Make Ahead Cheesy Beef Enchiladas

Beef enchiladas are one of my husband's favorite dishes, but my kids always find the canned enchilada sauce too spicy. These are made ahead with a homemade enchilada sauce that's much milder than canned sauce, but still full of flavor.

The Ingredients

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

4 teaspoons chili powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Dash of black pepper

1 pound lean ground beef

1/3 cup onion, diced

1 cup cheese plus additional cheese for topping

6 flour tortillas

At Ten O'Clock

In a medium saucepan, add thyme, garlic powder and onion powder to chicken broth. Heat to boiling.

In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Stir in hot chicken broth, whisking as you slowly pour it into flour mixture. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Set aside.

Brown ground beef with onions. Drain excess fat. Add 1 cup cheese and 3/4 cup of enchilada sauce. Spoon ground beef mixture into tortillas and place side by side in a slightly greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and additional shredded cheese and green onions, if desired.

Cover with foil and refrigerate until ready to bake.

Before Serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake covered for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes or until heated through.

Family Approval
My children loved this dish, especially my 10-year-old who is very sensitive to spicy foods. My husband and I also thought it was yummy, but I did think it was a little salty. When I make it again, I would leave out the salt, and maybe half the garlic and onion powder.

~Jena