OK - here's what I did to make these.
First I browned and drained the hamburger (about 2 lbs) in one pan.
While that was doing, in another pan, I sauted some chopped onions and peppers and chiles and garlic (seasoned with salt and pepper and chili powder and cumin - I love the smoky Mexicanniness of cumin) (don't let the garlic burn - it can go in at the end, or just dump it in the meat - you cooks should know this. You others should let cooks do it - this isn't a real recipe because, as I've said before, I AM NOT A COOK! I was just winging it! Kinda like an idiot savant of the kitchen)
Then I dumped the veggies and 1 can of Old El Paso enchilada sauce (Cheating yes, but still very good stuff!) and a handful of cheddar cheese into the meat and stirred it around till all was coated and melted and left on warm/lo heat.
To make the cheese sauce I used the veggie pan and I basically followed the recipe FOR THE SAUCE in the
Better Homes And Gardens cookbook (Your mom's cookbook with the red and white checker pattern on it. I looked on the website but didn't see the same recipe that I followed from the book) for Chicken Enchilada Casserole. When it came time to deglaze the pan with chicken stock, I used a bottle of Negra Modelo beer in place of about half the stock. I put some chili powder in that too. Let that boil up good and keep stirring and then lower the heat (You are trying to burn off the alcohol so you can feed your chilluns too - also you need to cook the flour so it doesn't have a raw flour taste and it will thicken the sauce). Keep an eye on your sauce. You might need to add some more stock if it gets too thick. Hey, it's only cooking. Wing it! After you've stirred in the sour cream and cheese (I used more than they said but I only measured by handfuls so you use your own judgement. I got no time for cups and liters and ounces and tablespoons and all that chicanery) put the sauce on low. Here's another deviation from standard enchilada - I made more of a lasagna than a enchilada. Take CORN tortillas, soak them for a second or so in the cheesey beer ssauce and line a baking dish with them. Flat. Like lasagna noodles. Oh WAIT - first coat the bottom of the pan with a little bit of sauce from another can of Old El Paso enchilada sauce (Yes, that's 2 cans of OEP ES. You little counter, you). Ok - baking dish, thin layer of sauce, 6 coated tortillas spread out across the bottom of the pan (Yes, they can and should overlap a little. but be sure to go from edge to edge of the pan). Then spread a layer of the ground beef on top of the tortillas. then more coated tortillas, then more beef and keep layering in there until you run out of sauce/tortillas/beef. Ideally, your top layer is tortillas. Then pour the rest of the OEP enchilada sauce on top and top that with more shredded cheddar. Or whatever cheese you like. But Cheddar is better. Lots of it. So I threw that in the oven (I think it was like 375 degrees), covered with aluminum foil for about 15 minutes and then uncovered for another 5 or so until the cheese on top is melted and suitably browned.
From here on out, treat it like lasagna - in other words, serve gorge on it until it's all gone or you pass out. A frosty Negra Modelo beer or 4 goes VERY well with it. I garnish mine with some sour cream on top and I always serve with refried beans. And I always fry up some bacon to get some grease to mix into the refried beans. Save the bacon for other things. Don't use any of that silly maple glazed bacon either. Just plain ol' bacon. I used my bacon for a
Spanglish Sandwich. Much later.
You don't have to worry about softening up the tortillas in hot oil because you're laying them flat anyway. They get good and gooey and soft in the oven with all that stuff on 'em.
If you need some lettuce/salad to go with, feel free. Publix has shredded lettuce in bags and I bet your supermarket does too. OR you can make my mom's always wonderful Frito salad - which is just Iceberg lettuce, shredded Cheddar cheese and Fritos (in place of croutons) tossed with Catalina (or French) dressing. I love it. You might too.
