Easy (and I mean easy) enchiladas

One of my all-time favorite foods is enchiladas.  There is no end to the variations on the basic technique.  I almost always make mine with ground beef, though I recently tried them with chicken and they were fantastic.  I prefer the red sauce variety, so that is what you'll find here.  And you should know, I get my enchilada sauce from a mix packet.  Say what you will, but it is delicious!

1 packet (Lawry's) enchilada sauce seasoning packet
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
3 c. water
8 medium or house size flour tortillas
1 pound ground beef (or 2 1/2 c. shredded cooked chicken)
2 c. shredded (cheddar) cheese

Whatever toppings you want

Combine the seasonings, water, and tomato paste in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Simmer for 10 minutes and stir occasionally.  Meanwhile, cook the beef and drain off the fat.  Add 2/3 to 1 c. of the enchilada sauce to the meat and 1 c. of cheese.  Stir to combine and melt the cheese.

In the bottom of a greased glass baking dish, spread enough sauce to coat the bottom of the pan.  Lay a sheet of wax paper down, and score the meat mixture into quarters in the pan.  Place half of a quarter (in other words, 1/8 of the total mixture) along one edge of a tortilla, roll it tightly and place seam side down in the dish.  Repeat with 7 remaining tortillas.  Top with remaining sauce and sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees until cheese is melted and golden.  Serve hot.

Can be prepared the night before to the point of baking.  When it comes time for dinner, just pop in the oven for about 30 minutes.  These also freeze well after having been cooked.  To reheat, bake for20-30 minutes at 350 and serve hot.  If you desire the chicken filling, I used chicken I cut off a rotisserie chicken I bought from the deli at my grocery store.  It was flavorful and juicy (and frankly, I'm too lazy to shred it - I just sliced pieces off of the breasts and then diced it).

Wet burritos

I grew up in Michigan, where wet burritos are apparently pretty localized.  For those of you unfamiliar with wet burritos, they are your typical burrito, except they are smothered in a ranchero-type sauce and covered with cheese.

1 lb. ground beef, thawed

1 tbsp. oil

1 tsp. minced garlic

2 small onions, chopped

1 pkg Taco Seasoning

1 can Refried Beans

1 can tomato sauce + 1 can water

1 pkg Enchilada Seasoning Mix

1 Tbsp. cornstarch in 3 Tbsp. cold water

4 large (burrito) flour tortillas

1-2  bags Shredded Mexican or Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Lettuce, Tomatoes, Green/Red Sweet Peppers (optional)

Sour Cream, Salsa, Guacamole (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Brown ground beef in oil, garlic and onion.

Add Taco Seasoning and Refried Beans.

Sauce:

In saucepan, add tomato sauce, 1 can water, and Burrito Seasoning.  Bring to boil, stirring occasionally.

Slowly whisk corn starch mixture in tomato mixture until desired texture.

In bottom of 9x13 pan, spread 1/2 c. sauce.

Layer 4 large tortillas in pan....overlapping is ok.

Add meat mixture with a little sauce over it, even amounts of meat/beans over the four tortillas.

You may add veggies at this point or choose to have them on the side.

Roll burritos seperately.  First you fold in the sides, then roll it completely shut.

Pour remaining sauce on top, saturating the burritos.

Layer each burrito with a considerable amount of cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes or until sauce is bubbly.

***If you chose to have veggies on top, add them just before serving, or on the side.  Serve with your choice of sour cream, salsa, and/or guacamole.  You can also serve with tortilla chips for scooping up excess sauce and filling mixture.