Barry’s Enchiladas with Easy Enchilada Sauce

Barry decided he wanted to make enchilada sauce . . . an easy version versus one that begins with dried peppers. We found several variations online and his final sauce is a blend of those recipes. 

Barry’s Enchiladas    Makes 4 hearty enchiladas

About 2 tablespoons olive oil

About ½ to ¾ cup chopped onions

About ½ cup chopped green peppers

1 lb. lean ground beef

½ to ¾ teaspoon ground cumin

½ to ¾ teaspoon chili powder

¼ to ½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon Kosher salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Enchilada Sauce (recipe follows)

4 large flour tortillas

½ to 1 cup grated cheese (we prefer sharp Cheddar)

1.  Heat oil; add onions and peppers and sauté until tender.

2.  Add ground beef and cook until browned; season with spices.  Once ground beef begins to brown. Once ground beef if browned, taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

3.  Spread a thin layer of enchilada sauce in the bottom of a baking dish.

4.  Add a dipper or two of enchilada sauce in a low, flat pan. Dip both sides of each flour tortilla in sauce.

5.  Add prepared hamburger filling to center of each tortilla, roll up and place, seam-side down, in baking dish.

6.  Ladle a thin layer of enchilada sauce of top.

7.  Cover dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes in a 350° oven.

8.  Uncover, top with grated cheese and return to oven just until cheese melts.

We served Barry's Enchiladas with lettuce, topped with a little cheese and Barry's homemade salsa.

Enchilada Sauce    Makes 2½ cups of sauce

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 cups chicken broth

1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon salt

1.  In a medium saucepan heat oil, add flour, smoothing and stirring with a wooden spoon. Cook for 1 minute.

2.  Add chili powder and cook for 30 seconds.

3.  Add stock, tomato paste, oregano, and cumin. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. The sauce will thicken and smooth out. Adjust the seasonings.

4.  Store any unused sauce in the refrigerator.

Recipes without photos . . .

Barry’s Enchiladas    Makes 4 hearty enchiladas

About 2 tablespoons olive oil

About ½ to ¾ cup chopped onions

About ½ cup chopped green peppers

1 lb. lean ground beef

½ to ¾ teaspoon ground cumin

½ to ¾ teaspoon chili powder

¼ to ½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon Kosher salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Enchilada Sauce (recipe follows)

4 large flour tortillas

½ to 1 cup grated cheese (we prefer sharp Cheddar)

1.  Heat oil; add onions and peppers and sauté until tender.

2.  Add ground beef and cook until browned; season with spices.  Once ground beef begins to brown. Once ground beef if browned, taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

3.  Spread a thin layer of enchilada sauce in the bottom of a baking dish.

4.  Add a dipper or two of enchilada sauce in a low, flat pan. Dip both sides of each flour tortilla in sauce.

5.  Add prepared hamburger filling to center of each tortilla, roll up and place, seam-side down, in baking dish.

6.  Ladle a thin layer of enchilada sauce of top.

7.  Cover dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes in a 350° oven.

8.  Uncover, top with grated cheese and return to oven just until cheese melts.

Enchilada Sauce    Makes 2½ cups of sauce

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 cups chicken broth

1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon salt

1.  In a medium saucepan heat oil, add flour, smoothing and stirring with a wooden spoon. Cook for 1 minute.

2.  Add chili powder and cook for 30 seconds.

3.  Add stock, tomato paste, oregano, and cumin. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. The sauce will thicken and smooth out. Adjust the seasonings.

4.  Store any unused sauce in the refrigerator.