Beef Enchilada

Baked enchiladas, when your mind searches for a campfire here is a perfect thing to indulge in.. melt in the mouth, falling apart beef and bean smothered with cheese. For the man and me its Kerala food that brings back fond memories but I am sure my child will fondly say one day my mom made the best enchilada ever even if she(I) knew no Spanish nor even how real enchiladas tasted.  Yes, these are not the authentic ones but my child vouches its the best. It may be the beef, cheese, tartness of tomato or I even think the bitter cold outside that's making her say this. All that matters to me at the moment like any mom  is she looks at the plate with eagerness and not shy away unsatisfactorily. 

Well you only need the light when it's burning low

Only miss the Sun when it starts to snow

Only know you love her when you let her go...

Only know you have been high when you're feeling low

Only hate the road when u are missing home..

( Listen to-   Let her go  - by Passenger )

Despite our best efforts, it is very difficult to keep up with the early sunset, the almost no Sun gloomy days and frigid single digit temps. We are doing everything under our control to keep us warm and elevate our spirits.

Glimpses of the most satisfying dinners bright cheeseyyy and colorful may be the only thing that cheers us up now. With the last light of the day and I leave you with the hope that tomorrow would be a better day.

Peek into my fire pit . .. 

Ingredients:

Beef  (stew pieces) - 1 lb

Red onion -1 chopped

Red chili powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder -1/3 tsp

Salt to taste

others:

Tortillas -soft, flour - 1pack of 10 pcs

Mixed Cheese - (Mexican style )- 1 cup +

Cheddar cheese -1/2 cup

Optional:

Beans (with or without beef )chilli canned - 1/2 tin

Method:

1.Marinate the washed and cleaned beef  with red chili powder, turmeric powder and salt for half an hour. 

2.Heat a heavy pan / pressure cooker and saute the onion in 2 -3 tsp oil and add the beef and cook until well cooked (I like it when the meat falls apart.)

3.Meanwhile, make the enchilada sauce. (Recipe given below)

4.Add beans to hot cooked beef return to stove and cook until its evenly combined and heated well.

5. Apply enchilada sauce on each as shown in the pics then a scoop of meat then sprinkle mixed cheese roll and stack on the well-greased tray(apply some sauce on tray too).

6. Pour the remaining sauce on top and sprinkle remaining cheese on top. (At this stage the entire tray can be freezed for 2-3 days and thawed well before baking else the glass tray may break due to temp change.)

Bake at 350 °C for 10- 15 mts until cheese melts and everything heats up well.

Serve the beef enchiladas immediately with shredded lettuce and a scoop of sour cream.

Enchilada sauce:

Chipotle Chili pepper- 1 -2 chopped(canned)

All purpose flour -1 tsp

Tomato paste -2 tsp

Cumin powder-1 tsp

Garlic powder -1 tsp

Salt and Pepper powder - to taste

Saute chipotle pepper in 2-3 tsp oil when the roasted smell comes add flour when it turns yellowish and crisps up add the tomato paste saute for two mts and then add 1/2 to 3/4 th glass water. Add the powders allow it to come to a full boil switch off flame set aside.

Here are more gooey, melty,cheesy dishes up for grabs from Food Network friends:
Feed Me Phoebe: Healthy Mac and Cheese with "Creamed" Spinach
Creative Culinary: Mediterranean Vegetable Stroganoff with Ricotta and Parmesan Cheese
The Lemon Bowl: Cheesy Enchilada Bake with Shredded Pork and Spelt
Big Girls, Small Kitchen: Rice 'n Cheese
Dishing with Divya: White Beans and Spinach Enchiladas with Spicy Jalapeno Sauce
Elephants and the Coconut Trees: Beef Enchilada
Healthy Eats: 6 Better Ways to Put Cheese on Everything
TasteBook: Southwestern Cheese Crisp with Chipotle Ranch Dip
The Mom 100: Spiralized Cheesy Butternut Squash and Carrot Casserole with Chicken
Taste with the Eyes: Crispy Shaved Brussels Sprouts Flatbread with Bleu Cheese
FN Dish: 5 Dishes That Are Even Better As Cheesy Casseroles