Old Lady Enchiladas

Tex-Mex.  I love it.  I live in Southern California where there is Mexican food.  Not the same. So not the same.  My family and I have taken to eating our Tex- Mex at home- which for the means that I cook it and one of our favorite things to have is enchiladas... mmmm.  We may have to have them tonight because just thinking about them makes me want them now.  At 10:45 in the morning.

Old Lady Enchiladas

First make the sauce- and I don't mean some red out of the can mess.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups water

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 1 tablespoon  butter

• 1/2 lb ground beef

• 1/2 cup onion finely diced

• 2 tablespoons chili powder

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 clove fresh garlic, chopped

• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour

• 16 oz tomato sauce

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed in 3/4 cup cold water

  
  

Directions:

Brown hamburger meat- add onion and garlic.

Add the salt, pepper, cumin and chili powder and stir well.  Cook for another 2 minutes then add the flour. It will get hot and dry really quickly-  Cook for 1 minute more, stirring to absorb the oils.

Add the tomato sauce and stir well, being sure to ‘scrape’ the  bottom of the pan for any sticking particles.  Add 4 cups of water and bring to a slow boil.   Let the sauce simmer for 30 minutes uncovered. Clean up your messy kitchen.

Mix 2 heaping tablespoons of cornstarch into 3/4 cup of cold water.  Increase the heat to a medium high setting and when the sauce is at a ‘rolling’ boil, slowly add the cornstarch mixture into the sauce.  Stir constantly as you do this.  The cornstarch will thicken the sauce, and it is activated when the sauce begins to boil. 

When the sauce begins to boil again, reduce the heat to a medium low heat, making sure there is a ‘slow’ boil.  Simmer the sauce for 20 minutes, uncovered.  Remove from the heat and let sit for up to 30 minutes.  You now have a great tasting sauce for authentic TexMex enchiladas.

This sauce can be prepared several days in advance and refrigerated until ready to use. Just reheat on a medium low setting and stir often until hot- but why would you do that- make your enchiladas now.

ENCHILADAS

Take your super tasty and thick sauce and get ready to put it to good use-

Cheese Enchiladas

• about 18 corn tortillas

• grated sharp or mild cheddar- maybe 2 cups or so

• super small diced onion (optional)

  
  

Heat the tortillas between two damp paper towels in the microwave for about 30 seconds to soften them so they will roll with the filling in them.  Place one tortilla on a flat surface like the counter-  Put a ‘row’ of cheese ‘off center’ and sprinkle with a little onion if desired just a pinch or so- roll the tortilla up, place in the casserole dish with the ‘seam’ facing down.  Continue until all are done.

Cover with the sauce and finish by sprinkling extra the cheese on top.  Bake in a 350° preheated oven for 20 minutes or until cheese is hot and bubbly.  Remove and serve immediately with sour cream, guacamole and corn chips.

Be careful who you serve these to.  Marriage proposals may ensue.