Cheesy Beef Enchilada Tortellini Skillet: The Ultimate One-Pan Dinner

Are you on the hunt for a meal that satisfies every requirement: speedy, scrumptious, and with very little washing up? We’ve all had those moments, peering into the fridge after a hectic day, trying to conjure up an inspiring meal without dedicating hours to the kitchen. Imagine if you could unite the comforting, cheesy delight of Italian tortellini with the vibrant, zesty flavours of Mexican enchiladas, all within a single pan and in less than half an hour. Well, we’re here to tell you that it’s entirely possible. Allow us to introduce our sensational Cheesy Beef Enchilada Tortellini Skillet, which is set to become your new favourite for a flavour-filled, hassle-free weeknight dinner.

This recipe is truly a game-changer. We’ve brought together the finest elements of two distinct cuisines to forge a fusion dish that will have the entire family coming back for more. It is hearty, deeply satisfying, and brimming with taste from the rich enchilada sauce, savoury beef mince, and soft pillows of cheese-filled tortellini, all nestled under a wonderful blanket of melted cheese. It’s the definitive comfort food hybrid.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Ready in Under 30 Minutes: This is the perfect quick dinner for those busy evenings when you’re short on time but still want a satisfying, home-cooked meal.
• One-Pan Perfection: Because everything is cooked in a single skillet, the flavours build upon each other beautifully, and best of all, the clean-up is incredibly straightforward.
• A Fusion of Flavours: We marry the tangy, smoky character of Mexican food with the timeless comfort of Italian pasta, creating a taste experience that is both unique and wonderfully delicious.
• Family-Friendly Fare: Thanks to its cheesy and flavourful yet mild profile, this dish is a guaranteed success with both grown-ups and kids. You can easily tailor the spice level to suit everyone’s preferences.
• Completely Customisable: No beef in the fridge? Try turkey instead. Fancy more vegetables? Simply toss them in! This recipe serves as an excellent foundation for your own culinary creativity.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 500g lean beef mince (ground beef)
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 400g can red enchilada sauce (mild or medium)
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 400g can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 200g sweetcorn (tinned or frozen)
• 500g fresh cheese tortellini
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 150g mature cheddar cheese, grated
• 50g Monterey Jack cheese, grated (optional, for extra meltiness)
• Fresh coriander, chopped (for garnish)
• Sour cream or Greek yoghurt (for serving)
• Sliced jalapeños (for serving, optional)

Step-by-Step Instructions for the Perfect Skillet

Putting together this glorious one-pan enchilada tortellini is much easier than you might imagine. We’ve outlined the process in simple, clear steps to ensure you get a fantastic result every single time. So, grab your largest skillet, and let’s begin!

1. Brown the Mince: Warm the olive oil in a large, deep pan or skillet over a medium-high heat. Tip in the chopped onion and cook for 3–4 minutes until it begins to soften. Next, add the beef mince, using a wooden spoon to break it apart, and cook until browned throughout. Be sure to drain away any excess fat.
2. Add the Aromatics: Stir through the minced garlic, ground cumin, and smoked paprika. Allow them to cook for one more minute until you can smell their wonderful fragrance. This step is key to building a rich and savoury flavour foundation.
3. Create the Sauce: Pour the enchilada sauce and chopped tomatoes into the pan. Give everything a good stir to combine, and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Season with salt and pepper according to your taste.
4. Combine the Good Stuff: Now, add the rinsed black beans, sweetcorn, and fresh tortellini straight into the simmering sauce. Stir gently to make sure the tortellini is fully submerged in the liquid.
5. Simmer to Perfection: Turn the heat down to medium-low, place a lid on the skillet, and allow it to simmer for 7–10 minutes. This will be enough time for the tortellini to become tender and perfectly cooked, absorbing the delicious sauce as it does.
6. Get Cheesy: Take off the lid and scatter the grated cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese evenly across the surface. Pop the lid back on for another 1–2 minutes so the cheese can melt into a gooey, tempting layer. For a golden, bubbly finish, you can place an oven-safe skillet under the grill for a few minutes—but do keep a close eye on it!
7. Garnish and Serve: As soon as the cheese is beautifully melted, take the skillet off the heat. Sprinkle generously with fresh chopped coriander. We recommend serving it straight away with a spoonful of sour cream and a few sliced jalapeños for anyone who enjoys a bit of extra heat.

Tips for Success

We’re keen for your Cheesy Beef Enchilada Tortellini Skillet to be a triumph. Here are a handful of our best tips to help you take your dish from simply great to truly unforgettable.

Choosing Your Tortellini

Our preference is for fresh cheese tortellini as it cooks very quickly and its delicate filling is a lovely match for the enchilada sauce. However, feel free to use spinach and ricotta tortellini or even a meat-filled variety. If you only have dried tortellini on hand, you might need to add a little water or beef stock to the pan and extend the simmering time—be sure to consult the package directions.

Mastering the Melt

To achieve that perfect, stringy “cheese pull,” we suggest grating your own cheese from a solid block. Pre-packaged grated cheeses often include anti-caking agents which can hinder a smooth melt. For us, the ideal combination is a mature cheddar for its sharp taste and Monterey Jack for its fantastic melting properties.

