Easy Enchiladas for Everyone!

Everyone that is familiar with the Chappell family knows about "taco night." This is a meal that my family has been having since, well, since I can remember. Even my childhood friends remember "taco night" at our house. What is so special about this meal? Well, it's easy to prepare for several people which was an absolute must for every meal growing up. With two parents, five children, and all of our friends that practically lived at the house, meal preparation was huge (literally). Other than the easy preparation, who doesn't love tacos?! Even the pickiest of my brothers loved this meal.

So, what is my favorite meal to make when I'm looking for something easy that could feed a number of people? Tacos! Okay, so I don't just make tacos, but it's hardly Mexican so I prefer to place this meal in the taco category. If we really want Mexican food, we head off to one of our local favorite restaurants. You just can't beat it (especially since most of us American folks specialize in cereal pouring and not tortilla making, unfortunately).

For me, the typical at-home taco night meal consists of enchiladas, tacos, rice, and beans. When expecting a bigger crowd, chips and cheese dip is a great addition. All of this together took less than an hour to prepare!

For 6 Enchiladas here is what I needed:

• 6 soft taco size tortillas
• 1-2 lbs of ground beef (usually I lean toward 2 lbs)
• 2 cans of mild enchilada sauce (I have tried medium, but I feel that adding heat takes away from the flavor)
• 1 package of finely shredded Mexican fiesta cheese (or whatever cheese you prefer works great)
• 1-2 packages of your favorite taco seasoning (you use 1 for every lb of beef, so 2 lbs would require 2 packs)

Enchilada Directions:

1. brown beef, and drain
2. add in favorite taco seasoning and follow directions on package (usually requires adding some water)
3. pour enough enchilada sauce in a 9x13 pan to cover the bottom
4. mix a small amount of the enchilada sauce in with the taco meat
5. take each tortilla, and place desired amount of cheese and meat mixture inside
6. wrap up the filled tortillas, and place side by side in the pan
7. pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over the enchiladas, and cover with cheese
8. place in oven (approx. 350ᵒ) until the cheese is completely melted  (around 15-20 mins)

Typically, I brown more meat than needed for enchiladas, so that I don't have to brown more meat for the tacos. The easiest way to do this is to brown all the meat, add in the seasoning, and just take out what I will use for the enchiladas, leaving enough meat for tacos. While I am browning the meat, I heat up a can of refried beans. During this time, I would usually make white rice, but this time I tried something different. While browsing through the Mexican section of the grocery store, I came across some microwavable Mexican style rice made by Taco Bell. I just had to try it! All I had to do was put it in the microwave for 90 secs and it would be ready. It turned out to be outstanding! It was surprisingly really delicious. By this time, the beans are heating, the taco meat is ready, and I can put together the enchiladas. I put them in the oven, then get going on some cheese dip. I decided to try the new Velveeta Queso Blanco, and it also turned out delicious. You just add Ro-tel, and put it in the microwave. Easy! While everything is in the works, this is a good time to cut up any lettuce, tomato, or any other toppings you would like. The last thing to do is toss the tortillas in the microwave to heat them up a little, throw the shells in the oven to crisp, and prepare the 90 sec rice. Everything will be ready around the same time if prepared this way.

Now, you are ready to eat! Everything is prepared, and people can make their tacos however they wish.