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Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Bride of Magazine Challenge: Tex Mex Beef Enchiladas

So.
I organized our freezer today.  Somehow, I have managed to accumulate 3 whole pork tenderloins.  I mean, there are a lot of things I can do with pork tenderloin, but I don't always think when I see them on sale.  I actually didn't have as many surprises in the bottom as I was afraid of.  But I do see some tortellini and ravioli dishes in our future.
Now that things down there are organized, it's time to start filling it with things that will be ready for fall when I don't feel like cooking.  J and I were talking today about when the last time was that we went out for dinner.  We think it was the night we came home from Seattle.  That's a good thing.  I keep reminding myself about how I will be grateful when football season is here and there's money for a hotel room...or tailgate supplies from Zingerman's.
Here is the first thing that I've made to fill the freezer.  I made a double batch (numbers reflected in the recipe below) so we could eat and see how they were, and freeze half.  I don't know why I decided to try a new enchilada sauce when the last from Budget Bytes was so successful, but I did.  It's okay (J really liked it), but I like Beth's better.  To each their own.
What I do know is that I'll be happy to pull this out and have dinner that we both like in a reasonably short amount of time.
I present to you now from the June 2006 issue of Everyday Food, Tex-Mex Beef Enchiladas:

Ingredients:
4 Tbsp flour
1/2 c vegetable oil
28 oz chicken broth
3 Tbsp chili powder
2 small chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, minced; with 2 Tbsp of the sauce
2 onions, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves
salt and pepper to taste
1-1/2 lbs ground beef
12 tortillas
3 c shredded cheddar cheese
Method:
Make the Sauce1.  In a medium saucepan, heat oil and add flour to make a roux.  Gradually add broth, then chili powder and chipotles and sauce.  Stir constantly until boiling.  Let simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes.
Make the Filling2.  In a large skillet, brown beef with onions, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste.  Cook until onions are soft and translucent and beef is brown.
3.  Preheat oven to 425F.  Spread 1/3 c of the sauce in the bottom of 2 8" square pans.  Fill each tortilla with 1/4 c of the meat and 2 Tbsp of cheese.  Roll tightly and place seam-side down in the pans.  Pour remaining sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese.
4.  Bake at 425F for 20 minutes until bubbly.  Let cool slightly before serving.
*To freeze, cover tightly with foil and freeze.  To reheat, bake from frozen covered with foil at 425F for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake 10 additional minutes until browned.
Adapted from Everyday Food, June 2006

I didn't think these were going to have much flavour.  Things seemed pretty bland.  But when everything came together, they were nice.  I was heavy handed with the garlic.  I think that helped.  I also found this made waaaay too much sauce.  I have a container in the freezer for another batch.
Why yes, I was drinking wine while I rolled these.  It was hot.  I was thirsty.  It was only one glass.  You can see my second pan for the freezer in the background.

I may have left these in the oven a little too long.  But I loved the crispy cheese on top.  Overall, not a bad recipe.  And it's something for the freezer.

2 comments:

  1. I bought a bunch of tenderloin when it was on sale at No Frills a bit back. I wish I'd seen this recipe, I was getting bored with my "old hat" recipes.

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  2. I'm always in favor of enchiladas so I don't know why I don't make them more often. These look great!

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