Beef Enchilada Casserole
Ingredients
20 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1 1⁄2 cups beef broth
1 (10-ounce) can Ro-Tel tomatoes
2 pounds ground beef
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped fine
8 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce
4 cups colby-jack cheese, shredded (I used the reduced fat variety.)
1-2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced (The jalapeños at the store were HUGE, so I ended up just using one of them.)
1⁄2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1-3 teaspoons hot sauce (I used Sriracha.)
Salt and pepper
Instructions
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450*F. Grease 13- by 9-inch baking dish. Toast 3 tortillas in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until they bubble and turn spotty brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to plate and repeat with remaining tortillas.
2. Tear 8 toasted tortillas into rough pieces and transfer to food processor. Add 3⁄4 cup broth and Ro-Tel tomatoes (with juice) and process until smooth; transfer to large bowl. Add beef to empty skillet and cook over medium-high heat until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain beef in colander, the transfer to bowl with tortilla mixture.
3. Add oil and onion to empty skillet and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, chili powder, and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomato sauce and remaining broth to skillet and simmer until slightly thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir half of tomato sauce mixture, 1 1⁄2 cups cheese, jalapeño, cilantro, and hot sauce into bowl with tortilla mixture to finish filling. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Arrange 6 toasted tortillas in bottom of baking dish. Spread filling evenly over tortillas. Arrange remaining tortillas over filling and top with remaining tomato sauce mixture. Bake until casserole is bubbling around edges, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle remaining cheese evenly over casserole. Bake until cheese is browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes before serving.
Comments
The goal for this recipe, which is from the 2009 Cook’s Country Annual, was to get good corn tortilla flavor throughout the dish and to ensure that the tortillas were sturdy enough to hold up to the other ingredients. I’d say that it was a resounding success. The pulverized tortillas in the filling added great flavor and texture. All three of us enjoyed this quite a bit and Art felt that it compares favorably to his beloved Chicken Enchiladas. That’s high praise coming from him!
Cook’s Country 2009