Beef, Bean and Cheese Enchiladas

I love enchiladas. Can you tell? The thing is, though, I’ve only ever made them at home using chicken – something Joe noticed a while ago and took it upon himself to mention to me. He asked if I could make a beef version, and I was happy to oblige (see above: I love enchiladas), but nothing on any of my usual recipe websites was standing out to me. So I decided to create my own version, and this is what I came up with.

We liked these enchiladas a lot. The thing I was most proud of was the sauce, which I made from scratch (well, aside from the canned tomato sauce, that is). I’ve used the canned stuff in recipes before, and there is just no comparison: The homemade version is much better. It does make a lot of sauce, but I froze the leftovers to use for a future batch. I’ll definitely be adding this version of enchiladas to my list of favorites!

And I guess I should note that I like my cheese crispy on top, but if that’s not how you roll you should probably lower the oven temperature or cook these for less time.

Beef, Bean and Cheese Enchiladas

1 medium onion, chopped
1 4-ounce can chopped green chilies
3 cloves minced garlic
1 28-ounce can tomato sauce
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

1 pound ground beef
1 teaspoon chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup Mexican-style refried beans
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

8 10-inch flour tortillas

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Cook onion and green chilies in olive or vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until onions are translucent. Add garlic; cook and stir for 30 seconds. Add tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, Worcestershire sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to low and simmer 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, season ground beef with chili powder, salt and pepper and cook in a skillet over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Stir in refried beans and 1 1/2 cups cheese. Stir in 1 cup of the enchilada sauce.

4. Place an equal amount of the beef mixture in the center of each tortilla and roll up. Place seam-side down in a greased 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Pour enough sauce to cover the enchiladas and sprinkle with the remaining 1 1/2 cups cheese.

5. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 30 minutes. Top with sour cream, if desired. (I'm also going to try guacamole on these next time I make them. I think that would taste amazing!)