Bill’s Enchilada Casserole (Junior, that is)

in , , , , , , , , , , , on Monday, September 12, 2011

See how yummy this looks!


Here’s “the whole enchilada!”  First off, way back on November 21st, remember the family feud chili post?  Well, now Bill has another great recipe!  Remember all the fire in his chili?  Well, not so much fire with this one!

I love Mexican food but, was not crazy about enchiladas until I tasted this dish.  I had enchiladas in a restaurant in Louisville (when I was still in school) and they were rolled up into a mushy, gooey, slimy mess.  I never tried them again.  Then, when Bill told me about this recipe several years ago, I inwardly cringed but, thankfully didn’t say anything (until now, that is.) 

I’m a sucker for a good casserole and this enchilada casserole is excellent, I adore it!  I love the fact that the tortillas are broken into quarters and then layered in the dish.  They keep their great texture and are delicious in this Mexican-inspired casserole ~ layers of tortillas, ground beef and pork, delectable sauce and plenty of cheese.  It’s all tied together in one harmonious whole!

I now have a totally other opinion about enchiladas; they are scrumptious and I truly love them. 

So let's get started!



Bill’s Enchilada Casserole

Ingredients:

1 large white onion
½ stick butter
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
Seasonings, to taste (ground chipotle, chili powder, cayenne)
6 jalapeno peppers
15 ounces enchilada sauce
8 ounces spicy salsa
1 can cream of chicken
1 can cream of mushroom
2 packages shredded "Mexican" cheese (for the non-cheese fans, 1 package)
1 package yellow corn tortillas
Small can of sliced black olives

Method:

Sauté onion in ½ stick butter in skillet.
Place in large pot on very low heat.
Start browning 1 pound of meat with half the jalapenos in skillet.
Add spices to taste (I use ground chipotle, chili powder and cayenne.)
Add the soups, enchilada sauce and salsa to the pot.  Stir until it is a uniform color.
When the first pound of meat is cooked, put it in the pot and stir well.
Brown the other pound of meat in the skillet with the rest of the peppers.
Stir the mixture in the pot well, make sure it does not boil.
Add the rest of the meat to the pot when browned.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray 9” x 13” casserole dish with cooking spray.
Tear tortillas into quarters and layer the bottom of casserole dish, overlapping.
Pour about half the meat mixture into the dish, evening it out.
Add another layer of quartered tortillas. 
Spread layer of remaining meat mixture over all.
Add cheese, spreading over top.
Sprinkle with black olives.
It should reach just short of the top of the casserole dish.

Bake at 350 degrees about 45 minutes, until hot all way through.

Bill’s notes:  I like to make and bake it the day before and refrigerate it overnight.  Then before serving the next day, put it back in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 before serving it- it solidifies a little bit better.  Also, fold tortilla in half, then in half again to form creases to make it easier to tear the tortilla into quarter pieces.

Nothing says hearty, filling, comfort food like this enchilada casserole!  Good one, Bill!  It’s a keeper!  Yum! Yum! Yum!

Try it, you’ll love it!!! 


This entry was posted on Monday, September 12, 2011 at 7:31 AM and is filed under , , , , , , , , , , , . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response.

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