My enchiladas

Enchiladas are not something I ate growing up, but my kids LOVE them! We usually use a mild prepared variety of sauce from the grocery store, but one night I promised enchiladas and we had no sauce. I found this recipe in my Betty Crocker Cookbook, used the same technique I usually do and was surprised at how similar the finished product was to the rich, creamy not too-spicy concoction we were used to. Oh! And I know exactly what's in them.

I like this recipe so much, I'm working on a recipe to can the sauce in bulk. (More on that when I get it right.)

1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion, diced (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese + a handful
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1/4 tsp pepper
1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper
2/3 cup water
1 tbsp chili powder
1 1/2 chopped fresh or 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp cumin
2 whole green chilies, chopped (I use the canned ones)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 can (13-15 ounces) tomato sauce
About 8 flour tortillas

Part 1: Brown the meat and onions.

Brown the ground beef and onions and drain.

Part 2: Make the sauce

Heat bell pepper, water, chili power, oregano, cumin, chillies, garlic and tomato sauce to boiling, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. If you prefer a smooth sauce (vs. slightly chunky) remove from heat and puree in a blender or in the pot with an immersion blender. Don't mind the chunks? Skip the blending.

 Part 3: Make the filling


Combine the ground beef mixture, sour cream, cheese, parsley, pepper and 1 cup sauce. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the mixture into each tortilla and roll.

Part 4: Bring it all together

Place the filled tortillas into a greased 9 x 13 (ish) baking dish. Pour remaining sauce over all, and sprinkle with an extra handful (or two) of cheese. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until bubbly.