Sandy’s tips and substitutions:

• Storage: Once completely cool, store leftover beef enchiladas with green sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. For the best results, reheat your leftover enchiladas at 350°F in the oven for 15-20 minutes, covered with foil to prevent drying out. 
• Freezing: Leftover enchiladas will last for 2 to 3 months in the freezer. For best results, wrap the baking dish tightly in both plastic wrap and aluminum foil, or transfer individual portions to airtight freezer-safe containers. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in the oven. 
• Make ahead: Make your gluten free green enchilada sauce 1-2 days in advance and store in a canning jar in the fridge, ready to be used to make these enchiladas or any other recipe that calls for green enchilada sauce! Make sure to give the stored sauce a good shake before using.   
• Drain the beef: Make sure to drain any excess grease from the cooked ground beef so that the enchilada filling isn’t overly oily. 
• Saucy layers: Adding the enchilada sauce as the first layer in the baking dish not only provides additional flavor to the filled tortillas as they bake, but will also provide just enough moisture so that they don’t harden or crack from drying out. The same applies for topping the assembled enchiladas with this sauce. 
• Prevent spillage: Wrap the tortillas tightly around the filling to prevent any leakage while baking. Placing the wrapped tortillas seam down in the baking dish will also help to prevent the filling from escaping. 
• Browning too quickly: If your cheesy topping is browning too quickly in the oven, cover the baking dish with foil and then remove the foil 5 minutes before the end of the baking time. 
• Don’t overfill the flour tortillas: You will only need ¼ cup of the beef mixture to place down the center of each tortilla. Any more than that and you will find it difficult to wrap the tortillas tightly. 

Variations

• Canned green enchilada sauce: You’re welcome to use store-bought green enchilada sauce, but you will need 2 cans (10 oz) to replace the 2 ⅕ cups of homemade green enchilada sauce. 
• Type of enchilada sauce: Red enchilada sauce is a great substitute for making these beef enchiladas. You can expect a richer, slightly sweeter, and more chili-forward flavor compared to the brighter, tangier taste of green sauce, though the spice level will depend on the specific sauce you choose to buy or recipe followed.
• Ground meat: This recipe calls for 80% lean ground beef, but you can use ground turkey, ground pork, or ground chicken instead. 
• Gluten-free enchiladas: Instead of flour tortillas, make these beef enchiladas with corn tortillas. That, together with my homemade gluten-free green enchilada sauce, will make a dish that most can enjoy.
• Cheese: Use shredded Queso blanco for a true Mexican cheese, if you prefer. 
• Vegetarian enchiladas with green sauce: Replace the beef with beans, lentils, onions, corn, and fresh tomatillos like this Vegetarian Enchiladas with Tomatillos recipe. This Black Bean Vegetarian Enchiladas recipe also shows you how tasty a mixture of black beans, fresh corn, sauteed onions, and peppers can be!