This turned out really great!
I used a couple of different recipes as my inspiration, along with my
traditional lasagna making skills, to come up with this dish. The flavors really compliment each other and
this is a lot easier than making traditional enchiladas – and Italian Lasagna,
for that matter. As an added bonus – the
homemade enchilada sauce recipe is to die for!
So easy to make and so much more flavorful than the canned version. That said, if you’re in a rush – you could
used canned enchilada sauce too. Whatever
works best for you. Cheers!
Ingredients
Olive oil
1 1/4 pounds 93% lean ground beef or ground turkey
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander seeds
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
2 medium onions, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 red bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, chopped (about 1
cup)
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced or grated
1 (7-ounce) can diced green chiles – mild or medium depending
upon your liking
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
18 (6-inch) yellow corn tortillas
2 cups coarsely grated Monterey Jack cheese (about 8 ounces)
2 cups coarsely grated mild cheddar cheese (about 8 ounces)
Or – you could use 4 cups of a Mexican Cheese mixture or even
Pepper Jack if you want to add a little extra zing
Homemade Enchilada Sauce (Recipe Follows)
To serve: Sour cream, Avocado or Guacamole, Cilantro and
Salsa if you’d like.
Directions:
I start by making the Enchilada Sauce so it’s ready to use
had a chance to cool down. (Recipe
follows)
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large sauté pan or cast
iron frying pan on medium high heat. Add the ground meat, breaking it up as you
add it.
Season with the salt, chili powder, cayenne, cumin, and
coriander. Increase the heat to high. Continue cooking until the meat is cooked
through. Use a slotted spoon to remove
the meat from the pan to a bowl. Set aside.
Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the empty pan used to
cook the meat and set over medium heat. Add the onions and chopped bell peppers.
Cook until onions have softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, green chilies
and oregano. Cook for an additional
minute or two. Add the meat back to the
pan and mix well. Turn off burner.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Assemble the casserole in a 9 x 13 baking dish that has been sprayed
with nonstick cooking spray.
Assembly instructions: Put a small amount of enchilada sauce in
the dish to give a base for the lasagna.
Just enough to lightly cover the bottom of the dish.
I cut 2 tortillas in half so they fit in the dish
better. Placing the cut edge of the
tortilla on the perimeter edge of the casserole dish. Then place 2 whole tortillas over those to
cover the bottom of the dish.
Place half the meat mixture evenly over the tortillas. Sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese over the meat. Add another layer of tortillas exactly like
the first layer. Pour about half of the
enchilada sauce over the tortillas.
Place the last half of the meat mixture over the tortillas
and sauce. Sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese
over that. Add the last layer of
tortillas. Pour the remaining enchilada
sauce over the tortillas. Top with the
last third of the cheese.
Bake casserole on the middle rack in the oven at for 35
minutes, until the casserole is heated through and the cheese is completely
melted and bubbling.
Let the casserole stand for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Serve with sour cream, chopped avocado and/or guacamole and chopped
cilantro. Could also use salsa if you’d
like.
Homemade Enchilada Sauce
I found this recipe on the Cookie and Katie website. You can view it HERE
Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons flour (whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour and
gluten-free flour blends all work!)
1 tablespoon ground chili powder (scale back if you’re
sensitive to spice or using particularly spicy chili powder)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon salt, to taste
Pinch of cinnamon (optional but recommended)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups vegetable broth (I have used chicken broth on occasion
and it turns out just as well. Just depends
on whether or not you want to keep it vegetarian/vegan)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
This sauce comes together quickly once you get started, so
measure the dry ingredients (the flour, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder,
oregano, salt and optional cinnamon) into a small bowl and place it near the
stove. Place the tomato paste and broth near the stove as well.
In a medium-sized pot over medium heat, warm the oil until
it’s hot enough that a light sprinkle of the flour/spice mixture sizzles on
contact. This might take a couple of minutes, so be patient and don’t step away
from the stove!
Once it’s ready, pour in the flour and spice mixture. While
whisking constantly, cook until fragrant and slightly deepened in color, about
1 minute. Whisk the tomato paste into the mixture, then slowly pour in the
broth while whisking constantly to remove any lumps.
Raise heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a simmer,
then reduce heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, whisking
often, for about 5 to 7 minutes, until the sauce has thickened a bit and a
spoon encounters some resistance as you stir it. (The sauce will thicken some
more as it cools.)
Remove from heat, then whisk in the vinegar and season to
taste with a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Add more salt, if
necessary. Go forth and make enchiladas! (Or in this case – Mexican Lasagna!)s
Click HERE for printable recipe.
