Enchilada Meatballs

Loved it. I have made it twice and served it to guests. I changed it slighlty because I like things really spicy. I used a whole package of Chipotly flavored tace seasoning in my cornbread and used only the HOT enclilada sauce (no tomato sauce). I also added onion. Betty QC, AZ

I used my own homemade cornbread and my own version of the Red Enchilada sauce, which is also from this site. I did add a couple spices (cumin, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, coriander, pepper, chili powder) and I used all enchilada sauce. I did not add extra salt as there was enough to taste in the enchilada sauce. I used the amount called for in the recipe, cooked the meatballs until they were browned, then poured off the grease and then poured the enchilada sauce-cheese mixture over the top. I baked it for another ten minutes so I could soak up some of that sauce. We all liked this way more than I thought we would have, even my husband who balked at eating this for dinner. Super easy, even using my own homemade ingredients instead of shortcut foods. I'll make this again for sure. Really genius idea, Shelly!

These were excellent and a big hit at the superbowl party. I followed other reviews and added about a half packet of taco seasoning to the meat and a half of a diced onion sauteed. Baked in a 9x13 pan for the first 20 minutes to render off most the fat, than transfered them to a nice dish. Topped with homemade enchilada sauce (no tomato sauce) sprinkled with the cheese and put back in the oven for another 5 min. Served with toothpicks. Will definately make these again.

As suggested, I added some chopped onions. Although we enjoyed this and thought it was very good, my initial thought was that it reminded me of meatloaf... I missed the additional note of adding taco seasoning to the cornbread mix; so next time I'll do that, or skip the tomato sauce and increase the amount of enchilada sauce. Otherwise, I'll definitely be making this again.

Really yummy. I served this as a main meal over steamed white rice, just added more enchilada sauce. I also couldnt find cornmeal in our supermarket, so i used 1 cup of crushed up savory corn chips.

Yum-yum! I made these as a meal also. Throw in a side of spanish rice and you're ready. Next time I make them I am planning to chop some onions finely to kick it up.

I used ground turkey vs ground beef. These were quite good and simple to make. A good spicey flavor, but not overly so. I sprinkled chopped onion over the meatballs when they were nearly done and then sprinkled with grated cheese. Served with guacamole and cole slaw. Will definitely make again.

We had these as meatball sandwiches. They were very good. I think, next time, I will omit the tomato sauce and use all enchilada sauce...and HOT, because we like things spicy.

These were good, I chopped up some onion and a jalapeno, sauteed and added to the meatballs. Also added a package of taco seasoning. Really good with a little shredded cheddar on top.

Thanks for the recipe these disappeared fast!

I add 1 small diced onion to the ground beef as I brown it. I also use all enchilada sauce. We love them.

This is a great meal! It is simple, and easy to make gluten free. We use all ench. sauce rather than tomato sauce, add taco seasoning, and corn chex due to time constraints. What a great meal idea!! thanks for sharing!

UPDATE: I am not a leftover fan, but these tasted just as good if not better the next day! Yum! These were much better than I expected. My fiance gave these an A+ (which is AWESOME!!!). I was able to enjoy something I love (enchiladas) while appeasing my enchilada-hating fiance (he doesn't like saucy tortillas - aka enchiladas). This has been a busy weekend. It just zoomed by. Today was the only time I set aside for a home-cooked meal amongst all the chaos, but it still had to be something quick. This met my expectations exactly! And, contrary to most reviewers' suggestions to use all enchilada sauce or a different ratio of tomato / enchilada sauce, I thought the proportions as is were spot on. Out of necessity, I subbed cheddar-pepperjack cheese for Mexican cheese blend (my cornbread recipe called for pepperjack cheese, but my grocer only sold it as a blend, hence the decision to use that in my meatballs also). Oh, and I heeded Shellye's advive and added taco seasoning to my cornbread and am glad I did. Of course, if you pruchase pre-baked cornbread, you could add this directly to your meatball mixture.... It definitely steps these up a notch, IMHO. Served with Mexican rice and my homemade Mexican cornbread, this was an excellent meal. I can't wait to have leftovers for lunch tomorrow! Thanks Shelley! :-)

These are wonderful as is.

These were great, with a few additions. I added fresh garlic, ancho chili powder and cumin to the mix, and topped the finished meatballs with some chopped raw onion and cotija cheese.

