spicy beef enchiladas

a few weeks ago, we went out to dinner with a friend at a mexican restaurant.  we absolutely love mexican food, but we rarely make it at home.  we were inspired by our trip to the mexican restaurant, so we decided to make spicy beef enchiladas for dinner this weekend.

seriously, enchiladas are so easy to make at home.  there's no reason to buy pre-made enchilada sauce because it is super simple to make your own.

this recipe is a great base recipe.  you can change out the filling and use ground beef, ground turkey, pulled pork, shredded chicken, or beans inside the enchiladas.  you can also control the spice depending on how mild or how spicy you like your enchiladas.

these enchiladas would be great for a party since you can make them in large batches.  serve these enchiladas with refried beans, salsa, guacamole, or sour cream, and they will be a hit for sure at your next gathering.

spicy beef enchiladas
prep time: 10-15 minutes
cooking time: 15 minutes
baking time: 35 minutes
yields: 12 enchiladas
adapted from pink parsley

ingredients:
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped fine
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons frank's red hot cayenne pepper sauce
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 large tomato, diced
1 lb. ground beef, cooked
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup cooper cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons dried cilantro
12 (6-inch) soft flour tortillas

directions:
preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.  in a large sauce pan, over medium heat, saute the chopped onion in the olive oil, stirring often.  cook until the onion has softened (about 5-8 minutes).  add the minced garlic, ground black pepper, chili powder, and red hot sauce, then stir.  add the tomato sauce, water, and chopped tomato.  bring the sauce to a simmer, then cook until slightly thickened (about 5 minutes).  strain the sauce through a fine strainer into a bowl.  extract as much liquid as possible from the onion and tomato mixture.  set the sauce aside.

in a large bowl, mix together the cooked ground beef with the strained onion and tomato mixture.  add 1/4 cup of the strained sauce, 1/2 cup of the cheddar cheese, 1/2 of the cooper cheese, and 1 tablespoon of the cilantro.  mix well to combine, then set the beef mixture aside.

stack the tortillas on a plate and cover them with paper towels.  microwave the tortillas until they are warm and pliable (about 30-40 seconds).  lay the tortillas flat on a clean surface.  spoon approximately 1/4 cup of the beef mixture evenly down the center of each tortilla.  tightly roll each tortilla and gently place each tortilla seam-side down in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish.  lightly brush olive oil over the tops of the tortillas.  place in the oven, uncovered, for 7 minutes.

when the tortillas start to brown slightly, remove the baking dish from the oven and reduce the heat to 400 degrees F.  pour the sauce evenly over the enchiladas and cover them with the remaining cheese.  cover the baking dish with aluminum foil, and bake for 20 minutes.

after 20 minutes, remove the foil and bake for another 5 minutes, until the cheese starts to brown.  once the cheese has browned slightly, remove the enchiladas from the oven and sprinkle them with dried cilantro.

enjoy!

love, laurie