Everyone loves enchiladas…or everyone I know anyway. There is just something about this Mexican inspired comfort food that hits the spot every time. And this enchilada recipe is one of the best enchilada recipes out there.
Ingredients:
For the Sauce:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp flour
- 1 can (28 oz) red enchilada sauce (or two 15 oz cans)
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp cilantro (or 3 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro)
- salt and pepper to taste
For the Meat Filling:
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 1 tbsp taco seasoning
- 2 cans (4 oz) chopped green chilies (or equivalent fresh, roasted green chilies if possible!)
All the Rest:
- vegetable oil (to quick-fry tortillas)
- 10-14 corn tortillas (note..from experience..flour tortillas work WONDERFULLY as well if you don’t have corn tortillas!!)
- 1 cup green onions (chopped)
- ½ cup black olives (minced)
- 3 cups sharp cheddar cheese (med to large grated)
- fresh cilantro garnish
Directions:
- Let’s start with the sauce. Add olive oil to a med sauce pan over med-high heat. Whisk in flour when oil is hot. Continue cooking and whisking until oil/flour mixture is slightly brown (1-2 minutes). Pour in enchilada sauce, chicken broth, cumin, cilantro, and salt and pepper. Mix well. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered while you prepare everything else.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- On to the meat. Add a couple tablespoons of olive oil to your saute pan. Heat over med-high heat and add chopped onion. Cook until tender then add ground beef. Cook beef until no pink is left and it is well crumbled. Drain fat. Stir in green chilies and taco seasoning. Mix well over med heat until mixture is hot. Remove from heat and set aside.
- The tortillas….fill a frying pan with ¼ to ½ inch of vegetable oil and heat on medium. Heat oil hot enough the tortillas visibly send bubbles when you add them, but not hot enough that the oil is smoking. It may take a little trial and error…but have faith…you will find the sweet spot. Fry tortillas one at a time in the hot oil just until soft…10-20 seconds then flip and do the same to the other side. They should not be crispy at all…just soft and pliable. Set fried tortillas on a paper-towel-lined plate until you get them all fried up.
- Remove simmering red sauce from heat.
- Spread approx ½ cup of red sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish and set to the side. Grab a pair of tongs and dip each fried corn tortilla in the pan of red sauce, one at a time to coat, and place on a plate (yes the prep dishes are piling up at this point, but the promised land is near).
- On to the assembly line. Grab one red sauce soaked tortilla and place on a flat surface. Spoon in some meat mixture, black olives, green onions, and plenty of cheese. (Tortillas should be just full enough that they barely wrap close.) Wrap it up and place it seam down in your 9×13 baking dish. Repeat that process with the rest of the tortillas until the baking pan is full.
- Pour the rest of the red sauce directly over the top. Cover GENEROUSLY with grated cheese. You can also sprinkle any remaining green onion and black olives on.
- Bake in your preheated oven for 20 minutes. Check the enchiladas. They should be bubbling and cheese melted. If they are not bubbling enough, bake for another 5-10 minutes. Garnish with some chopped cilantro, and enjoy!
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman…thanks Ree!
