Every other weekend, it’s my turn to do meal prep for the week as well as grocery shopping. Each time I sit down with some cookbooks and my phone and try to come up with a handful of meals for the family. As weeknight meals, they ideally are pretty simple, tasty, and something everyone will eat.
Going through this process 26 times per year, you get stuck in a rut. You get bored of what you are cooking. It’s only natural. So, for me, it’s good to have a few meals that are fun to make, enjoyable to eat, and provide that homecooked feeling with real ingredients.
More and more, I am starting to realize that there is a dish that checks all the boxes. The enchilada.
Enchiladas are a beloved staple in Mexican cuisine, offering a tantalizing blend of flavours and textures that satisfy even the most discerning palates. Yesterday I decided to make beef enchiladas, as I know our kids enjoy most dishes that are very similar to tacos or nachos. With a simple list of ingredients and straightforward steps, you’ll be amazed at how easily you can whip up this culinary delight in your kitchen.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound of ground beef
- 1 can of green chilies
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 8-10 tortillas (corn or flour, whichever you prefer)
- 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup of shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- Enchilada sauce (store-bought or homemade, whichever you prefer)
Before I start the steps, I have to admit, the store did not have any enchilada sauce, so I winged it. I grabbed a jar of taquera sauce instead as to me it seemed pretty close. I was going to get some salsa, but that would be too thick.
Preparation:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and lightly grease a baking dish.
- In a skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef until it’s fully cooked. Drain any excess grease.
- Add the diced onion and green chilies to the skillet with the cooked beef. Sauté for a few minutes until the onions are translucent and fragrant. I added about 100 ml of water and let it reduce, just to build more flavour. Remove from heat.
- For the enchilada sauce, if you have a jar of it, you are good. If you make your own like I did, do that. I put the jar of taquera sauce in a saucepan and way more of the green chilis than I should have. Thankfully I tasted it and discovered it was WAY TOO spicy. I then took a can of crushed tomatoes and mixed that with about 20% of the spicy sauce. In a roundabout way – that did the trick for perfect enchilada sauce.
- Take each tortilla and spoon a generous portion of the beef mixture onto the center. Sprinkle a bit of both cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese on top of the beef. I kept 2 of the tortillas cheese free as we have a kid who doesn’t enjoy melted cheese. You will notice this in the photo later.
- Roll up the tortillas tightly and place them seam-side down in the prepared baking dish.
- Once all the tortillas are filled and rolled, pour the enchilada sauce evenly over the top, making sure to cover each enchilada generously. Personally, I did not go heavy on this dish as the sauce still had a real kick to it and I wanted the kids to eat it.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of the enchiladas, creating a deliciously gooey and melty topping.
Baking: Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly, and the enchiladas are heated through. I added a few minutes under the broiler just to get the cheese a little crusty on top.
Presentation: Once the enchiladas are done baking, remove them from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes before serving. I added some diced scallions and was good to go. But you could totally garnish with fresh cilantro, diced tomatoes, sliced avocado, or a dollop of sour cream for an extra burst of flavour and colour.
With just a few simple ingredients and easy-to-follow steps, you can create mouthwatering beef enchiladas that are sure to impress family and friends alike. Whether you’re cooking for a weeknight dinner or a festive gathering, this recipe is guaranteed to be a hit. So grab your apron, gather your ingredients, and get ready to embark on a flavour-filled fiesta with these delicious beef enchiladas.
While the kids admitted it was a bit spicy, they agreed that the enchiladas were tasty and would choose beef over chicken if they had their way. I am also looking forward to the leftovers for lunch this week.
Do you make enchiladas? What meat do you prefer? Any secret ingredients I should try?
