beef enchilada casserole

comfort food with hidden superfoods :)

Spring’s in the air, our days are jam-packed, and I’m all about ease in the kitchen right now. Based on the love that last Saturday’s sheet-pan gnocchi (which only requires about 5 minutes of active cook time) got, I think many of you are too! So we’re sticking with the one-pot theme and making an absolutely delicious one-skillet beef enchilada casserole today. It only requires about 20 minutes of hands-on cooking time before it finishes up in the oven, uses as few tools as possible, is highly customizable based on what you’ve got in the fridge, and packs in a ton of nutritious veggies. It’s a perfect weeknight — or busy weekend day — meal.

Let’s talk about ground meat! The fat percentage on your ground meat is actually really important to pay attention to, especially if a recipe specifically calls out a specific percentage that they want you to use. A package of ground beef (and sometimes turkey and chicken) will typically display the lean meat-to-fat ratio.

Ground beef ratios commonly found at grocery stores include:

• 73/27 (which means the beef contains 73% lean meat and 27% fat),

• 80/20 (80% lean meat, 20% fat),

• 85/15 (85% lean meat, 15% fat),

• and 93/7 (93% lean meat, 7% fat).

The more fat meat contains, the more grease it will release as it cooks, while the converse is true for leaner cuts (which also contain less saturated fat and cholesterol than full-fat beef). Taste-wise, it’s subjective — some people have a strong preference one way or the other — but regardless, the amount of oil the beef releases will impact how you’ll cook it!

For this recipe, it’s up to you what beef you buy. I used 85/15, so call for adding 1 tablespoon of EVOO to the skillet in order to brown the beef and sauté the veggies. If you end up with 73/27 or 80/20, you don’t need to use any oil as the beef will release enough grease to accomplish that. And if you have an extra-lean cut of beef, like 93/7, you’ll need to add more oil to the pan — I’d use 2 tablespoons.

This meal also contains a bunch of superfoods — aka exceptionally nutrient-rich foods that make us feel great. We’re using kale and/or spinach (dark leafy greens have tons of antioxidant properties), cauliflower (which is super high in fiber to help our gut and digestive system stay happy), red bell pepper (loaded with health-promoting vitamins A and C), and fresh garlic (which can strengthen your immune system and help regulate blood pressure). And because we’re using cauliflower rice and are finely chopping the other veggies, they’ll blend right into the ground beef mixture, making it an easy (or easier) sell for picky eaters.

I was so excited to share this week’s “So Into That” email with you! Not only did it contain my convo with Jess Damuck, who’s the author of Health Nut and Salad Freak, a food stylist, an artist, and an all-around kind and incredibly interesting person. But it also kicked off a new iteration of the “So Into That” email!

From now on I’ll be using that space to share not only the new podcast episode, but also what me, my team, and YOU GUYS are so into each week, from easy fashion recs, vacation ideas, and new favorite beauty finds to what we’re reading, what we’re watching, what causes we’re supporting, parenting wins, conversation starters, etc. etc. This week we covered everything from $30 wacky jeans from Amazon to pee targets for toddlers to our appreciation for people who just GET IT. If you’ve tuned these emails out the past few months because you’re not into podcasts, come on back, the water’s nice!

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beef enchilada bake

Serves 4-6

Cook time: 35 minutes (~20 minutes active, 10-12 minutes inactive)

Tools:

• Chef’s knife

• Cutting board

• 12-inch ovenproof skillet (like a cast-iron skillet, saucepan, or even a Dtuch oven!)

Ingredients:

• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

• 1 large red bell pepper, finely chopped

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 pound ground beef

• 1 pound cauliflower rice (frozen or fresh)

• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons taco seasoning

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 2 big handfuls of spinach or kale

• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes

• 6 corn tortillas (ideally 6- to 8-inch — but any diameter size works. I actually used Siete brand almond tortillas!)

• 1 packed cup grated/shredded Cheddar or Mexican cheese

• Optional toppings: sour cream (or Greek yogurt for more superfood goodness!), avocado slices (another superfood!), pickled red onions, salsa, hot sauce, lime wedges, cilantro, etc.!