Simple Supper Monday, Vol 61: Cheese Enchiladas

Friends, today is your lucky day.

Not only is there an awesome fun Giveaway to enter, but it's a 2-for-1 Simple Supper Recipe Day!

Huzzah! Huzzah!

Today's Simple Supper Recipe post is brought to you by the letter "Mexican Food Goodness." A few weeks ago, I posted a Chicken Enchilada recipe that my dear Momma passed along to me. Since then, I received a Cheese Enchilada recipe from my friend Jen, as well as a Taco Soup recipe from Alert Blog Reader, Holly.

And since I love y'all so much, I'm posting them BOTH today.

We could all use a little spice in our lives on a Monday, right? (Get it? Spice? Mexican Food?)

I have posted recipes from Jen previously on this blog. She is a great friend that I met through a Storytime that our kids attended. We both have 2 1/2-year old girls who enjoy each other's company in theory, but when they actually get together, there is a lot of non-sharing that goes on. Jen and I also both recently added to our families. Jen gave birth to her son in November, and 6 weeks later I had Bitty Bug. Originally, Jen hails from Tennessee, then lived a short stint in Texas before moving to PA. Quite the jet-setter, eh? She had been in search of good Enchilada recipes since moving from Texas. When she came across this one at Homesick Texan, she was very pleased with how it turned out. So, of course, it got passed along to me!

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Simple Supper Monday

Cheese Enchiladas

1/2 cup vegetable oil
8 corn tortillas (My favorite are the Chi-Chi’s Café Style Tortillas. They are awesome!)
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese (can make it with Velveeta for extra melting oomph and good ol' Tex-Mex authenticity) (I mix Velveeta and either sharp cheddar or colby jack)
One medium onion, diced
2 cups chili gravy **see below**

Preheat the oven to 450.
Pour the oil in a small skillet, and heat the tortillas one at a time. Keep them wrapped in a cloth until all 8 are heated.
Pour 1/2 cup of chili gravy in a baking pan.
Take a tortilla, put 1/4 cup of cheese and 1 tablespoon of onion in the center and roll it.
Place rolled tortilla in baking dish, seam side down.
Continue with remaining tortillas.
Take remaining chili gravy, and pour it over the rolled tortillas.
Sprinkle remaining cheese and onions on top.
Bake for 10 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and cheese is melted.
Makes 8 enchiladas

For the Chili Gravy:

1/4 cup lard (or vegetable oil) (I use canola oil and it has always come out great.)
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1-1/2 tsp powdered garlic
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano (Mexican oregano is preferred if it’s available)
2 T chile powder (either homemade or a dark brand such as Gebhardt’s or Whole Foods) (I just use regular chili powder or chipotle chili powder)
2 cups chicken broth (or water)

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
Stir in the flour and continue stirring for 3 to 4 minutes, or until it makes a light brown roux.
Add all the dry ingredients and continue to cook for 1 minute, constantly stirring and blending ingredients.
Add chicken broth or water, mixing and stirring until the sauce thickens.
Turn heat to low and let sauce simmer for 15 minutes. Add water to adjust the thickness. Makes 2 cups.

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Um. Yum. Our next recipe comes from Holly. Holly is a devoted stay-at-home Mom from Alabama. She has been married to her husband for 9 years, and they have 2 boys (7 years old and 5 years old). This family is ON THE GO! They love fishing, camping, and anything outdoors. Baseball season has just started for them, and with both boys playing (and her husband as the assistant coach for her youngest son's team), they will be busy! Holly says she loves this recipe because it is tasty and simple (WE LOVE TASTY AND SIMPLE!), so it is great for her simple Southern family.

Thanks for sharing, Holly :)

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Taco Soup

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 medium onion
• 1 can of Hunts tomatos (I prefer diced for this recipe and you can use any brand)
• 1 can of whole kernel yellow corn
• 1 can of pinto beans
• 1 can of chili beans
• 1 can of kidney beans
• 1 package of taco seasoning (I prefer mild, but if you like it hot, then you can get the hotter package of seasoning)
• 1 envelope of powdered ranch dressing

Brown your ground beef and chopped onion until the meat is done. In a large pot, mix the meat with all the other ingredients. DO NOT drain any of the cans. Mix well and then cover. Cook on medium heat for 30 minutes, stir occasionally. Turn down to low heat for an additional 15 minutes. You are now ready to eat! I prefer to eat mine with cheese on top after I have fixed my bowl. It's also great with corn chips.

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OK. Now I am seriously hungry. And as a side note, if anyone is participating in Lent and cannot eat meat on Fridays, the Cheese Enchilada recipe could be a good one to prepare.

Thanks to you ladies for sharing your recipes with the rest of the community! If any of you out there have a recipe to post, please email it to me at moderndaydonnareed.blogspot.com

PS - Don't forget to enter the GIVEAWAY before noon on Wednesday!