Beef Enchiladas

Side note: Just to let you all know, before you start using my recipes, is that I do not use hardly any salt in my cooking. My belief is that everyone likes a different amount of salt in their food. So, I only put the minimal amount, then keep the salt shaker on the dinner table. This way, you don't have to worry about food being too salty. You can always add more salt, but it's hard to fix something if it's already too salty.



What I really wanted to share: Growing up, my mom used to make the best chicken enchiladas. Every time I go home to visit, I ask my mom to make enchiladas. Well, my cute hubby was craving enchiladas, but he wanted beef. So, I made one of my favorite dishes in a way that satisfied both of our cravings.

But, I wasn't going to sell myself short on last night's dinner. You can't have homemade enchiladas without fresh salsa. There is no way! Nothing says summertime like fresh salsa. It's also a fun way to lighten the meal. You won't regret making these two things for your next dinner.

Savory Beef Enchiladas

1 12 oz. can red enchilada sauce  $.79
1 cup water
20 corn tortillas (approximately)  $1.99
1 cup cheddar cheese $2.75

filling:
1 lb. ground beef  $2.99
1 medium onion, chopped $.50
1 can diced green chili peppers  $.89
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed  $1.19
1 can refried beans  $.79
1 package taco seasoning  $.50
salt


Preheat oven to 350⁰ F

Brown ground beef with chopped onion and green chili peppers. Once it is cooked, drain fat. Mix ground beef mixture with black beans, refried beans, a few shakes of salt, and taco seasoning in a medium sized bowl.
Pour enchilada sauce in a separate bowl. Add water to enchilada sauce, and stir. Take each tortilla and dip it in the sauce. Place a few spoonfuls (depending on how stuffed you like your enchiladas), roll tortillas shut. Place stuffed tortillas in a 9x13 pan.
After all the tortillas are stuffed, pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over the top. Top with cheese. Bake in oven for 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Ideas: You can try corn, pinto beans, pepperjack cheese, or ground turkey meat. Treyton and I are on a turkey meat kick, because it is cheaper and a lot healthier!
Top with: sour cream, more cheese (you can never have too much), lettuce, salsa, hot sauce, and whatever your heart desires!
Total estimated cost: $12.39
Servings: 4
Total cost per serving: $3.10

Cheesy Goodness :)

Honestly, when you're a poor college student, you can easily cut this recipe and the cost in half. If you're me, I cook in larger portions. So, I made a whole pan. But, I love to do this, because we have dinner one night then lunch for Treyton and I the next day. I'm not going to complain about a the price if it feeds us for 2 meals. 

Who is this lady?

You can't really trust a person, or their recipes, without knowing them first. I wouldn't want to look up a random recipe from a random person, when I know that there is someone who has a "family" or "top-secret" recipe that is to die for. I trust the food I've already eaten. I trust recipes that come from friends and family. So, now's the chance for me to become your friend.

I'm a country girl that grew up in Indiana. I then moved, in the middle of my senior year of high school, to Kentucky. I consider myself from the south. I love good southern home cookin'! I'm a newly wed. I married my best friend, Treyton Moore, on June 20th, and I'm loving it! I'm sassy, loud, and fun. I love reading books, watching movies, playing video games and board games, swimming, crafting, being outdoors, being with family, taking naps, and being spontaneous.

The best day of my life: marrying my best friend.

So where does my love of cooking come from?
My passion, since I was 4 years old was cooking. I remember one day I walked up to my dearest mother, Crystal, and asked her if she could teach me how to cook. She was happy to help and said we had to start simple. So, that day I made pudding. And ever since then the love of food and cooking grew within me. I've always wanted to be able to cook like my mama or my grandma Elsie. Oh man, do they know how to cook good food! My dream has been to be on Iron Chef, to create my own recipes, and to be known for how much I love to cook!

      Here is a picture of my little sister (Karina), me, and my mama. The kitchen is our natural habitat.

Food to me equals happiness. Food brings people together, it makes you feel good, it gives you energy. Food is there at celebrations, parties, gatherings. Food is where friends and family are. Food is a key part in holidays and festivities. Food is my comfort, it's my craving. Creating new recipes, cooking classics, and eating are my stress reliefs.

Large gatherings for dinner have always been my thing. Even in college and in a tiny apartment. Nothing is cozier than tons of people, good food, and tight spaces.

Because of my love of food and of cooking, I am currently in school to become a FACS teacher. For those of you who don't know what that means, it stands for: Family and Consumer Science. It is commonly known as "home economics". I am going to graduate in April and begin teaching a foods class at a Junior High or High School. I'm not only going to cook for myself and my cute husband, Treyton, but will be able to teach hundreds of young adults to cook. My goal, as a teacher, is to help others gain a passion for cooking, like I have, and to help them with basic cooking skills to help them in their future.

          My friend, Alexis, and I are both going to be FACS teachers. We came up with this bulletin board and made it for Orem Jr. High.

I'm not one to cook super fancy meals with complicated recipes or with ingredients that you can only import and that cost a bajillion dollars. I'm all about comfort foods, easy to follow recipes, cheap recipes, and foods that people really eat! Trust me, no one wants to buy an ingredient that costs a fortune and that they will only use in one recipe. I want to share my recipes that are foods and meals with ingredients you can find in your fridge, your pantry, or at your local grocery store. I also love what I call "real" food. No nasty preservatives, fake coloring, processed-ness.


I want the real deal when it comes to food, and here's your chance to get it too!

With each recipe I will post the reason why I'm sharing it and more about how it pertains to my life (so that you can get to know me better), so stay posted!