Baked Beef Enchilada Casserole

Did I mention that my mother-in-law also loves Paula Deen. We have agreed that there's rarely a recipe of hers we don't like. So, in the spirit of Miss Paula, Ann passed this one along also. Or maybe she served this and I emailed her until she gave it to me. Because I'm a rotten daughter-in-law like that.

Bake Beef Enchilada Casserole

2 T butter
1 large onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb ground beef
1 T chili powder
1 1/2 t kosher salt
1/2 t ground red pepper
2 (10.75 oz) can creamy chicken Verde soup (I've never found this at the store, so I use cream of chicken soup)
1 (4.5 oz) can chopped green chiles
18 corn tortillas, divided
2 (10 oz) cans red enchilada sauce divided
1 (16 oz) can refried beans
4 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided

Garnish: sliced black olives and red, green, and yellow bell pepper curls. It also is wonderful with crushed corn chips on top.

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish.

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic about 5 minutes, or until tender. Add ground beef, chili powder, salt and red pepper. Cook until beef is brown and crumbly: drain. Stir in soup and green chiles: set aside. Line prepared baking dish with 6 corn tortillas. In a medium bowl, whisk together one can of enchilada sauce and refried beans. Spread bean mixture onto tortillas. Evenly sprinkle with 1 cup cheese. Layer 5 more tortillas. Cover with meat mixture. Evenly sprinkle with 1 cup cheese. Layer remaining 6 tortillas. Evenly spoon remaining can of enchilada sauce onto tortillas. Sprinkle with remaining 2 cups cheese. Bake for 25 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Garnish with sliced black olives, pepper curls and crushed corn chips as desired.

Chicken Enchiladas

A dear friend made this recipe for us when we brought home Lola. It was delicious. I'm still working at making it as well as she did, but I thought I'd go ahead and pass along this super delicious recipe.

Sauce: 1 quart chicken broth (boil the chicken for the recipe in a large can of broth and add some water to cover the chicken - usually 4-5 breasts)
3 Tbsp. Chili powder
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. cumin
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. cornstarch in 4 Tbsp. water

Bring first 5 ingredients to boil. Add cornstarch and boil 1 min. Then turn off heat.

Filling:
3 cups cooked chicken chopped in small pieces
3/4 cups ripe olives
1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese (sometimes use the 'Mexican Blend')
1/2 cup sauce
1 envelope of instant onion soup mix

Dip corn tortillas in hot oil for a second or two to soften. (place them between sheets of paper towels to soak up the grease). You will need 12-15 tortillas. Grease a 9x13 casserole dish. Dip each tortilla in sauce. Fill with filling and place in dish. sprinkle remaining cheese (or more cheese, if you wish) on top. Cover with the remaining sauce. Bake at 350 degrees 30-40 min. or until its bubbly. Top with sour cream and choped green onions if you wish.

*I struggle to keep this from being too runny, so note to self.

Enchilada Stacks

In an effort to organize my recipes and have them at my fingertips at all times no matter where I am, I'm going to try and post one once a day.



I love it when I post my goals on a public forum so that when I fail I do so in front of the entire world. Oh well. Can't say that I don't share my flaws with you.



I can't take credit for this recipe. A dear friend brought this for my family when I had baby #3. And then I laid seige to her inbox until she shared the recipe with me. They are wonderful.



ENCHILADA STACKS



Number of servings: 8

INGREDIENTS

2 cups cooked shredded chicken

3/4 tsp. ground cumin
2 cups sour cream

1tbsp. cilantro
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

pepper and salt to taste
1/2 c. chopped green onion

1/2 c. oil
1/4 c. chopped green chilies

10 flour tortillas
1 (10oz.) can mild enchilada sauce

INSTRUCTIONS

Prepare filling: Combine cooked chicken, sour cream, 1 c. of cheese, green onion, green chilies, cumin, and cilantro. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Fry tortillas: Heat oil over med. heat. Cook tortillas one at a time, frying on both sides until done. Drain on paper towels.

Assemble the stack: Pour enchilada sauce onto a deep plate. Dip one side of a tortilla into the sauce, then place it, sauce side down on a baking sheet. Spread small portion of the filling to cover the tortilla. Repeat procedure with remaining tortillas, sauce, and filling, stacking one tortilla on top of another and ending with a tortilla. Should use five tortillas in a stack with a total of two stacks.

Pour any remaining enchilada sauce over top of stacks, then sprinkle with remaining cheese. (Note: At this time, the stacks can be refrigerated a few hours till ready to bake and serve.) Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.