Beef Enchiladas

Tonight I decided I would give homemade enchiladas a try. They are one of my favorites, but getting Hubby to go to a Tex-Mex place is not the easiest feat in the world, so something I could make at home seemed like a good prospect.

I decided to try another Pioneer Woman recipe since that always seems to be a good idea =) I used ground beef and pretty much everything else on the list (yes, even olives...big step for Hubby and me, I'll be the first to admit it!)

This definitely took the allotted time of 1 hour and 30 minutes to prepare, probably because I'm just a little slow when it comes to the chopping. The result was super tasty and served with Hubby's choice of side, black beans. I think we may have found a keeper, although until my working ends in February and I figure out how to cook and entertain a small child (who knows how long that'll take!), this may have to be a weekender meal.

Here's the recipe straight from Ree's site (or just follow the link to see the prep with the pretty pictures!):

Simple, Perfect Enchiladas!
(Serves 6-8)

Ingredients

FOR THE SAUCE:
1 Tablespoon Canola Oil
1 Tablespoon All-purpose Flour
1 can (28 Ounce) Enchilada Or Red Sauce
2 cups Chicken Broth
½ teaspoons Salt
½ teaspoons Ground Black Pepper
2 Tablespoons Chopped Cilantro
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FOR THE MEAT:
1-½ pound Ground Beef
1 whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
2 cans (4 Ounce) Diced Green Chilies
½ teaspoons Salt
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FOR THE TORTILLAS:
10 whole (to 14) Corn Tortillas
½ cups Canola Oil
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TO ASSEMBLE:
3 cups Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
½ cups Chopped Black Olives
1 cup Chopped Green Onions
½ cups Chopped Cilantro

Preparation Instructions

Step #1 – The Sauce
In a large saucepan over medium heat, add oil and flour and whisk together to make a paste, cooking for one minute. Pour in the red sauce, chicken broth, cilantro, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30-45 minutes.

Step #2 – The Meat
Brown the meat with onions in a skillet. Drain off fat. Stir in 2 cans diced green chilies and seasoned salt. Set aside.

Step #3 – Tortillas
Heat canola oil in a small skillet over medium heat. One by one, using tongs, fry tortillas in oil until soft, not crisp – about 30 seconds per side. Remove to a paper—towel lined plate. Repeat until all tortillas have been fried.

Step #4 – Assembly
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour ½ cup red sauce in bottom of baking pan. Spread to even out. Dip each tortilla into red sauce, then remove to work surface. Spoon meat, a little grated cheese, a little black olives, and green onions in the center of tortilla. Roll up and place, seam down, in baking pan. Repeat until pan is filled. Pour extra red sauce over enchiladas. Top with remaining cheddar cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle cilantro over enchiladas before serving.