- 1 pound ground beef
- 6 oz can tomato paste
- 2 cups warm tap water
- 1 cup shredded cheese
- 1 teaspoon EACH salt & onion powder
- 1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Dash EACH oregano, black pepper &
coriander (optional)
- 10 soft corn tortillas
Get out a large skillet and start you
hamburger to frying. Break it up into small
pieces with a fork, and cook it until it is
done. Drain off the fat if necessary. While
the meat is cooking, get out a medium sized
bowl, or a quart size measuring cup. Measure
the warm tap water into it. Add the
seasonings, stirring to combine. Add the
tomato paste. Mix it really well until the
tomato paste is dissolved. A wire whisk
works admirably for this purpose, but a fork
will do the job if you are diligent.
This is the time to start warming up the
tortillas. Some folks do this in the oven,
wrapping the stack of them in tin foil and
heating them at 400° for about 15 minutes. I
do it on top of the stove though. Heat a
clean, dry skillet over medium heat. Place a
tortilla directly onto the skillet surface.
When it becomes warm to the touch, (after
just a few seconds), flip it and heat the
other side. Continue until all of the
tortillas are warm and pliable. Stack the
warm tortillas on a plate.
For the rest of the preparation, pour half
of the seasoned tomato mixture into the
skillet with the hamburger. Add half of the
cheese too. Stir to mix up the meat, tomato
sauce and cheese. Scoop a large spoonful of
the mixture onto each tortilla. Roll up the
tortilla, enclosing the filling, and place
it seam side down in a large rectangular
pan. Fill all of the tortillas the same way,
placing them side by side in the pan. Pour
the remaining tomato sauce over the prepared
tortillas in the pan. Scatter the remaining
cheese over top. Bake the Enchiladas at 350°
for 30 minutes. This will serve about 5
people. I usually double the recipe because
it is so popular that my kids tend to make
gluttons of themselves when I serve it. It
freezes well, and can also be stored in the
fridge for a day or so, if you want to make
it ahead of time. It is actually better if
made ahead. If you are cooking it cold from
the fridge, you may need to let it cook a
little longer, maybe 40 minutes. And if it
is frozen, cook it for an hour, covered with
tin foil for the first 45 minutes.
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