I made without any changes. It was for my dh, I do not eat meat. He said it was a bit bland. I would've added more seasoning (maybe some garlic, onion, etc), but wanted to try it as written as he tends to like simple things :-) If he thought it was bland...well, I'd definitely spice it up if you are trying. I served it over rice with onions and green peppers that I sauteed. He doesnt like taco seasoning, so I didnt try adding any to the cornbread, but I bet that would add some flavor.

Wonderful! We ate these for two days. Next time, I may top with sour cream and cilantro. Thanks for sharing!

I really liked them, but my family thought they were a little too spicy. Will make them again.

Everyone loves these meatballs. I don't add the taco seasoning but otherwise follow the recipe exactly Have fixed them for years every Christmas Eve. I put them in a crock pot after they are cooked. Add the sauce and cheese, serve with toothpicks.

I used two other recipes from this site to make this recipe: "Golden Sweet Cornbread" (highly recommended!), and "Texas Enchilada Sauce." When I read the reviews, particularly those talking about the cornbread's sweetness coming through in the meatballs, I was concerned. But it was actually very nice: the sweetness is the perfect counterbalance to the sauce (which needed a little sugar to balance it out, but for use in this recipe, I'm glad I resisted the urge to add it). My only real complaint here is that the large amount of cornbread gives the meatballs a mushy texture. I would make them again, but definitely cut the cornbread back to between 1 cup and 1 1/2 cups.

Very salty! In the future i would use low sodium tomato sauce and add my own mexican seasonings. Between the cheese and the enchilada sauce I needed a gallon of water after.

Awesome!! My husband said they were the best meatball ever. Quite a compliment since he prides himself on the best meatball maker ever. Really loved the cornbread, gave it a really nice texture. I did add some sauted onion and peppers.

Yum! We really liked these! I missed the footnote on the bottom about adding some taco seasoning to the cornbread, I think next time I'll definitely do that. But, these were good even without it. I did use all enchilada sauce instead of half that and half tomato sauce. I poured the sauce into a sauce pan and then added the meatballs once they were done baking and let it come to a simmer. I served them over rice and sprinkled with cheese. Very good!

I totally loved this dish, I added a little chili power and garlic powered to the meat, I didn't have any trouble getting the meat balls to hold together I only added enough of the sauce so that they would hold together when it was done I put it in a bowl sprinkled the cheese on it and put it in the oven to melt the cheese. I served with with mexican rice and a salad. This dish was a total hit!

AWESOME and quick! I served it over rice with cornbread......will defiitely make again. THANKS Shelly.

I used crushed corn chips instead of corn bread and enchilada sauce in and on top of the meatballs

I was looking for something new to make with ground beef and found this recipe; I'm glad I did. The meatballs were moist and delicious! I used premade cornbread from my grocery store to save some time and some other suggestions from previous reviewers. I added 1 pkg. taco seasoning and finely chopped onions to the mix and only used enchilada sauce. I served mine for dinner with mexican rice and corn tortillas - the family loved them; told me this is a keeper and it is!

This is a very good recipe and I enjoyed having something different. I made extra sauce and served the meatballs and sauce over spanish rice. My boyfriend and I loved them!

Very good, as others suggested I, too, used all enchilada sauce (the Ten Minute Enchilada sauce from this site). I also added a diced small onion. Served this for dinner with black beans and rice and the remaining corn bread. Will definitely be making this again.

This was GREAT! I made the cornbread the night before (so I would cut down on the time) and left out the tomato sauce as others suggested (ended up using about 1 1/2 cans of enchilada sauce). I added some dried, minced onion as well. Oh, and definetly make sure you add the taco seasoning to the cornbread and the meat mixture. I had a box of the hamburger helper cheesy enchilada mix (I'm not sure why I had this because I am not a fan of the boxed dinners) so I just made the rice part and it was a great compliment to the meatballs. This was deemed a huge hit by the whole family.

Good recipe, on the sweet side maybe because of the corn bread? Sweet is a little different for a meatball in my opinion. But I like this idea - maybe next time I'll use taco seasoning and make them more taco flavored.

delicious!

I was skeptical of this recipe but though it was a creative twist, so glad I tried it because it was great. I followed others suggestions and after the meatballs were cooked through simmered them in just enchilada sauce, no tomato sauce. I served this over cilantro and tomato rice. Delicious!

