Breakfast Enchilada Casserole with Eggs and Beef

Breakfast enchiladas are a hearty, filling, delicious meal made from good for you ingredients. Whole wheat tortillas are stuffed with seasoned ground beef and soft scrambled eggs, then smothered in a homemade cheese sauce with a hint of jalapeno.

The whole pan bakes until bubbly and golden, and you can serve it with avocado salsa on the side. It is perfect for a weekend brunch, and it is just as good for lunch or dinner.

The Best Breakfast Enchiladas (With Homemade Cheese Sauce)

Mexican breakfast recipes are so popular! I mean… what’s not to love?! You get all the goodness of your favorite cuisine… for breakfast! But, in all honesty, you can make this breakfast enchilada casserole for lunch or dinner too, it’s that good and filling. Plus, perfect for leftovers!

What I really love about this breakfast enchiladas recipe is you can split up the different elements of the dish to use other ways. The seasoned beef would be so good for Taco Tuesday or over nachos. The same with the cheese sauce. There is a hint of jalapeno in it, so it’s great for nachos or even as a side dipping sauce for your fries!

OR, you can really mix it up. Skip the whole wheat tortillas and still make the beef filling, eggs and cheese sauce. Top your favorite tortilla chips with everything and BAM… huevos rancheros nachos… you’re welcome! That’s what I really love about recipes like these, they are so versatile!

Why You’ll Love These Breakfast Enchiladas

• Hearty and filling. Seasoned beef, eggs and cheese make a breakfast that keeps you going.
• Homemade cheese sauce. Evaporated milk and cheddar melt into a smooth, creamy sauce with a hint of jalapeno.
• Breakfast, lunch or dinner. It is filling enough for any meal and great for leftovers.
• So versatile. Use the beef and cheese sauce for nachos, tacos or dipping.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here is what goes into this breakfast enchilada casserole and why each one is there. Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.

• Ground beef: Browned with onion, garlic and spices for a savory, taco style filling. Lean ground beef keeps it from getting greasy. Ground turkey or breakfast sausage are easy swaps.
• Olive oil: For softening the onion and garlic and for lightly greasing the pans.
• Onion and garlic: Cooked until the onion is translucent and the garlic is fragrant, they build the flavor base of the filling.
• Scallions: Add fresh, mild onion flavor to the filling, plus extra for sprinkling on top when you serve.
• Salt, pepper, paprika and Italian seasoning: Season the beef. Paprika adds color and a gentle smoky sweetness.
• Eggs: Scrambled into large, soft curds and mixed with the beef. Whisk them with a little salt and pepper first.
• Low fat evaporated milk and cornstarch: The base of the cheese sauce. Evaporated milk is creamy and stable, so the sauce stays smooth instead of breaking, and cornstarch thickens it.
• Jalapeno: Half a chopped jalapeno gives the sauce a hint of heat. Remove the seeds and ribs for a milder sauce.
• Low fat cheddar cheese: Melts into the sauce and is sprinkled on top to brown. Shred it from a block for the smoothest melt.
• Whole wheat tortillas: They add a nutty flavor and hold up well under the sauce. Warm them for a few seconds so they fold without cracking. Store bought is fine, or try our recipe for homemade tortillas!

How to Make Breakfast Enchiladas

1. Cook the beef filling. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium low heat. Cook the onion for a few minutes until translucent, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. Turn the heat to medium, add the beef and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until browned with no pink remaining. Stir in the spices and scallions and set aside.
2. Scramble the eggs. Whisk the eggs with salt and pepper. Pour them into a hot, lightly oiled nonstick pan over medium high heat and wait about a minute before dragging a spatula around the pan to form large curds. Cook just until set, then move them to a large bowl. They finish cooking in the oven.
3. Make the cheese sauce. In a small saucepan, whisk the evaporated milk and cornstarch. Add the cheese, salt and jalapeno and stir over medium low heat with a wooden spoon until melted, smooth and thickened. Don’t let it stick to the bottom of the pan.
4. Combine the filling. Add the beef and 1/3 of the cheese sauce to the eggs and mix gently until combined, so the egg curds stay large and fluffy.
5. Fill the tortillas. Preheat the oven to 375°F and brush a 9×13 inch pan with a little olive oil. Fill each tortilla, fold the sides over like a closed taco and line them up in the pan. Pour the remaining sauce over the top.
6. Bake. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil, add the remaining cheese and bake another 5 to 10 minutes, until the top is browned and goldenlicious and the center reaches 160°F.

