Not sure if my enchilas are more like burritos with sauce but anyhow, they are great. I was a big fan of ChiChi's and no matter what I would always order the Big Beef Burritos. It came with a side of the Mexican rice, their infamous corn cake and refried beans.
I miss ChiChi's.
As anyone who reads my food articles or this blog knows, I don't go out to eat. Rarely these days and never take-out. I like to cook.
Back in the day however, ChiChi's was a place where we would take all 5 of our kids. It was worth blowing the budget for.
Enough travelling down memory lane...here is my recipe for beef enchiladas.
Ingredients:
Lean ground beef (about 2 lbs.)
ground cumin
garlic powder
minced onion flakes (I didn't feel like chopping onions)
chili powder
coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 cup water
16 0z cheddar cheese
8 large flour tortillas
Enchilada sauce
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup tomato sauce
cumin
oregano
chili powder
garlic powder
coarsely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon flour
Brown the beef in a pan until pink is gone and drain off all the fat.
Season the beef by starting off with the following measurements:
1 t cumin
1 t garlic powder
1 T minced onion flakes
1 T chili powder
1 t black pepper
Add the water and stir together over a low fire. Taste the mixture. I added about 1 t more of cumin and garlic powder plus 1 t chili powder. You want the flavors to be strong. Add these ingredients S-L-O-W-L-Y!
You can always add more but you cannot take it back once it is added. Chili powder adds "heat" but cumin adds that Mexican taste. Don't be afraid to add a LOT of cumin. Once you feel it is seasoned to your liking, turn the heat off and begin your sauce.
In another pan (a small saucepan will do) add your chicken broth, flour, tomato sauce and start with these seasonings- 1/2 t oregano, 1 t cumin, 1 t garlic powder, 1/2 t black pepper and 1 t chili powder.
Use a whisk to whip it all together over a low flame. Again stop and taste (sauce should be somewhat thick). Adjust the seasonings. I did NOT add more oregano but I did add more chili powder and cumin. When the sauce tastes spicy enough to you, remove it from the heat. (make sure it is on low while you are adjusting the seasonings to prevent it cooking away!)
Grate your cheese (yes ALL the cheese) into a bowl. Now it is time to put these enchiladas together.
Take a large, deep (maybe 2") pan and pour just enough sauce in to cover the bottom of the pan.
You are going to place the ingredients down in a rectangle leaving a 1/4" on the sides.
Next place a tortilla on a plate and sprinkle a handful of cheese down the center of the tortilla. Next add about 1/2 cup of meat mixture. Top with another handful of cheese.
Next "tuck" the edges towards the filling. Then fold the top over the mixture and next the bottom over that. You should have a "tube".
Place this seam side down in the pan on top of the sauce. Repeat until all tortillas are used. If you find you are running out of meat mixture too quickly, adjust as you go by adding more cheese. Make sure to reserve about 1 cup of cheese for the topping.
Sprinkle the cheese along the center of the rolled tortillas. Pour the remaining sauce over the top. Use a spoon to transfer sauce to cover the tortillas.
Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. The filling will be hot!
Delicious! Make your own rice to go along with this. It makes a very hearty meal. I just served the enchiladas with nothing else and 1 serving turned out to be 1 1/2 enchiladas. This is what was leftover. (I meant to take pics while making this but I forgot!)
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