Cuisine: Mexican
Inspiration: I’ve mentioned before that B and I are leaving for Europe on Friday. At this point, I’ve pretty much cleaned out all of our food to prepare for being gone for a few weeks. I decided to go to the store yesterday to buy just enough ingredients for a big meal that could last us the rest of the week. We’ve got all kinds of things to do before we leave, so it will be great to have leftovers until then.
What we Loved: These enchiladas are just awesome. This recipe is from B’s mom, and I’ve got to say that it’s my favorite recipe of hers. For the past 8ish years that I’ve been with B, I’ve eaten this meal with his family on many occasions, complete with B’s mom’s Mexican rice and guacamole with tortilla chips. There just aren’t many meals that are better than that. The enchiladas are filled with a mixture of ground beef and refried beans, then they’re coated in red sauce and cheese. All of the flavors combine for a cheesy, tomatoey, meaty combination that is just delicious. I’ve made a lot of different enchilada recipes over the past few years, but these are the ones that I always come back to because they’ll always be our favorite. None of the others can really compare, at least in our book.
Helpful Hints: Depending on how you like your enchiladas, you can bake these in the oven uncovered for a longer time so that the sauce bakes into the tortilla, or you can throw them into the oven covered and for a shorter time, which will keep the enchiladas much saucier. You can also use as much or as little cheese as you’d like. I didn’t buy enough this time and didn’t use as much as I normally do, but these are just as good with just a little cheese as they are with a lot.
Other Enchilada Recipes: shrimp and goat cheese enchiladas, avocado enchiladas
Beef and Bean Enchiladas
Source: B’s Mom
You can use either store-bought or homemade enchilada sauce, refried beans, and taco seasoning in this recipe. I do both, depending on my mood. Here’s the recipe as I made it this time.
14 corn tortillas
Extra virgin olive oil
1 lb ground beef
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch of oregano
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 can pinto beans
1/2 onion, diced
1 large clove garlic, minced
5 oz cheddar cheese, freshly shredded (use more for cheesier enchiladas)
16 oz red enchilada sauce (I used Frontera Class Red Chile Enchilada Sauce)
Chopped lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, etc. for toppings
1. Brown the ground beef in a saute ban. Season with the chili powder, paprika, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper (or use a taco seasoning packet).
2. Place the pinto beans in a food processor, and puree until smooth. Add a drizzle of olive oil to a small sauce pan, and saute the onions for 2-3 minutes until transparent. Add the garlic, and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Add the pureed beans to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and mix to combine. Alternatively, use a can of refried beans.
3. Add the bean mixture to the ground beef, mix well, and set aside.
4. In another saute pan, heat enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Dip each tortilla into the oil, sauteeing for just a few seconds per side. Place the fried tortillas on a plate as they are finished, and refill the oil in the pan as necessary.
5. Pour some of the enchilada sauce onto a second plate. Dip a tortilla into the sauce, flipping to coat each side. Fill the tortilla with a spoonful of the beef mixture and a pinch of cheese. Roll the tortilla, and place it seam-side down into a baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
6. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the enchiladas, cover with foil, and bake at 350 for approximately 15 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese over the enchiladas, and bake for approximately 5 minutes more, until the cheese is just melted.
7. Serve garnished with lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro, onions, or any other desired toppings.