Make it Your Own: Customisations and Variations

This recipe is wonderfully adaptable and serves as the perfect base for using up ingredients you already have. Here are some of our favourite ideas:

• Protein Power: You can easily swap the beef mince for ground turkey, chicken, or even chorizo to introduce a smoky depth of flavour. For a vegetarian take, leave out the meat and add another tin of beans or some lentils.
• Veggie Overload: To make the dish even more substantial, add diced bell peppers, courgettes, or a couple of handfuls of fresh spinach near the end of the cooking process.
• Sauce It Up: Don’t hesitate to use your go-to brand of enchilada sauce, or you could even prepare your own! A green enchilada sauce (salsa verde) would also work well, offering a tangier and different flavour. This dish shares a similar comforting, cheesy quality with our Southwest Chicken Casserole, which also features bold, zesty notes.

Crafting a Healthy Beef Enchilada Skillet

While this dish is the epitome of comfort food, a few simple adjustments can transform it into a Healthy Beef Enchilada Skillet without compromising on taste. We believe in balanced eating through smart substitutions. As the NHS advises, selecting leaner cuts of meat is an effective way to lower saturated fat. Begin with extra-lean beef mince (5% fat content or less). You can also pack the skillet with more vegetables like peppers and mushrooms, choose a low-sodium enchilada sauce, and finish with a reduced-fat cheese. The result will be just as delicious and satisfying!

What to Serve with Your Mexican Pasta Skillet

This Mexican pasta skillet is a superb all-in-one meal, but if you’d like to make it go further or introduce some fresh textures, we have a few simple ideas:

• • A crisp green salad dressed with a light lime vinaigrette.
  • Crunchy tortilla chips for scooping up every last bit of cheesy sauce.

– A side of creamy mashed avocado or a fresh guacamole.

If you enjoy skillet meals featuring pasta that are quick to prepare, you should also have a look at our much-loved Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta Recipe, which is another excellent choice for a weeknight win.

FAQ

Conclusion: Your New Favourite One-Pan Meal

And there we have it—a straightforward, sensational, and deeply satisfying meal that successfully bridges the divide between indulgent comfort food and a practical weeknight dinner. Our Cheesy Beef Enchilada Tortellini Skillet demonstrates that you don’t need a lot of time or a sink full of pans to produce a dish that’s brimming with flavour and destined to be a family favourite.

The wonderful marriage of zesty enchilada sauce, savoury beef, and cheesy tortellini creates a triumphant combination that we are confident you will want to make time and time again. So, we encourage you to give this recipe a go this week and revolutionise your dinner routine!

Did you try this recipe? We would be delighted to find out how you got on! Please leave us a comment and a star rating below to share your thoughts. Your feedback is invaluable to us and provides inspiration for other home cooks!

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Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 500g lean beef mince (ground beef)
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 400g can red enchilada sauce (mild or medium)
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 400g can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 200g sweetcorn (tinned or frozen)
• 500g fresh cheese tortellini
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 150g mature cheddar cheese, grated
• 50g Monterey Jack cheese, grated (optional, for extra meltiness)
• Fresh coriander, chopped (for garnish)
• Sour cream or Greek yoghurt (for serving)
• Sliced jalapeños (for serving, optional)

Instructions

1. Brown the Mince: Warm the olive oil in a large, deep pan or skillet over a medium-high heat. Tip in the chopped onion and cook for 3–4 minutes until it begins to soften. Next, add the beef mince, using a wooden spoon to break it apart, and cook until browned throughout. Be sure to drain away any excess fat.
2. Add the Aromatics: Stir through the minced garlic, ground cumin, and smoked paprika. Allow them to cook for one more minute until you can smell their wonderful fragrance. This step is key to building a rich and savoury flavour foundation.
3. Create the Sauce: Pour the enchilada sauce and chopped tomatoes into the pan. Give everything a good stir to combine, and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Season with salt and pepper according to your taste.
4. Combine the Good Stuff: Now, add the rinsed black beans, sweetcorn, and fresh tortellini straight into the simmering sauce. Stir gently to make sure the tortellini is fully submerged in the liquid.
5. Simmer to Perfection: Turn the heat down to medium-low, place a lid on the skillet, and allow it to simmer for 7–10 minutes. This will be enough time for the tortellini to become tender and perfectly cooked, absorbing the delicious sauce as it does.
6. Get Cheesy: Take off the lid and scatter the grated cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese evenly across the surface. Pop the lid back on for another 1–2 minutes so the cheese can melt into a gooey, tempting layer. For a golden, bubbly finish, you can place an oven-safe skillet under the grill for a few minutes—but do keep a close eye on it!
7. Garnish and Serve: As soon as the cheese is beautifully melted, take the skillet off the heat. Sprinkle generously with fresh chopped coriander. We recommend serving it straight away with a spoonful of sour cream and a few sliced jalapeños for anyone who enjoys a bit of extra heat.

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 985, Carbs: 89 g, Protein: 59 g, Fat: 39 g