These were yummy! I made them a little larger than called for and served them for dinner with Spanish rice and corn. Definately a dinner we'll have again.

No one complained about these, but I thought they were just ok. A nice change of pace from regular meatballs. We had this for dinner w/ rice & cornbread muffins. I might make again when in a bind.

Just OK. The meatballs did not hold together very well, and it was a little bland. Went well with chips and salsa.

My family Loved these!! Super simple, I took the advice of many reviewers and added 1/2 packet of taco seasoning to my meat mixutre, very good idea! Served these with a package of Taco rice. VERY good!!!

VERY DRY! I even added extra enchilada sauce to the meatballs and used only 1 cup of corn bread mix! May make again, but without the cornbread...

Good recipe! I made the cornbread with 5 T of taco seasoning to kick it up a bit. I made up 2 trays of meatballs and still had meat left over so stuck it into muffin cups and made mini meatloaves - AWESOME! I think next time I will just do the mini meatloaf route because I hate shaping meatballs :)

This was really good.....I didnt have all of the ingred...used what I had on hand...I used regular bread crumbs and made homemade enchilada sauce .....I skipped the tomato sauce and used cheddar cheese (what I had)...served it over white rice .....will be making this again thanks for the recipe

Yum!!! Just made these tonight for dinner. I used ground turkey, medium enchilada sauce and then used a can of Rotel instead of the tomato sauce. Absolutely INCREDIBLE!!! Thank you so much for the awesome recipe...it's a keeper : )

I loved this recipe for a tasty Tex-Mex alternative to traditional Italian meatballs. As others suggested I omitted the tomato sauce and used all enchilada sauce...half of the can in the meat mixture and the other half spooned over the cooked meatballs. I omitted the salt, added 2 tablespoons taco seasoning, a minced jalapeno pepper and 1/2 of a small onion finely chopped. I substituted crushed tortilla chips for the crumbled cornbread, and it gave the meatballs a "tamale" taste (also a great way to use up the "crumbs" of chips at the bottom of the bag). Next time I may use the entire can of enchilada sauce to coat the cooked meatballs as adding it to the meat mixture made forming the meatballs a bit sticky and messy. Served with Spanish style rice and tossed salad. Muy bien!

I looked forward to making these but they were not that appealing to my guest or myself.

I followed the recipe exactly. No one in my family would eat them. I think the cornbread made them too sweet.

I liked it but I didn't love it. It was very easy to make. I found my meatballs fell apart some after baking. The only change I made was I used 1 1/2 cups cornbread but other than that followed directions exactly.

Super yummy! I was looking for a "different" appetizer to bring to a Cinco De Mayo party and thought I'd try this out. Great tip on the box of cornbread and I used all enchilada sauce as one reviewer suggested. Instead of adding cumin and onions, I simply added a package of taco seasoning mix along with cilantro and it was delicious. Some people may think it's too spicy or flavor intense, but those of us in LA love our spicy Mexican food! The meatballs were very moist and really easy to make. Thanks, Shelley!

Love it! Made it with taco rice, was just perfect!

These were excellent !!! I put in some Adobo seasoning and an egg and some cumin !! Terrific. I thought they would be too much enchilada flavored but they were nice and mild but flavorful !! Will make again often !! Cornbread was the secret !!

added chopped onions and as I usually do whenever possible, substituted venison burger; great results!

Made these with ground turkey, instead of beef and opted for smashed corn chips (as one reviewer suggested) instead of corn bread because its what I had on hand. Absolutely delicious recipe loved by young and old.

Very good. I used ground turkey, and they were very tasty. Our young children wouldn't like the enchilada sauce over top, so I made some without the extra sauce for them. We all liked them plain dipped in salsa. I too added onion and taco seasoning to the meat as well as an egg to bind the turkey together. I browned them in a non-stick skillet before putting them in the oven (for a bit of color). BTW, LOVE the cornbread in these. We ate the rest of the cornbread as a side at dinner. We'll be having these again. Big success! Thanks for the cool idea.

The cornbread makes these addictive. I generally doctor up the enchilada sauce or use something else. Enchilada sauce just seems so bland.

i used ground chicken in place of the beef. used a cheap box of jiffy for the cornbread and added the 2 tbls of taco seasoning to. served this as a meal with rice and beans.

