I was so impressed with the sauce I made for the beef the other day, that I'd try my hand at a delicious enchilada sauce. and... O M G it was DE-LICIOUS! Holy cow have I always been able to cook like this? Why haven't I don't this before?? If not, then where in the world did these talents come from? I don't think I could make it too far on Master Chef, but I can cook pretty damn well!!
So, I am pantry cleaning, and that includes the new acquisitions of the dried peppers I bought. I have enough for one more round of sauce, and that will be used up in a couple of weeks with the braised beef round two. Unlike last time, I have proof this time!
I took 4 ancho chilis and 4 guajillo chilis and toasted them in a pan until they were pliable. Then I added them to the boiling water, making sure to weigh them down for full soakage and dehydrating.
Then I sauteed the onions and tomatoes in a pan until nice and soft. I chopped the reconstituted chilis and added them to the pan with 2 cups of the chili broth and 1 teaspoon of beef stock paste.
I allowed this mixture to simmer for at least 1 hour. Then I poured it all into a food processor and pureed the mixture, returned it to the pan, and simmered for at least another 1/2 hour.
Doesn't it just look yummy? I was concerned with the 4 anchos that it would be too spicy, but it really wasn't. The richness of the flavor was just A-Mazing! It was was complex with a hint of spice. It had a nice heat quality but didn't over power your taste buds. I will be keeping this recipe around for other southwest dishes on the weekends. OR I could make the sauce on the weekend for weeknight tacos or something like that.
Next, I browned some ground beef and drained it once it was cooked. I added 2/3 cup of the pepper sauce to the meat and stirred to combine. I cut the corn tortillas in half, as they worked better in the casserole dish that way. I put some sauce in the casserole dish, topped with tortillas, put the beef on top of that. Then another layer of tortillas, the beans, half the cheese, and the final layer of tortillas. I added the rest of the sauce and the rest of the cheese.
I mean, doesn't the color just look amazing? Yes the flavor is as deep and rich as the color of the sauce. I can't rave enough about it. I put the casserole into an oven preheated to 350 F for about 25 minutes, or until the cheese on top was bubbly and hot.
I have issues with serving up a really pretty piece of casserole from this dish. Eventually, I just toss it all on the plate and have at it, but this time I truly did want to try to make a nice presentable slice for the viewers. It ALMOST worked...
Enchilada Casserole
- 4 whole ancho chilis, dried
- 4 whole guajillo chilis, dried
- 4 c water, boiling
- 1 c red onion, chopped
- 1 t extra virgin olive oil
- 1 c roma tomatoes, chopped
- 10 oz Ro-Tel Tomatoes, mild
- 2 c pepper broth
- 1 t beef broth paste
- 1 pound ground beef
- 12 whole corn tortillas
- 14 oz canned black beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 c low fat cheddar cheese, shredded
- Heat a saute pan on medium-high heat and add the peppers; toasting until warm and pliable. Combine the peppers with the boiling water, making sure to weigh the peppers down to keep them submerged. Soak for 35 minutes or longer until hydrated.
- Using the same pan, heat on medium-high and add the oil swirling to coat. Saute the onions until tender. Add both types of tomatoes to the pan and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Drain the peppers and reserving the broth, coarsely chop. Add to tomato mixture.
- Combine the pepper broth and beef paste in a small bowl. Add to tomato mixture and simmer for 1 hour; stirring occasionally.
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Crumble ground beef into pan and brown. Drain the meat and return to pan. Add 2/3 cup of the pepper mixture to the beef.
- Spoon ½ cup of the pepper mixture into the bottom of a 9 x 13 casserole dish and spread to coat the bottom of the dish. Cut the corn tortillas in half and place on top of pepper mixture in bottom of the dish. Pour the meat mixture into the casserole and top with another layer of corn tortillas. Pour the beans on top of the tortillas and top with 1 cup of cheese. Top with final layer of corn tortillas. Pour remaining pepper mixture over the tortillas and top with remaining cheese.
- Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve with pico de gallo or guacamole.
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