Tex-Mex. I love it. I live in Southern California where there is Mexican food. Not the same. So not the same. So Slick, the Peep and I have taken to eating our Tex- Mex at home- which for the most part means that I cook it and one of our favorite things to have is enchiladas... mmmm. We may have to have them tonight because just thinking about them makes me want them now. At 10:45 in the morning.
I made them recently for a few girlfriends over for a book night and several of them have asked for the recipe which is how I come to be sharing it today.
The original un altered and much more lengthy recipe is here: http://www.texmex.net/Recipes/enchiladas
My version is here:
PaperGirl's Enchiladas
First make the sauce- and I don't mean some red out of the can mess.
Ingredients:
- 4 cups water
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 lb ground beef
- 1/2 cup onion finely diced
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 clove fresh garlic, chopped
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 16 oz tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed in 3/4 cup cold water
Directions:Brown hamburger meat- add onion and garlic.
Add the salt, pepper, cumin and chili powder and stir well. Cook for another 2 minutes then add the flour. It will get hot and dry really quickly- Cook for 1 minute more, stirring to absorb the oils.
Add the tomato sauce and stir well, being sure to ‘scrape’ the bottom of the pan for any sticking particles. Add 4 cups of water and bring to a slow boil. Let the sauce simmer for 30 minutes uncovered. Clean up your messy kitchen.
Mix 2 heaping tablespoons of cornstarch into 3/4 cup of cold water. Increase the heat to a medium high setting and when the sauce is at a ‘rolling’ boil, slowly add the cornstarch mixture into the sauce. Stir constantly as you do this. The cornstarch will thicken the sauce, and it is activated when the sauce begins to boil.
When the sauce begins to boil again, reduce the heat to a medium low heat, making sure there is a ‘slow’ boil. Simmer the sauce for 20 minutes, uncovered. Remove from the heat and let
sit for up to 30 minutes. You now have a great tasting sauce for authentic TexMex enchiladas.
This sauce can be prepared several days in advance and refrigerated until ready to use. Just reheat on a medium low setting and stir often until hot- but why would you do that- make your enchiladas now.
ENCHILADASTake your super tasty and thick sauce and get ready to put it to good use-
Beef Enchiladas
- 12 corn tortillas
- 1 1/2# ground beef
- 1 tablespoon margarine
- 1/2 cup yellow onions, diced fine
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon Gebhardt® chili powder
- 4 oz. cheddar cheese, grated fine- more if you are going to use just cheese
- 6 cups chili con carne sauce (see recipe)
Directions:Start by heating 1 tablespoon of the oil and the margarine in a large skillet. Add the meat, crumbling while putting in. When the meat is light brown, add the onions, bell peppers
and all the spices. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring often. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon, draining the excess grease.
Put the meat into a bowl and set aside. Grate the cheese using a ‘fine’ blade. Set aside. Put a couple of ladles full of the sauce in the bottom of your 9x13 dish- enough to cover the bottom fully.
Heat the tortillas in the microwave for about 30 seconds to soften them so they will roll with the filling in them. Place one tortilla on a flat surface like the counter- Put a ‘row’ of the meat mixture ‘off center’ and sprinkle with a little of cheese- just a pinch or so- roll the tortilla up, place in the casserole dish with the ‘seam’ facing down. Continue until all are done.
Alternately you can fill just with cheese and roll still place seam side down.
Cover with the remaining sauce and finish by sprinkling the cheese on top. Bake in a 350° preheated oven for 20 minutes or until cheese is hot and bubbly. Remove and serve immediately.
Be careful who you serve these to. Marriage proposals may ensue.
