
1 tablespoon (0.99 tablespoon) Vegetable soup mix, (minced)
2 teaspoons (1.97 teaspoons) butter
1 cup (185 g) rice, (long grain or converted is fine)

~~ Beans ~~

~~ Assembly ~~

~~ Serve With ~~

Enchilada Meatball Preparation Steps

Add all of the meatball ingredients into a large bowl and mix well until combined.
Shape into approximately 18 meatballs and place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.
Bake at 350 °F (177 °C) for 25 minutes or until cooked through. They should reach an internal temperature of 140 °F (60 °C).

Sauce Preparation

Wash chiles and remove stems, seeds, and veins. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add chiles, cover, and remove from heat. Soak until soft, about 1 hour, then drain, reserving soaking water.
Place chiles, garlic, onions, vegetable base, Armenian pepper paste, and 2 cups soaking water in a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth.
Strain sauce into a large saucepan. Add cumin, season to taste with salt, and simmer, uncovered, over low heat for 10 minutes. If the sauce tastes bitter, add sugar. Thin with more soaking water if the sauce is too thick.

Rice Preparation Steps

Mise en place
Add the tomato powder and stir it in completely.
Next, add the vegetables and butter.
Add the rice and stir that in as well.
Remove the inner pot from the heat and put it into the Instant Pot. Add the water
Push the Rice/Porridge button and set it for white rice, 12 minutes on low.
When the machine signals the rice is done, use the Natural Release method for 10 minutes, then Quick Release if the button has not already gone down.
Fluff with a fork and set it aside.

Make the Beans

Mise en place
Put the beans, garlic, Epazote, and bay leaf in the cookwell of the Instant Pot.
Cover with enough water to the fill line, about 2 quarts. Cook under pressure for 50 minutes then naturally release.
Melt the butter with the ham base in a cast iron skillet,
Use a spider to add drained beans to the pot.
Add some of the liquid the beans were cooked in (pot liquor).
Use an immersion blender to mash the beans. If the beans are too thick, or appear too dry, add more pot liquor.
Set the beans aside.

Assembly

Put a little of the sauce at the bottom of the casserole dish.
Spread the tortillas so they cover the sauce. Put more sauce over the tortillas. Sprinkle with Mexican cheese.
Spread the beans on top of the cheese. Sprinkle with cheese and cover with tortialls and more sauce and Mexican cheese.
Spread the rice as the next layer, spread with sauce and sprinkle with Mexican cheese.
Add the meatballs spacing them evenly. Cover with the remaining sauce.
Sprinkle the pepper jack over the meatballs, and sprinkle with the remaining sauce.
Bake in a 350 °F (177 °C) oven for about 40 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling and the meatballs have reached 140 °F (60 °C) degrees.
Remove the casserole from the oven and let it sit for about 10 minutes to settle.
Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves and chopped green onions.
Serve with sour cream. fresh salsa and guacamole.

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