Enchiladas

I won't claim that these resemble authentic Mexican-American fare whatsoever. But they are easy, although messy, to make.

Mine are bean, onion & cheese. I don't know that beans even belong in an enchilada, but I married for love, not money, so they are in mine. Other filling ideas include regular taco-flavored ground beef, shredded pork, shredded beef, or even some tasty shredded chicken. Also, just cheese and onion makes a yummy filling.

You need some enchilada sauce. I have made it before, and it is easy. (I combined a few recipes on allrecipes.com when I made mine last time. Check on there for ideas.) This time, I just bought a big can of enchilada sauce. The only thing is, most brands have MSG in them. So if you like to avoid it, make sure to check the label.

Corn tortillas. Now, I have made regular burritos with flour tortillas, covered them with enchilada sauce, and called them enchiladas. You are supposed to use corn, and as it happens, I had corn tortillas. I won't tell what kind of tortillas you use. Use the kind that your family will eat!

Cheese. Lots of it.

Here's how I made mine today. Granted, this could change next time! Use it as a guideline.

Enchiladas

about 15-20 corn tortillas, warmed (I used the microwave.)

4 c. cheese (I used 2 c. Mexican blend, 2 c. cheddar. Shhh...I did not shred my own cheese today.)

large can enchilada sauce (I used Las Palmas 19 oz.)

refried beans with onion (See directions for beans below.)

Spread a little sauce in the bottom of a large pan (13x9 or bigger). Gather all your ingredients together in one place, as this is very messy. Pour some sauce into a shallow dish or pan. Dip a tortilla in the sauce, and flip over to coat. Wipe a little of the excess back into the dish. Put a small (really, you want just a couple tablespoons of filling) spoonful of beans inside; top with a sprinkling of cheese. (I used 2 c. of the Mexican blend inside the tortillas, and used the cheddar for the top at the end.) Carefully roll them up and place seam side down in the pan. If your tortillas are too cold, they will break into pieces and you will be irate. However, don't fret if you have a couple broken ones. No one will know once you put that ridiculous amount of cheese over the top. You can really smush them into the pan. Don't be afraid to fill it up! Just keep them in one layer. I used my big pan (I think it's a 15x9 at least) and I have about 20 in mine.

Once your pan is full of little rolled up tortillas, pour the rest of the sauce over the top. Then top that with however much cheese you want, up to 2 cups. This family is crazy for cheese, so I used the whole 2 cups.

Spray some foil so it doesn't stick to the cheese, and cover the pan. Bake at 350 until heated through. I would say check them after 25-30 minutes or so.

Obviously, you can use a can of refried beans. I won't tell. They are a fine substitute, and can be tasty if you season them, and thin them out a little with some water. Because otherwise, they are oddly pasty.

Refried Beans

cooked beans (I did mine in the crockpot, but canned are fine here.)

1 onion, chopped

fat (I used about 2 tbsp. butter)

cumin

garlic (powdered or real, if real, add with onion)

chili powder

salt

Melt butter in large skillet. Add onion, and saute for about 3 or 4 minutes. Add beans, and mash with a potato masher. Mash them to whatever consistency you like. Season with garlic, chili powder (I used chipotle chili powder), salt, and cumin. Do not forget the cumin. Cumin=Mexican food. Heat thoroughly, and let fry a little on the bottom.