The answer is no, you should not thaw frozen enchiladas before baking. In fact, baking them frozen is the key to achieving the perfect texture and flavor.
Here’s why:
Benefits of Baking Frozen Enchiladas:
- Convenience: It saves you time and effort as you can skip the thawing step.
- Texture: Baking frozen enchiladas directly from the freezer helps prevent the tortillas from becoming soggy, resulting in a crispy and delicious texture.
- Flavor: The frozen filling retains its moisture and flavor, leading to a more flavorful dish.
How to Bake Frozen Enchiladas:
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Remove the frozen enchiladas from the freezer and place them in an oven-safe dish.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Let the enchiladas cool for a few minutes before serving.
Tips:
- Use individual foil pans for easy serving and cleanup.
- If you’re using a larger baking dish, you may need to increase the baking time slightly.
- You can add additional toppings like sour cream, salsa, or chopped cilantro before serving.
Additional Resources:
- Damn Delicious Freezer Chicken Enchiladas Recipe: https://damndelicious.net/2017/08/27/freezer-chicken-enchiladas/
- Reddit Discussion on Cooking Frozen Enchiladas: https://www.reddit.com/r/Cooking/comments/8gghs2/frozen_enchiladas/
Baking frozen enchiladas without thawing is the best way to ensure a delicious and convenient meal. By following the simple steps above, you can enjoy perfectly cooked enchiladas that are crispy, flavorful, and easy to prepare.
How To Make Beef Enchiladas
You might be shocked to learn how remarkably simple making enchiladas is. Especially these simple beef enchiladas.
Let’s face it. Your busy, I am busy, we all are busy. We are merely attempting to set the table for dinner. Am I right?.
Inserting friendly reminder here. This recipe will make two pans of make ahead enchiladas. You can freeze both of the pans for a later time, or you can make one of them for dinner now.
Let’s talk about exactly how to do that now.
The ground beef should first be browned, then some spices and a small amount of enchilada sauce should be added.
Side Note: We have A La Orden Enchilada Sauce, which is hands down the best store bought enchilada sauce, at Kroger. But if you don’t have a Kroger close by, you can get the enchilada sauce here. Or, you can use whatever enchilada sauce you have on hand…this recipe super flexible that way.
Next, spread enchilada sauce across the pan’s bottom.
Next, reheat your tortillas in the microwave until they are soft and ready to roll.
Fill your tortilla with a spoonful of your meat mixture, roll it up, and put it in the pan.
Next, cover your filled tortillas with extra enchilada sauce. It is important to ensure that the sides and tops are properly coated.
Regarding freezer enchiladas: At this point, stop freezing the enchiladas.
To prepare the enchiladas right now, bake them for about 15 minutes at 350 degrees. After that, sprinkle cheese on top and continue baking for a few minutes. Simply to get that gooey, cheesy, deliciousness that, to be honest, is a must with these enchiladas .
Before serving, let the enchiladas cool for about five to ten minutes. This helps the enchiladas hold together better when serving by allowing the cheese to settle a little.
Please feel free to top your enchiladas with any toppings you desire. Our family enjoys adding green onions and sour cream on top.
Freezer Friendly Beef Enchiladas Wrap Up
Now that you know how to prepare them in advance, you can freeze these incredibly simple beef enchiladas. which, incidentally, are fantastic additions to your weekly meal plan
I would love it if you grabbed the FREE Weekly Meal Planner with Grocery List HERE. It makes meal planning for your family so incredibly easy. Plus, it’s a cute printable planner too. So there is that.
Now, get out there and make these simple beef enchiladas. I hope they bring you and your family the same joy as they do.
Why I Cook Meat Straight from the Freezer (& why you should too)
FAQ
Do you have to thaw frozen enchiladas?
How long to heat frozen enchiladas in oven?
Can enchiladas be frozen?
Line your baking pan with parchment paper. Be sure to take the parchment paper up the sides of the pan to make removing the enchiladas later much easier. Assemble the enchiladas in the lined baking dish as the recipe instructs. Cover the pan with foil, then freeze until completely firm (this could take up to 3 hours). This is called flash freezing.
Do you need to thaw chicken enchilada before baking?
Before baking frozen enchiladas, you do not need to thaw them. In uncooked uncooked tortillas baked from frozen, the texture stays intact and the tortillas become soggy. How long does it take to cook Chicken Enchilada?
Can You reheat frozen enchiladas?
To reheat a frozen casserole of enchiladas using the microwave, place it in a microwave-safe dish and heat it for around 3 minutes. Turn the casserole every 1 minute to allow even heating. Make sure that you check its interior before you serve it.
How do you cook frozen enchiladas?
Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C. Remove enchiladas from freezer, leave foil on pan and cook for about 30 minutes. Remove foil and cook additional 15-20 minutes, until bubbling and cheese completely melted. Or thaw enchiladas in the refrigerator, then bake as directed above (for enchiladas that are not frozen).