We love this recipe. I don't change a thing except to leave out the salt. Since I have a couple of younger ones I just use mild enchilada sauce and the kids gobble it up. Definitely a keeper.

I found these to be a little bit "soggy" - they were ok but not memorable to me..... They sure did smell good though!

These were excellent and very easy. I added a package of taco seasoning to the meat mixture, for some extra flavor. Will make time and time again!Great party appetizer. I used spicy rotel tomato sauce. Take the time to bake your own cornbread. Second time I made them, i used store bought cornbread....way to moist, the meatballs did not cook right.

soft moist tasty meatball. Went well with some rice

The idea of this recipe was better than the taste. The cornbread flavor got lost, and that was what attracted me to it initially.

Really tasty! I used cornbread stuffing and added the taco seasoning to the stuffing crumbs. Used only enchilada sauce so I omitted the additional salt. Also minced an onion and added to the ground beef. I used lean ground beef, not chuck. Served with Mexican rice and black beans. I think any variation or customization of this recipe would work out well--its a great basic recipe!

Good recipe. I agree w/ some changes it is better. I decreased the amount of cornbread. I used some Taco seasoning to my meat mixture to kick it up a notch. I did not use tomato sauce. I only used more enchilada sauce. Next time I will put some chopped onions in it. I served over Spanish rice and a side of corn. Good dinner idea.

Ymmm, I also skipped the tomato sauce and used 2 cans of enchilada sauce. To make my gluten free cornbread, I don't use expensive mixes, I just use 2 cups of cornmeal and leave out the flour. Comes out perfect everytime and it is much cheaper! The taco seasoning is a nice touch in the cornbread; will be great with chili or stew.

I'm rating it as a 4 as written, and a 5 with my additions and tweaks. Great base recipe there is no doubt and love that I found a new use for leftover cornbread. I did add about a 1/4 cup of grated onion for that subtle flavor, eliminated the salt and also added 1/2 pkg of taco seasoning mix. I also decreased the amount of crumbs to 1 1/2 C. rather than 2 C. It seemed to be the perfect consistency. It was the right amount of flavor that it seemed to lack. Rather than a Mexican blend of cheese, I used about 3/4 C of grated cojita cheese and mixed all the ingredients together, used my 1" cookie scoop to make uniform sized meatballs, baked for 22 minutes and then simmered in the enchilada sauce. Great as an appetizer or part of the dinner entree. I served with refried beans, Mexican Rice II from here, and fresh hot tortillas. Excellent!

Good. Should have added some Panko or Bread Crumbs to keep the meatballs from falling apart in my crock pot.

My whole family loved these! I used gluten free cornbread for the crumbs, and served it over steamed rice, making a great gluten-free dinner! Sides were tortilla chips and a green salad.

Super easy and good! It was even easier since I already had leftover corn bread made. Used a medium enchilada sauce next time I think I will use hot!

Very tasty! Not bad on creating (time). The wife absolutely loved these...guess I'll be making these morw in the future.

What a great solution to craving enchiladas but not having any tortillas on hand. So yummy! Making them again tonight even though I now have tortillas.

I love that people write reviews!! I read through them and followed someones advice and used taco seasoning in the corn bread, so glad I did. I made these the night before my party to save time. I microwaved the meatballs for a few minutes then added them to the sauce to finish heating them up. I transferred them to a crock pot to keep them warm through the party. When I tasted the sauce it was a little too mild for me so I added what I had, buffalo wing sauce. I used about 3/4 cup and it added a nice zing! Everyone raved about them! I'll definately be making these again!

Really good! I added a finely chopped onion, dash of cumin, and chopped cilantro to the mixture. Served them over rice, great change from BBQ meatballs.

I changed it up a bit-added jalapenos and chilis and used corn bread stuffing. I also added an egg to make sure the meatballs stayed together. Served it over rice and beans. Taste was really good though I couldn't seem to get the meatballs to firm up. Not sure what I did wrong. My husband enjoyed it and that was my goal.

Good, Easy and kids liked it too! Will make again.

Delish meal when served on top of Spanish rice. Followed recipe exactly, expect added meatballs to heated sauce after cooking vs pouring sauce on top

The reviews from family members were all over the place on these, so I'm settling on a 4 star rating. They were easy enough to make and the flavor was pretty good. Thanks for sharing this recipe, Shelley!

Wow these were good!

