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!)
