Christmas Notebook

Time for a confession…I have never made enchiladas before. I was looking for a recipe to use a pound of ground beef for supper and came across this enchilada recipe.

Another confession…I improvised quite a bit. Is that fair when you’ve never tried a particular kind of recipe before??

These are the ingredients for the original recipe:

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 bunch green onions, finely chopped
1 diced fresh jalapeno pepper, or to taste
1/4 cup water
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 cup plain yogurt
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
6 (6 inch) corn tortillas

I used a pound of ground round, instead of one and a half pounds, as that’s what I had. I had 8 oz. of left over Cheez Whiz in the fridge, so I added that to the meat after it had browned.

I didn’t have a packet of taco seasoning mix, so I added (without measuring) a little dry onion flakes, garlic powder, oregano, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper, dash of hot sauce, and some parsley.

Instead of adding water, I added the juice from a can of corn I used for a black bean and corn salad. I could have left this out, as I wasn’t using the taco seasoning packet.

Instead of yogurt, I used 1/2 c. sour cream. I *did* use cream of chicken soup and the mozzarella cheese, though I plan to use cheddar cheese next time I make the recipe.

Instead of corn tortillas, I used whole wheat ones as that is what I had on hand.

And I added enchilada sauce to the recipe.

Hmmm…doesn’t sound like the same recipe, does it? To make it the way I did, begin by preheating your oven to 350*. Pour a little enchilada sauce into the bottom of a greased casserole dish.

Brown the meat, and add the seasonings and the Cheez Whiz.

In a separate bowl, stir together the sour cream, the soup, and the mozzarella cheese.

Warm a stack of six tortillas in the microwave for 30 seconds to soften them, so they are easy to roll.

Spread 1/6th of the meat mixture over half the tortilla, and spoon about 3 Tablespoons of cheese mixture over the the meat. Don’t bother to measure, just put a big dollop on top the meat.

Roll the tortillas and place on top the enchilada sauce in the greased pan.

Spread any remaining cheese mixture over the enchiladas and top with enchilada sauce.

My glass dish is a bit smaller than a 9×13 pan. Six enchiladas fit perfectly.

Bake 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Let set about ten minutes prior to serving.

I served black beans and corn salad with it. It would be good with cornbread or tortilla chips, too.

DH liked it and would like to see it on the menu again. Several of the reviews I read regarding the original recipe said it was even better as leftovers. DD wasn’t home for supper but sampled a forkful when she came home. She liked it, too, so this will definitely find its way to our supper table again.

Layered, instead of rolled, it would probably make a good enchilada casserole for a potluck dinner.

~~Rhonda