You can not possible know how happy I am to find this recipe. My son is allergic to gluten and can not have regular meatballs. This recipe has corn meal instead of flour so he can eat rice noodles and meatballs.

These were very good, but I could only award it 4 stars because I added my own seasoning to the sauce to give it more flavor. The meatballs themselves were bland, so I would add additional seasoning to those the next time I make them--probably some cumin and red pepper flakes. Chopped onions would also be a good addition to the meat mixture. I added taco seasoning, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes to the sauce as well. Will definitely make them again!

substitute part of the beef with chorizo!

Very good recipe, I love that it was spicy from the enchilada sauce and sweet from the corn bread. Thanks for the recipe:)

I made these meatballs last year for a Cinco de Mayo party, and everyone loved them and wanted the recipe! I made of box of Jiffy cornbread mix, and crumbled that. Next time I might even try mixing in some corn, rice, or beans!

Excellent! We all loved these, my sons especially. I made my own cornbread and enchilada sauce and used 10oz of that rather than using any tomato sauce. I also used a ground beef & ground pork mix - oh and i sauteed a half onion diced and mixed that in too. We will definitely have these often!

Very easy to make. I added taco spices; we like spicy food here in Denver. I used extra jar enchilada sauce in place of the extra tomato sauce for more mexican flavor. I also used a casserole dish instead of a cookie sheet, which worked out just fine. Very good.

Like the other posters....I used this good idea as a base to tweak furhter. I had one corn muffin as letovers and used that....was = to 1/2 cup cornbread for the 1# of ground beef that I had on hand. I think 1/2 cup would be enough regardless of what I had on hand as 1/2 c of breadcrumbs is what I normally put in my regular meatballs to a pound of meat. I added 1 egg to the mix because again...that is what goes in my regular meatballs to hold them together. Since a lot of posters thought the meatballs were bland I used Adobo seasoning in place of the salt.

Huge hit at our home, kids and husband loved them. The only modification I made was that I omitted the tomato sauce and used 2 cans of enchilada sauce. I'll try this as a mini meatloaf next to keep prep time lower. Loved it!

Yum! I make this with turkey meat & turns out wonderful! Recipe is perfect as is!

These were pretty good. I added taco seasoning and some garlic powder to the meat per others suggestion. Also omitted the tomato sauce.

turned out pretty good. didn't have any cornbread but did have cornbread stuffing. added cumin, diced onions, garlic, and still came out pretty good. also didn't have any tomato sauce; used salsa instead. a hit!

These meatballs were VERY tasty! I made re-fried bean dish and served with chopped lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream and chips & salsa. My family loved it! Thank You!

Great!! Very tasty. I think that the cornbread gave it a very different taste because it was a little sweet. The family LOVED IT!!

very different and quite tasty. Serve over Spanish rice and use HOT enchilada sauce if you want a kick to off-set the sweet cornbread flavor. We like these a lot :)

Great recipe!! Very simple ingredients with a tasy outcome. I served the meatballs with mexican rice and mexican corn. Very big hit!! I added chopped onion and 1TB of taco seasoning to the meatball mixture. I will definitly make this dish again:)

I make these about twice a month because it is one of the few things that my picky eaters will eat. I do not use the tomato sauce though. I add half of the enchilada sauce to my hamburger meat and use a packet of taco seasoning as well. Then I pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over the meatballs after they are done cooking and top with the rest of the shredded cheese. I usually serve this over yellow rice.

These meatballs were VERY tasty! I made re-fried bean dish and served with chopped lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream and chips & salsa. My family loved it! Thank You!

great! maybe cut back the tomato sauce a bit and add more cheese!

This recipe was good. It is different from the usual Bar-B-Que meatballs I usually make.

really good with rice

These weren't bad; they just weren't all that exciting. I added some chopped onion and a tablespoon of minced garlic. These don't compare to my favorite meatball recipe on this website, Cajun Appetizer Meatballs. Those absolutely rock!

Great... I added some seasoning but it's killer:)

These are so yummy. I didn't have taco seasoning on hand, so I added about 1tsp of chili powder and 1 tsp of cumin to the cornbread mixture before adding the meat. I also topped with green onions and drizzled sour cream on them.

I made this with deer meat and they were great with some of the other tweats like onion and no tomato sauce. With 5 hunters in my family and Foodsaver, I have deer meat galore. Thanks Shelly!