Beef Enchiladas Recipe

So I've been accused of adding too many dessert recipes recently, so I thought I'd add a little balance with a good hearty main dish. This recipe is from my Aunt Zina and is in our family recipe book. It took me a few years to try this one, since I had my own enchilada recipe that I was hooked on. However there came a day everyone started complaining whenever I made mine, thus prompting me to branch out and try something new. A gamble that paid off, as my family now looks forward to enchilada night once again!

The ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef (I use ground turkey)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 lb. cheddar cheese (reserve 1 cup)
1 small can chopped olives
1 cup onion, chopped
1 dozen flour tortillas

Sauce:
Mix the following ingredients together in a sauce pot, heating just until boiling. Remove from heat.
2-8 oz. cans tomato sauce
1-6 oz. can tomato paste
1 can tomato soup
2 cups water
1/4 cup oil (optional)
1 Tbs. chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder (I use a couple of minced cloves of fresh garlic)



Cook beef (turkey) in pan over medium heat until brown. Add salt. Add meat to other ingredients (except cheese and sauce) and mix. Combine sauce ingredients and heat just until boiling.


Add 1 to 1-1/2 cups of sauce to the meat mixture (depending on how saucy you like it).


Place about 1/4 cup of meat mixture into the center of each tortilla, followed by a sprinkling of cheese. Roll and place seam side down into a casserole dish.

Note: I usually heat my tortillas in the microwave for about 1 minute before adding the filling. It makes the tortillas much more flexible and easy to roll.


After your pan is filled with rolled, filled tortillas pour sauce thoroughly over the top. Then sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. Bake 15-20 minutes or until sauce is bubbling and the cheese is golden brown. .

You may not need all of the sauce or the cheese. We used all of it in this batch and they were dripping with sauce and cheese...not a bad thing in my book, but you could definitely save some for another day if you wished.

Enjoy!