Enchiladas

Recipe by AdminCourse: Main

Servings

4-6

servings

This recipe is written for about 4-6 servings. So if you’re serving a crowd you’d want to double or triple the ingredients respectively.

You can use corn or flour tortillas in this recipe. If your preference is flour, then get the tortillas that are “raw” and ready to be browned beforehand – they hold up better. Brown raw flour tortillas in a dry skillet and place on a plate under a clean kitchen towel (or tortilla warmer) to keep warm for a few minutes, until ready to prep. If using corn, I just get the commercial brand kind (packaged up in plastic) and brown them in a skillet that I mist with a bit of olive oil (or you can add a dab of oil or butter to the skillet). Corn tortillas are a little thicker and need a touch of oil to brown up perfectly. Be careful not to let them get too brown/burned – they won’t be nice & flexible and roll up correctly.

I plan for 2 tortillas per person, then throw in a little extra for leftovers – they’re great the next day!

Ingredients

Either corn or flour (or both) tortillas (see above for specifics and how to prep the tortillas) – I plan on 2 tortillas per person I’m serving, plus a few more for leftovers
1 lb ground beef
2 large cans mild red enchilada sauce (or make your own if you prefer homemade)
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 large bag of shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
Garnish ideas – sour cream, pickled jalapenos, slaw mix (‘recipe’ for the easy mix I like, below), or fresh fruit

Directions

I prep my tortillas first (as specified above in recipe description). Set aside under a tortilla warmer or plate covered with clean kitchen towel. Get oven going to 350 degrees.
Brown ground beef in a large skillet and when done, drain any fat off and add jars of enchilada sauce and drained diced tomatoes. Set aside.
Empty bag of cheese in bowl for easier prep.
Add a little of the sauce (I dip around the meat, trying to get mostly sauce), to the bottom of a nonstick baking pan or casserole dish. This will also help keep your enchiladas from sticking to the bottom.
Prepare your enchiladas – take a tortilla and add a small spoonful (couple tbsp worth) of meat/sauce, top with a couple tbsp shredded cheese and fold the left and right side of the tortilla in (kinda like you’re creating a little envelope), then roll rest of tortilla up from top to bottom (or bottom to top) around the filling. Line baking pan with filled tortillas.
Continue preparing your filled tortillas until all tortillas are filled and lining your pan. Add remainder of your prepared enchilada/meat sauce over the top of the enchiladas and top with remainder of the shredded cheese.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes – until cheese on top is golden and sauce is bubbling around them.
Serve with any of the following suggestions – homemade quick Mex slaw mix (I mix regular tri-color slaw with snipped fresh cilantro and squeeze a whole lime over that), or rice (I used Mex rice leftover from a family event the day before), or fresh fruit (strawberries, fresh pineapple, mandarins and green grapes is a good combo!). Top enchiladas with sour cream, pickled jalapeno slices, whatever you like!