There WILL be leftovers...in fact, ENCHILAD-of it!!! (I'm so tired.)

Every time I go to a Mexican restaurant, it's because I have an intense craving and I've completely forgotten about the last time I went to a Mexican restaurant and swore I would never eat at a Mexican restaurant again.  This is usually due to the fact that I go there starving, drink too much blue margarita and order all the things with cheese and sour cream.  Which is why tonight is the first time I ever attempted making an enchilada, even though they're not super difficult, especially if you wuss out like I did and use pre-made enchilada sauce.  I know.  Lame.  Next time I'll make my own. I'M SORRY. I'VE HAD A ROUGH WEEK. LEAVE ME ALONE.

(No, no...! Come back! I miss you...)

Cough.

I'm so tired that this has made me giggle for the past four minutes.

Recipe #36: Beef and Bean Enchiladas (with homemade guacamole)

Choice of Libation: Vodka tonic with a lime twist.  Like I said.  Rough week.  Thank goodness it's almost over!  Oh. It's Wednesday?  Oh.  Make that two vodka tonics, please.

Choice of Music:  "Deleted Scenes from the Cutting Room Floor" by Caro Emerald -- a really fun debut album from this awesome pop-jazz Dutch singer.  This song's my favorite...

                                       

There's a little bit of a hip hop influence to some of the tracks, occasionally sampling some orchestral samba and with heavy influence of 40s jazz...

Okay, guys. This one's real simple.  Brown the meat, saute with veggies of your choosing, season and spice everything.  

You recall I was too hungry (and lazy) to be a true chef and make my own enchilada sauce, so I just used tomato sauce and some of the enchilada sauce.

This is what they called me in high school.

(The top part.)

(Not really.)

What are we looking at, Emjoy? Good question. I'm not entirely sure because I've just downed two vodka tonics.  I think this was when I folded the nacho taco cheese into the beef filling.

Isn't this an adorable tortilla?

(That is also what they called me in high school)

(No, no.  Not really.)

(They called me Emma)

(I'll save that for a different blog entry.)

You know what they say:

You're never fully dressed without enchilada sauce and more nacho taco cheese.

While the enchiladas are getting all nice and melty in the oven, I could start on my guacamole which I wasn't originally going to do, except that avocados were on sale, and we happened to have all the other ingredients at home.  

Oops.  Is that an empty vodka tonic glass?

Yeah.  So.  I didn't buy the right size tortillas.

BUT I DID BUY THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF CHEESE.

Chad tested. Emjoy approved.  

Stolen and HEAVILY adapted from

http://damndelicious.net/

2 1/2 cups enchilada sauce, divided

1 tablespoon olive oil

8 ounces ground beef

1 poblano pepper, diced

1 yellow squash, diced

1 onion, diced

3 cloves garlic

1 tsp chipotle chili powder

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup tomato sauce

3 cups Nacho Taco cheese, divided

12 (6-inch) flour tortillas, warmed

Guacamole (or make your own -- recipe below)

1 tbsp sour cream or plain greek yogurt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Pour 1 cup enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish; set aside.

Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add ground beef, season and cook on medium heat until no longer pink.  Add poblano, squash, chiptole chili powder, salt and pepper, to taste. Cook until vegetables are softened about 5 minutes.  Add black beans and 1/2 cup enchilada sauce and all of the tomato sauce. Cook for 5 more minutes.  

To assemble the enchiladas, lay tortilla on a flat surface and spoon 1/4 cup of the beef mixture in the center. Roll the tortilla and place seam side down onto prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas and beef mixture. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheeses.

Place into oven and bake until bubbly, about 20 minutes.

While waiting, make the guacamole...

1 avocado

1 roma tomato, diced

1./2 red onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 jalapeno 

juice from 1/2 lime

salt and pepper to taste

        Mash everything together.  Taste it.  Add stuff if you want. 

When enchiladas are ready, serve immediately. Do a dallop of Daisy. Or Greek Yogurt.  And of course, guacamole.