This recipe is another in our challenge to try a new dish every week. Since getting started, we have tried some awesome new recipes - and some duds. We started with a cookbook from The Pampered Chef called 29 Minutes to Dinner. It's really fantastic; if you go to a cooking show, you should consider it.
In case you're wondering, I bought it myself and have had no contact with any representatives from The Pampered Chef, except when I myself was a consultant 10 years ago.
Anyway, that is the first cookbook I grabbed from my cookbook hoarding collection, so our first few new recipes have come from it. We took this recipe to Joanne's for dinner. After the 4 of us ate, then helped ourselves to seconds, there were no leftovers. 
I had a second piece instead of dessert. No kidding.
Beef Enchilada Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound 95% lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1 can enchilada sauce
- ¾ cup water
- ½ cup salsa thick and chunky, medium heat
- 12 tortillas (the original recipe called for yellow corn tortillas, but we used flour), cut into 1-inch strips
- ⅓ cup cilantro snipped and divided
- 2-3 cups Cheddar cheese shredded
- sour cream
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- In a large skillet, cook the ground beef and taco seasoning over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes or until beef is no longer pink.
- Add the enchilada sauce, water, and salsa to the beef.
- Bring to a simmer* then remove from the heat.
- Arrange one-third of the tortilla strips over the bottom of a round or square baking dish.
- Top with one-third of the beef mixture and one-third of the cheese.
- Sprinkle a tablespoon of cilantro over the cheese.
- Repeat layers two more times.
- Microwave the casserole on high for 3 to 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. (That's not a typo. It really only takes a couple of minutes.)
- Garnish with remaining cilantro.
- Serve with sour cream and freshly cut lime wedges.
Notes
What does bring to a simmer mean?
Simmer a food means that you cook it in a liquid that's just below its boiling point. You might see occasional bubbles, but it's not actively forming steam.
Leave a Reply