Enchiladas

 Beef Enchiladas 

• 1.5 pounds ground beef
• Two 28oz cans enchilada sauce
• Two 16oz cans refried beans 
• 1 yellow onion
• 2 bell peppers 
• 1-2 bags shredded queso cheese
• 12 flour tortillas 
• Cumin
• Chili powder
• Garlic powders
• Onion powder
• Paprika
• Pepper
• Vegetable oil

1- Cook ground beef, drain

2- Cook peppers and onions in vegetable oil until tender

3- Season ground beef with cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, onion powder, paprika, and pepper to taste. Add about 3/4 cup of enchilada sauce into the beef mixture. 

4- Pour enchilada sauce into the bottom of a 9”x13” cake pan, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan

5- Fill center of tortilla with refried beans, meat, peppers and onions (optional to also add cheese)

6- Roll tortilla and set side by side into cake pan

7- Top with more enchilada sauce, cheese, pepper, and parsley 

8- Baking at 350°F for 10-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce begins to bubble

I am going to be very transparent here, I have never made enchiladas before this. My dad made them when I was growing up, and I always loved them, but recipes differ so greatly that I have always been somewhat afraid to try. But Lord, if I haven’t been craving enchiladas lately. 

I pretty much just bought the stuff that made sense for enchiladas and winged it. I ultimately decided to go with canned sauce. My dad said he always used canned sauce when we were growing up, so it felt like a safe bet because I already know I like the canned sauce. And let’s be honest, who’s going to trust the homemade enchilada sauce recipe of some random white girl on the internet with a food blog?! 

My biggest problem with cooking with spices is that I rely so much on smell when I am seasoning. I did not measure any of the seasonings when cooking the ground beef. I simply started sprinkling in the spices I had picked out, gave it a good stir and smelled it. Decided it didn’t smell seasoned enough, and added more. My husband, who is very picky about meat, enjoyed it enough to say he’d eat the meat filling on its own. So apparently I seasoned it right, but unfortunately I can’t tell you how much to use. When it comes to seasoning, you have to learn to follow your heart I think. 

While the beef was cooking, I sautéed the peppers and onions in a separate skillet. I only did them separately so I could make meatless enchiladas for myself. If you aren’t cooking for any vegetarians, then you can cook the peppers and onions in the same skillet. Once they were cooked, I added some into the beef and seasoned it. I ended up adding some of the enchilada sauce into the beef mixture, because I was afraid the inside would be too dry. At that point, you’re ready for assembly. I heated up the canned refried beans in the microwave, because they are easier to spread when they are heated up. I added the beans first to the tortilla, added a scoop of beef, and topped with cheese. Then rolled them up and started to place them into the pan with sauce on the bottom. 

I topped them with more sauce. I was afraid of drenching them too much, but if you’re making this recipe, don’t go on light handed on the enchilada sauce. Once they were out of the oven, all four of us added more sauce to the top. That’s where half the flavor is. Then I added more cheese, which is optional, and topped with parsley and a little black pepper.

These turned out far more delicious than I could have even hoped for. My husband said they would now have to be put in our regular rotation of dinner recipes, and both of us excitedly ate leftovers the next day. I am honestly a little upset with myself it took me so long to try making enchiladas. It’s 8:30am, and I am wishing I had more leftovers.