Beef & Cheese Enchilada's

This is a great recipe for the winter months. It is easy to make and it is VERY easy to make more the one batch. Usually I like to say ... serve with something else ... but not this time ... this one can stand on it's own.

Beef & Cheese Enchilada's

3/4 Pound Ground Beef (Ground Turkey or Chicken work just as well)
2 tablespoons olive oil.
1 medium yellow onion, chopped.
1 clove garlic, crushed

1 large can enchilada sauce (24 ounces)
2 cups rice, cooked.
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed.
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 cups grated mild cheddar cheese
15 - 20 soft corn tortillas

Heat skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and then saute the chopped onions and garlic for about 2 minutes, until tender. Add the ground beef and saute till browned. Remove from heat and drain the fat from the meat. Combine the ground beef, rice, black beans and cilantro. Toss mixture till combined.

Pour about half of a can of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 13 x 9 pan. Take 4-6 of the tortillas at a time and heat them in the microwave for about 30-45 second until they are warm and easy to roll. Start by laying out one warm tortilla, add about 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture and 1 tablespoon of the cheese and then roll up the tortilla and place in the 13 x 9 pan with the seam down. (This will hold the enchilada together.) Repeat this until the pan is filled. Pour the remainder of the enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Cover the pan with aluminum foil.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve with sour cream and hot sauce.

Enjoy ...

Is this a special recipe???

Really ... you want to ask ... is this a special recipe? In truth it is not a special recipe. But the meal IS considered special. You see it is not always those special "meals" we make, but, as I have said before, it is who we are inviting to eat with us! So in this recipe we are making Buttermilk Pancakes ... for my kids!



So what makes this recipe special is really the fact that I got help making the pancakes from Sophie and then heard the kids "loving" the pancakes for breakfast. This is the best way to start a day ... with my kids smiles around the table. So take some time to cook with your family ... you will love the memories you are creating.

Buttermilk Pancakes:
(Adapted from The Joy of Cooking)

1 1/2 Cup Flour (not packed)
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Put all the dry ingredients in a ziplock plastic bag and then shake it to mix. I use the bag so that I do not have to wash anything and I can save it for the next time I am making pancakes or waffles.

1 1/2 cup butter milk
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Mix all of the wet ingredients in a large bowl with a wisk or a fork. Once the wet ingredients are combined then pour in the mixed dry ingredients and stir until combined. Let the batter stand for about five minutes while you heat up the griddle or pan that you are using. Keep in mind that the heavier the pan the better ... then the pancakes will cook better. Cook on a medium heat so they do not burn. Serve with warm syrup.

Sit with your kids while they are eating and talk about their plans and hopes for the day ...

Enjoy ... Mark