Cheesy Beef Enchiladas

Cheesy Beef Enchiladas

For the filling:

1 pound (90/10) ground beef

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 small onion, small diced

1 red bell pepper, seeded and small diced

1 red bell pepper, seeded and small diced

1 small jalapeno, stemmed and seeded, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon chili powder

1teaspoon cayenne if desired

Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high. Add the ground beef and cook until browned, seasoning with salt and pepper as it cooks. If the ground beef releases a lot of fat, drain most of the fat and place the meat back into the pan.

Drizzle in the olive oil, add the onion, red and green bell peppers, jalapenos and garlic cloves, cook until soft but not browned. Add the tomato paste and cook stirring for 3-4 minutes. Add the chili powder, cayenne and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside until ready to build the enchiladas.

For the sauce:

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 cup onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large can enchilada sauce

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon Adobo spice

To make the sauce, heat the oil in a sauce pan over medium. Add the onion and garlic, cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the spices and toast for 1 minute. Add the enchilada sauce, bring to a simmer and allow to cook for 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning, add salt and pepper if desired. Set aside until ready to build the enchiladas.

To build the enchiladas:

¼ cup neutral oil like canola or grapeseed

corn tortillas

½ cup sliced black olives

½ cup grated cheddar cheese

sour cream, for serving

Prepare you enchilada building station:

Preheat you oven to 350 degrees. Grease you baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Gather your filling, sauce, olives and cheddar cheese. Spoon a little sauce down in your baking dish.

Gently heat the olive oil in a small sauté pan. Working with one tortilla at a time, dip each tortilla in the warm oil for 5-10 seconds to soften it. Allow any excess oil to drip off and place the tortilla down on your work station. Spoon about 1/3 cup of filling in to the shell and roll up. Place the tortilla, seam down, into the baking. Repeat until the enchiladas are packed snuggly into the baking dish. Top with a generous amount of sauce, black olives and grated cheddar cheese. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling up from the sides. You can raise the oven temperature to 425 or broil and brown the cheese on top, if desired. Serve with sour cream.