My Enchilada Casserole came on the heels of a binge of enchilada making. I made multiple batches of cheese enchiladas, chicken enchiladas, shredded beef enchiladas.
Then after a break from all that, I found myself craving enchiladas again, but not craving that much work. I mean, it's easy enough to roll a dozen enchiladas, but it can get a bit tedious.
I have a natural inclination to make things that take a lot of time, but I have other things I want to do with my limited time and energy right now, so I sat myself down and gave myself a good talking-to ...
... about streamlining, simplifying, coming up with ways to get the flavors I'm craving with less time and effort. The result, this Enchilada Casserole. Made with ground beef. Carne molida. One step.
And I decided to use a couple of other busy-day timesavers, frozen chopped onions and canned diced green chiles. Of course, you're welcome to chop your own onion and chiles, but remember, I was streamlining!
I couldn't compromise on the sauce though, and homemade is really not that much trouble. It's a pretty basic and simple sauce that packs a lot of flavor. And you can adjust it however you like. If a canned sauce has too much of something for your taste, you can't do anything about it.
Do you love casseroles?
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Enchilada Casserole
(Makes 4 to 6 servings)
The Beef
1 pound (16 ounces/454 grams) ground beef (I use organic grassfed 85% lean)
1/2 cup frozen chopped onions
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 to 1 4-ounce (113 grams) can diced mild green chiles
The Sauce
3 tablespoons (1.5 ounces/43 grams) unsalted butter
3 tablespoons (27grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon oregano
3 tablespoons (2 ounces/57 grams) tomato paste
2 1/2 cups (20 fluid ounces/591 ml) lower sodium beef or chicken broth
The Enchiladas
10 ounces (283 grams) cheese, shredded (I use half jack and half medium cheddar)
9 6-inch white corn tortillas
4 1/2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 In large skillet, cook the ground beef, breaking it up and browning it well. Remove the fat from the pan by your favorite means: covering pan with lid and draining it off, tilting the pan and spooning it out with a large metal spoon, or using a turkey baster. Then add the onions and salt, and cook for a few minutes. Then stir in the diced chiles. Remove from the heat.
2 In another skillet or wide saucepan, melt the butter and blend in the flour, paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, cayenne, and oregano. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in the tomato paste until smooth and fragrant. Whisk in the broth. Bring the sauce to a simmer. When it begins to bubble, continue cooking and whisking for about 10 minutes, until sauce is thickening. Remove from the heat.
3 Spread 1/4 cup (2 fluid ounces/59 ml) of the sauce in a lightly greased 11x7x1.5-inch baking dish.
4 Heat a griddle (my square griddle can cook 2 tortillas at a time), put 2 little 1/2 teaspoon puddles of oil (about the size of a quarter) on the hot griddle. When oil is hot, lay down the 2 tortillas and cook for about a minute, turning them several times. Repeat to lightly cook all 9 tortillas. Stack them neatly and cut in half.
5 Dip each tortilla half in the sauce as you assemble the casserole. Place 4 halves with cut edges against the long sides of the baking dish and then 2 halves down the middle. Top the first layer of tortillas with 1/3 of the meat mixture (about 1 cup), then 1/3 of the cheese mixture. Make second layer of tortillas, meat, and cheese. For the third layer, tortillas and meat, then pour over the remaining sauce, and top with cheese. Cover and refrigerate until an hour before baking time.
6 Preheat oven to 350F/180C/Gas4. Bake for about 45* minutes, or until bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with sour cream, a squeeze of lime, chopped cilantro, or sliced green onions. Serve with Mexican Rice, Pinto Beans or Refried Beans, and Broccoli Salad.
* If you're baking the enchiladas right after assembling them, just bake them for about 25 minutes, or until bubbly.
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Jean
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35 comments:
Jean I absolutely love this recipe. I am into casseroles anytime of the year. But now that warm weather seems to be where I live for keeps, lol, I spend more time biking or bird watching so cooking goes on hold. Multi step slow cooking is for boring cold weather. Thanks so much for this idea. Lynn and Precious
Sounds (looks) delish! Agree totally about valuing time. And you have figured out how to bake time into a recipe. Not to mention that this recipe may forge an international bond between Hispanics and Italians.
