Here is another recipe that I have made for years, and it is nice to prepare if you freezer cook with a friend. It makes two 13″ x 9″ pans, so it is enough for two families! Or you can do what I did: Make both pans and use one for dinner right away and freeze the other for later! Below is what the enchiladas look like before cooking them. I forgot to take a picture of them after they were cooked–I think life got a little busy!
I put the original recipe below–but I did change it a little, as I do quite often with recipes! I am not big into “spicy”, and my children definitely are not yet lovers of spicy food. So I included my notes of what I did in italics.
Cheddar Beef Enchiladas
Ingredients:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 envelope taco seasoning
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 1 can (16 ounces) refried beans
- 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 10 to 12 flour tortillas (8 inches), warmed
- 1 jar (16 ounces) salsa
- 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
Directions
- In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in taco seasoning and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Stir in rice. Cook and stir until liquid is evaporated. (This mixture was a little too spicy for my taste–my children and I have mild taste buds, so I added more rice to the mixture. This also allowed me to squeeze one more enchilada in each pan, which is helpful in our seven-person household!)
Meat and rice mixture
- Spread about 2 tablespoons of refried beans, 1/4 cup beef mixture and 1 tablespoon cheese down the center of each tortilla; roll up. Place seam side down in two greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dishes. (Since I had more enchiladas than the recipe called for, I did have to open another can of refried beans.)
- Enchilada ready to roll up!
- The two pans of enchiladas all prepared–Now just the sauce and cheese has to go on top.
- Combine salsa and soup; pour down the center of enchiladas. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
- Bake one casserole, uncovered, at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted. Cover and freeze remaining casserole for up to 3 months.
- To use frozen casserole: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until heated through and cheese is melted. Yield: 2 casseroles (5-6 enchiladas each).
This was originally published in Quick Cooking magazine.