For a brunch spread, set the pan out with bowls of avocado salsa, sliced scallions, extra jalapenos and a big fruit salad so everyone can top their own. Leftover seasoned beef and cheese sauce can also go straight onto tortilla chips for nachos or into tacos later in the week, which is exactly why this recipe is so versatile.

Breakfast Enchiladas FAQs

• Can I make breakfast enchiladas for dinner? Absolutely. They are hearty and filling enough for lunch or dinner too.
• Are the eggs cooked all the way? The eggs are scrambled until just set and then bake inside the enchiladas. Bake until the center of the pan reaches 160°F, the safe temperature for egg dishes and ground beef.
• Can I use store bought tortillas? Yes. Store bought whole wheat tortillas are fine, or make our homemade tortillas.
• Is the cheese sauce spicy? Only a little. Half a jalapeno gives it a hint of heat. Remove the seeds for a milder sauce.
• Can I make these ahead? Cook the beef and make the sauce up to a day ahead and refrigerate. Scramble the eggs, assemble and bake when ready.
• How do I store leftovers? Refrigerate in a covered container for 3 to 4 days. Reheat until hot all the way through, to 165°F.
• Can I use different meat? Yes. Ground turkey, chorizo or breakfast sausage all work. Cook ground beef, pork or sausage to 160°F and ground turkey to 165°F.
• What do I serve with them? Avocado salsa, extra scallions and fresh fruit on the side.

Serve them with Avocado Salsa if desired. Your family will be begging for more!

Mexican Breakfast Enchiladas

Mexican breakfast enchiladas are whole wheat tortillas filled with seasoned ground beef and eggs, baked under a homemade cheddar cheese sauce with a hint of jalapeno.

5 from 1 vote

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Ingredients

  

For the filling

• ½ lb ground beef
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• ¼ cup scallions chopped (plus more for serving)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt divided
• Freshly ground pepper
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 6 eggs

For the Cheese Sauce

• 6 oz can low fat evaporated milk
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• ½ jalapeno chopped
• 8 oz low fat cheddar cheese divided
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 6 whole wheat tortillas

Instructions

 

• Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat, add chopped onion and cook for a few minutes until translucent. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Turn up the heat to medium and add the ground beef and cook, stirring for about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally until all the meat is browned. Add spices (1 teaspoon of salt, freshly ground pepper, paprika and Italian seasoning) and scallions. Remove from heat and set aside. Test for seasoning adjustments.
• In a non-stick frying pan or skillet, brush a very small amount of olive oil and heat it up over medium high heat. Whisk the 6 eggs with ½ tsp of kosher salt and freshly ground pepper in a bowl. Once the frying pan is hot, add the eggs. Wait a minute, without stirring so the bottom cooks slightly. It might take a minute and a half. Drag a spatula around the bottom of the pan to make large curds of eggs. Stir slightly for a couple minutes to cook the eggs and form large curds or scrambled eggs. Don’t over stir or you’ll end up with small curds. The eggs should be cooked for a couple minutes only. If they look done in the pan, means they’re overcooked. You want to remove them from the pan when they seem to be just set, with some moisture still. Remove the eggs to a large bowl. Add the ground beef and 1/3 of the cheese sauce to the eggs. Mix until combined.

For the Cheese Sauce

• In a small saucepan, whisk evaporated milk with cornstarch until combined. Add cheese and salt to the pan and the jalapeno. Over medium-low heat, stir ingredients until cheese is melted and sauce is thickened. Don’t let it stick to the bottom of the pan. Keep stirring with a wooden spoon until a smooth sauce has formed. Set aside.
• Pre-heat oven 375F. Brush the bottom of a 9x13” pan with very little olive oil. Fill each tortilla with some of the egg/meat/cheese filling and fold the sides over, like a closed taco. Line them up in the pan. If the sides of the tortilla don’t stay down, don’t worry, once you pour some sauce over the tortillas it will be heavy and the sides will stay closed. Pour the remaining cheese sauce over the tortillas. Cover pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil, add remaining shredded cheese, and bake another 5-10 minutes to brown the top or place under a broiler for 2 minutes, until browned and goldenlicious.
• Serve with Avocado Salsa if desired.

Made these enchiladas? Leave a star rating in the recipe card and tell us how they turned out in the comments below. Your feedback helps other cooks, and we love hearing how you mixed it up.

More Recipes You’ll Love

• Homemade Whole Wheat Tortillas
• Avocado Salsa Dip Recipe
• Easy Breakfast Nachos
• Fluffy Cajun Eggs
• Ham and Egg Breakfast Casserole
• Breakfast Egg Muffins with Ham

This recipe was shared by Dana. Visit her blog, ThisSillyGirlsKitchen.com, for more recipes.