Beef and Cheese Enchiladas (Tex-Mex) – Texas

Cathy: Do you know the difference between Tex-Mex and Mexican food?

So, we know that Tex-Mex cuisine stands for Texan and Mexican and originated along the southern border states of the US. Basically, it defines a blend of Mexican, Spanish and American cuisine.

The difference? Some say it’s the type of sauce used – a cheese, cream, or red sauce is almost always Tex-Mex while a green sauce or mole is almost always Mexican. Sour cream is a Tex-Mex staple, but Mexican dishes use a crema that’s more like creme fraiche. Some say it’s the meat – beef is a Texas addition to the cuisine, as beef was not as common in Mexico where more pork was used and you know Texans love their beef. Add to this the difference between corn tortillas (Mexican) and flour tortillas (Texan).

So, to sum it up in a few key ingredients found in the US that are scarcely used anywhere south of the Rio Grande: beef, yellow cheese (like cheddar), wheat flour, black beans, canned vegetables (especially tomatoes) and cumin. Chances are, if you’re eating anything with one or more of these ingredients, it’s Tex-Mex.

Given all this, I made beef enchiladas using flour tortillas, ground beef, ooey, gooey yellow cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese, canned tomatoes (from last years garden crop). I added tomatillos from this years garden, just because I had them, and they added a nice tartness to the sauce.

Prep time: about 1 hour Oven time: about 30 minutes Serves about 8 people

• 1 1/2 lb ground beef
• 8 large flour tortillas
• 1 cup chopped onion
• Fresh cilantro
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 cans (or pint jars) chopped tomatoes
• 5-6 chopped tomatillos
• 1 bottle salsa verde
• 1 can enchilada sauce (red)
• About 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese and/or Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 package spanish rice (cooked – about 2 cups)
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder (or less if desired)
• lime wedges

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Brown the ground beef, chopped onion, garlic and tomatillos together. Add tomatoes and 1/2 of the enchilada sauce. Add the spices and cook together until liquid has reduced.
3. In a 13 x 9 pan, add a layer of sauce to the bottom.
4. With each tortilla, add a layer of beef/sauce mixture, a layer of rice, a spoonful of salsa verde and a sprinkle of cheese. Roll it up and place it in the pan. You’ll need to “squish” it into the pan as you’ll be adding 8 rolled up tortillas.
5. After you’ve rolled up all of the tortillas, cover the enchiladas with any left over sauces, cheese and sprinkle cilantro on the top. Cover with aluminum foil.
6. Bake in the oven until it’s bubbling and the cheese is melted and gooey. Take the aluminum foil off for the last few minutes to slightly brown the top.
7. Serve with lime wedges, more cilantro and any leftover spanish rice.

This dish is great leftover, too. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.