Colorado-style Beef Enchiladas

Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 1/4 lbs lean ground beef
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 -4 tablespoons taco seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper, to taste
• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped mild green chilies
• 1 (8 ounce) can green chili salsa (can use any picante or salsa)
• 1/4-1/3 cup water
• vegetable oil, for quick frying
• 12 corn tortillas
• 1 lb cheddar cheese or 1 lb monterey jack cheese, grated
• 1 (15 ounce) can mild red chile enchilada sauce
• 1 (15 ounce) can medium green enchilada sauce
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 3 tablespoons cream or 3 tablespoons milk

Recipe

• 1 brown the meat and onion in a skillet over medium heat (while the meat is browning, prepare the sauce).
• 2 drain meat and return to pan; add in taco seasoning, salt, pepper, green chiles, green chile salsa, and ¼ to 1/3 cup water; mix well, cover, and simmer on very low heat for 15 minutes.
• 3 check meat mixture to see if most of the water has been absorbed; the meat should remain moist; adjust seasonings to taste; cover and keep warm.
• 4 the sauce: in a bowl, combine the red and green enchilada sauces, sour cream, and cream or milk; whisk until well blended and smooth.
• 5 in a small pan, add 3-4 tablespoons oil; heat over medium heat until hot.
• 6 using metal tongs, work quickly and dip each side of a corn tortilla in hot oil (not more than 1-2 seconds per side).
• 7 promptly place tortilla on a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess oil.
• 8 repeat with remaining tortillas, adding extra oil to the pan as needed.
• 9 to assemble: in a 13 x 9 inch baking dish, pour ¾ cup sauce on bottom of dish to cover.
• 10 place a single layer of corn tortillas on sauce; top with a layer of half the meat mixture, then sprinkle with cheese.
• 11 repeat tortilla, meat, and cheese layers; pour remaining sauce over layers and top with cheese.
• 12 to freeze—cool enchiladas completely; cover well and freeze.
• 13 to serve—thaw completely; bake at 350° for 18-20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and heated through.
• 14 serve with shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes and top with sour cream and/or guacamole.