Our easy Cheese Enchiladas recipe transforms corn tortillas, red enchilada sauce, and cheese into the most delicious 30 minute meal the whole family will love!
I could live off Cheese Enchiladas.
I could live off Cheese Enchiladas.Sometimes the simplest recipes hit all the right notes, and nothing beats classic cheese enchiladas smothered in a homemade red enchilada sauce. The ingredients are simple and it all comes quickly, with no thawing or chopping. You can make them next-level by using our homemade enchilada sauce, or store-bought is great too, for a really quick and easy dinner.
I'm a Mexican food aficionado and have so many favorite Mexican-inspired recipes, like Chile Verde, Tamales, Tacos Al Pastor, Chilaquiles, Elotes or Pozole Verde.
How to make Cheese Enchiladas:
Assemble: Heat a dry skillet then warm both sides of the tortilla in pan, until softened and pliable. Or, use my easy recipe to make your own corn tortillas. Pour ¼ cup of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9×13″ dish. Fill each tortilla with a handful of cheese then roll tightly, placing it in the pan with the seam side down. Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce on top then sprinkle remaining ½ cup cheese on top.
Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Remove from oven and top with shredded cabbage, cotija cheese, chopped tomatoes, and a drizzle of sour cream. Enjoy with a side of refried beans, Mexican Rice, and Horchata.
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: You can prep homemade cheese enchiladas several days in advance if you'd like. I recommend arranging the enchiladas in the baking dish then covering well, and storing the sauce in a separate airtight container. Then pour on the sauce and cheese when ready to bake. If you want to assemble it with the sauce, you can a few hours before baking.
To Freeze: Follow the recipe instructions through assembling, but don't bake it. Cover the pan with plastic wrap then tinfoil and keep in the freezer for up to 1 month. Let it thaw completely overnight in the refrigerator before uncovering and baking.
Recipe Variations:
- Bean and Cheese Enchiladas: Fill each tortilla with a scoop of homemade refried beans then sprinkle on the cheese and roll up.
- Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas: Fill each enchilada with cooked, shredded chicken and cheese, or check out my Loaded Chicken Enchiladas recipe.
- Cheese Enchiladas with Green Sauce: Use salsa verde or green enchilada sauce instead of the red.
Serve With:
- Authentic Mexican Rice
- Pico de Gallo
- Homemade Refried Beans
- Restaurant Style Salsa
- Horchata
- Tres Leches Cake
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Recipe
Cheese Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 12-14 white corn tortillas
- 5-6 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 20 ounces red enchilada sauce , homemade recommended, or canned
- 1 cup cabbage , thinly shredded
- 1 roma tomato , diced
- 1/4 cup Cotija cheese , crumbled, for topping (optional)
- sour cream , for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Warm corn tortillas on a hot dry skillet for a few seconds on each side, until pliable. Remove to a plate as they're warm and cover with a kitchen towel.
- Assemble: Pour ¼ cup of the enchilada sauce into the bottom of a 9×13'' pan. Fill each corn tortilla with a handful of cheese (reserving about ½ cup for sprinkling over the top, at the end). Roll tightly, and place seam side down in the pan. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over the top. Top with remaining ½ cup of cheese.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Remove from oven and top with shredded cabbage, cotija cheese, tomatoes, and sour cream.
- Serve with a side of Refried Beans and Mexican Rice
Notes
Nutrition
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I originally shared this recipe August 2016. Updated September 2022 and December 2024.
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Wow!! Wow!! WOW!!! Everything about this recipe: easy to out together, reminded me of my childhood and my mama’s home cooking!!! This is something she made frequently!!! So SO GOOD!!!
Excited to be making this recipe tonight!!
My bf is a stickler about trying new stuff but I’m making him!! Lol
I’ll let you know how it goes
Thanks!! Hope you love them!
I live in Salt Lake City, and am from California. I tried this recipe, and it ROCKS! I put my own little spin, and added achopped avocado to the toppings. I also made some Spanish rice to accompany it on the side. AMAZING!!
Never mind! The recipe must not have loaded fully the first time I looked at it because now I can see you say cheddar cheese.
I’d like to know what kind of cheese you use for the filling.
The instruction section is blank! I’d love to see the instructions, including oven temp, etc.
Thank you for letting me know! I’m not sure how that happened–fixed now!
Super easy and delicious recipes, thank you for sharing.
Are you allowed to tell me what Mexican restaurant you are talking about in Park City? I live near Park City and want to try what Mexican restaurant you’re talking about!
Of course! It’s right downtown and it’s called El Chubasco http://www.elchubascomexicangrill.com/ . 🙂
Lauren, can you recommend a good tasting Red Enchilada brand sauce.
Honestly the only store-bought kind I’ve found that I really like is Aldi’s Casa Mamita brand of red enchilada sauce. I’m not a huge fan of “Old el Paso” or “Las Palmas” that most grocery stores sell (the flavor is pretty watered down). I like this homemade recipe a lot: https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/enchilada-sauce-from-scratch/
Hatch is really good.
I am preparing dinner for my 6 grandchildren, my teenage daughter and my Hispanic Texan husband at a nona sleepover this evening. Your recipe looks so yummy I’ve decided to try it out on my dearest loved ones. I will let you know how the enchiladas were received. I will do my absolute best to follow your recipe to the letter.
Lauren, I’m pretty picky about my cheese enchiladas, too, and these look really good! I do leave off the cotija garnish, though; I’ve just never liked that stuff. But I love the shredded cabbage garnish!