Colorado Style Beef Enchiladas by Tish

Posted by carsimulator on Monday, May 3, 2010

** This is from a new cookbook I recently found called "Don't Panic-Dinner's In the Freezer"

Ingredients:
1 1/4 pound lean ground beef
1 medium onion (about 3/4 cup), diced
3-4 T. taco seasoning
1/2 t. salt, or to taste
1/4 t. pepper, or to taste
1 small can of green chiles, chopped
1 6-8 oz. can of green chile salsa (or any picante or salsa can be substituted)- I used mild picante salsa
1/4 - 1/3 cup water
Vegetable oil, for quick frying
12 corn tortillas
1 pound of grated cheddar or Monterrey Jack cheese, divided

Sauce:
1 - 15 oz. can of mild red chile enchilada sauce
1 - 15 oz. can of mild or medium green enchilada sauce ( I used mild)
1/3 cup of sour cream
3 T. milk

yields 6-8 servings

Cooking Day Instructions:
Brown meat and onion in skillet on medium heat. While meat is browning, prepare sauce (see below).Drain meat and return to pan; add dry taco seasoning, salt, pepper, green chiles, green chile salsa (or salsa of your choice), and 1/4 to 1/3 cup of water. Mix well, cover, and simmer on very low heat for 15 minutes. Check meat mixture to see if most of the water has been absorbed. The meat should remain moist. Adjust seasonings at this point, if desired.
Cover and keep warm.

For sauce:
In a medium bowl, combine red and green enchilada sauces, sour cream and milk. Whisk till well blended and smooth. (you can add more sour cream or milk, if you prefer a less intense sauce)

In smaller pan, add 3-4 T. oil and heat over medium heat until hot. Using tongs, work quickly and dip each side of the corn tortillas in the hot oil (no more than 1-2 sec. per side). Promptly place tortillas on plate lined with paper towels to drain any excess oil.

Assembly and Freezing:
In a prepared 9x13 dish, pour 3/4 of the sauce on the bottom of the pan to cover it. Top with a single layer of tortillas. Top tortillas with 1/2 of the meat mixture, then sprinkle with some of the cheese. Repeat tortilla, meat, and cheese layers. Pour remaining sauce over top and top with remaining cheese. Cool completely. Then wrap pan in heavy aluminum foil and place in 2 gal Ziploc bag or wrap tightly in plastic wrap.

Serving Day:
Thaw completely. Bake @ 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes (or till cheese is bubbly and dish is heated all the way through. Can be served with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream and/or guacamole.