Make-Your-Own Enchilada Sauce

I made enchiladas last night for some friends who really liked them, so I figured I'd post the recipe here today! About a year into our term I got a craving for enchiladas and got online to see if you could make your own enchilada sauce. I found this recipe and we've had enchiladas regularly ever since! :) Where we live we can get beef for these, but they'd be just as good with shredded chicken, beans or just plain cheese.

Enchilada Sauce

2 T. oil

1 small white onion, finely minced

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

2 T. chili powder, to taste (Make sure it's American, not Indian!)

½ t. oregano

1 t. cumin

½ t. salt

3 boxes of tomato puree

Heat cooking oil in heavy saucepan. Add onion and garlic, sauté until soft. Add tomato sauce, chili powder, oregano, cumin and salt. Cover and simmer approximately 30 minutes.

Here's my Enchilada Recipe as well.

Beef Enchiladas

1 lb. lean ground beef

½ c. chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, crushed

½ t. salt

¼ t. pepper

1 recipe Enchilada sauce

10-12 small corn or flour tortillas (6-7 inch diameter) (I use flour)

¾ c. shredded Cheddar cheese (or more, you know, never enough cheese!)

1 T. fresh cilantro, chopped

Sour cream

Preheat oven to 350. In a large non-stick skillet, brown ground beef, onion and garlic over medium heat 8-10 minutes or until beef is no longer pink. Pour off grease.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in ½ cup enchilada sauce. Dip tortillas, one at a time, into sauce to coat both sides. Spoon beef mixture evenly down the center of each tortilla and roll up. Place beef enchiladas seam side down in a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Cover dish and bake in oven for 15 minutes.

Uncover enchiladas. Spoon the rest of the enchilada sauce over beef enchiladas. Sprinkle with the cheese. Continue baking uncovered for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle liberally with cilantro. Serve with sour cream.

Alterations: If you are making cheese enchiladas, just shred more cheese, about 2 cups more, and fill them tortillas with cheese instead of the beef mixture. If substituting beans or black lentils, cook the onions and garlic, add the beans/lentils, add the enchilada sauce, and then spoon into the tortillas.