Lynn, thanks! I hope you'll make it soon and enjoy it as much as we do. Happy Spring!
Thanks, Sully. I never want to give up flavors and textures, so if I can retain those AND save time, I'm all in.
This is a great idea! I am needing to simplify work in the kitchen as well. There is only so much strength and energy available!
It's time for me to make my own sauce! Thank you for the recipe.
Oh that does look delicious. I'd pin, but Pinterest doesn't love me anymore.
Thank you, Mrs White. I'm so glad that point resonated with someone!
Ellen, do let me know how it turns out for you!
Thanks, Vee. I understand completely. All this tech stuff is wonderful, until it's not!
I don't know why I never have enchiladas. This looks good!
Thanks, Jeanie! I hope you'll give it a go and let me know how you liked it.
this sounds like a great idea, and i think we all need to simplify life now and then so i use frozen chopped onion sometimes and other short cuts. very sensible.
Nice one Jean.
Thank you, Sherry! Yes, I like that word, 'sensible.' Very sensible.
Thanks, Tony. (I'm worried about you, such a brief comment compared to your usual!)
Hi Jean. I'm fine. I missed you posting this at first. I have been busy with the family and also friends having been staying. I quickly sent a rushed comment.Your enchilada cazuela sounds very tasty. I am not sure I have eaten anything like it before.Reading your posts often opens up new culliary experinces for Marilyn and myself.
I am preparing to attend the Alton Austen Festival in June. I am one of the judges on the short story competiton set up by Caroline Knight for her Jane Austen Literary Foundation, JALF for short. It is a great charity helping support disadvantaged communities around the world. The money we get goes to reading and writing projects in Africa, India and also to the aborigine settlements in Australia. JALF is worth looking up. SORRY!! Ive just advertised the organisation on your post. I do apolgise Ha! Ha!
I hope you and Mr Delightful are well? All the best, Tony
I am definitely going to give this a try! I love Mexican food!
I do love casseroles, and this Enchilada Casserole looks delicious, Jean. I totally agree, streamlining things when we have limited energy or are very busy is an excellent idea. We all need to be kinder to ourselves!
I'm a big fan of shortcuts and definitely a big fan of comforting food like this. Very satisfying. When I read the recipe I did realise that I've no idea how big a quarter is, but I think I can work that one out without too much trouble.
Tony, I wouldn't let just *any*one get away with that, but since it's *you* I'll let it slide.😊 Sounds like you're going to have a grand time participating in that!
Deanna, thanks. Do let me know how you like it!
Thank you, April. I think I'm going to declare a "Be Kind to Myself" week very soon!
Phil, LOL! I'm usually very conscious of writing to my "international" audience, but I let "quarter" slip by. So I just looked it up and learned that a quarter is 24.257 mm in diameter.
What a great casserole! I love all your time-savers, especially the frozen, chopped onion.
Thanks so much, Jeff!
That looks really yummy. Thanks for joining in with #pocolo
Thanks, Suzanne!
Hi Maira Kamran Is here.. well I am new here, I am searching for fashion & food blogs.. I found yours, that looks delicious! & I'm going to give it a try! keep sharing :)
Maira, thank you. Wishing you success with the store in Mississauga and the online store.
I would so Leo a pan of this right now - just perfect comfort food! And, of course, freshly roasted green chiles are available in our market. Another dish to add to the roster for outdoor summer entertaining.
Thank you, David. Yes, one of my favorite categories of comfort food. Perfect with the Mexican rice I learned from someone who made it the "real" way. Have a beautiful summer!
Jean, I think you already know, but I was happy to share your post at last week's Share Your Style #390 for you. <3
Happy summer and happy cooking!
Barb :)
Made this for dinner tonight and will definitely be making it again! Super yummy!
Thank you so much! I'm so glad to hear that.
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