Beef and Bean Enchiladas

Perfectly spiced and so tasty, this is my family’s favorite beef and bean enchiladas. Quick and easy to make as well so your family has a yummy dinner in no time!

Last week I had been craving something a little spicy. I didn’t really fancy making curry but thought I’d make it a Mexican night in our house.

Before we had kids, I used to make Chicken Enchiladas for hubby and myself but have never ever done another one ever since we had kids. Wow, that’s almost like a decade ago.

You see I had been quite lazy to make some. I know there are some good Mexican restaurants in our area which are all reasonably priced so I never bothered to make our own homemade version.

When we went to the grocery the other day I found these gluten-free brown rice tortillas and seeing that inspired me to make enchiladas that hubby can enjoy.

If you don’t know yet, hubby is on a gluten-free diet as anything with wheat doesn’t agree well with his constitution. Besides if I made it I could also satisfy my craving for something tasty with a spicy kick to it.

It turned out I didn’t have any Chili powder to make my enchiladas when I wanted to make it but thankfully I found some Cayenne pepper on our spice shelf. I added just a little bit of it plus some ground cumin and then these flavorful enchiladas came into being! Feel free to use cayenne pepper or substitute it with chili powder if that is what you have. Adjust the heat level to your liking. Enjoy!

WHAT COMPRISES AN ENCHILADA?

Basically, an enchilada comprises a tortilla rolled around a filling and covered with a savory sauce. Originating from Mexico, enchiladas come with a variety of filling ingredients such as meats, cheese, beans, potatoes, vegetables, or a combination of any of the above.

Enchilada sauce is a chili-based sauce typically made with chili peppers, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and various spices. It can be mild, medium, or hot, depending on the chili peppers used and the amount of spice added. The sauce is used as a key ingredient in making enchiladas. It may also be used as a dip for tortilla chips, as a topping for nachos, and certainly as a cooking sauce.

WHY MAKE BEEF AND BEAN ENCHILADAS?

Because they are delicious! The enchiladas are made so flavorful by a tasty filling made from a combination of seasoned and spiced ground beef and pinto beans. It just so much more robust in taste made this way.

Hearty and delicious is this homestyle, easy and cheesy Beef and Bean Enchiladas that my family enjoys! You’ll keep coming back for more.

Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 hour
Yield: 6-8

WHAT ARE THE INGREDIENTS FOR BEEF & BEAN ENCHILADA?

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil – divided.

• 1 lb ground Beef – use beef with a little fat for more flavor.

• 1/2 teaspoon ground Cayenne Pepper – you can replace the cayenne pepper with Chili powder if you like but definitely increase the amount as it’s not as spicy as the cayenne pepper.

• 1 teaspoon ground Cumin

• 1 can Pinto Beans – drained, half the beans smashed. For convenience, you can simply use refried beans.

• 1 (8 oz) pack Mexican cheese blend – divided.

• 1 large onion – diced.

• 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

• Half of an (8 oz) can tomato paste

• 2 cups Beef or Chicken broth

• 1/4 cup Sour Cream – use some more, if needed.

• 6 large Brown Rice Tortillas or 14-16 small Corn Tortillas – I used Trader Joe’s gluten-free rice tortilla. Feel free to use regular flour tortilla if that is preferred.

• Salt and Pepper – to taste

HOW DO YOU MAKE BEEF & BEAN ENCHILADA?

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
2. Heat the oil in a large pan or skillet. Add the ground beef and cook until it turns brown. Season with a little salt and pepper to taste.
3. Stir in the ground cayenne and cumin and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes. Place in a large bowl and mix in with half the cheese and the pinto beans.
4. In the pan where the beef was cooked, pour the remaining olive oil and heat up. Saute the diced onion and cook until soft.
5. Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, and chicken or beef broth and let simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the sour cream.
6. Add 1 cup of the onion and tomato sauce mixture into the ground beef mixture then pour and spread another 1 cup into a 9 x 13 baking dish.
7. To soften the tortillas for easy rolling, I simply heat them up in a large skillet or frying pan (like a dry fry) very quickly (just several seconds) until they are pliable. You can also use the microwave to do the work (but I don’t have one so I do things manually which is fine for me).
8. Place about 3 heaping spoonfuls of the ground beef mixture into the warmed up tortilla (if using large tortillas that’s the amount so adjust the quantity if using smaller ones). Roll and place into the baking dish with the seam side down. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Drizzle the rolled tortillas with the remaining sauce and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
9. Cover the dish with foil and bake until bubbly and fully heated about 30 minutes. Allow to stand for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy heartily!

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Last updated on July 10th, 2023 at 09:22 pm