Beef Enchiladas (freezer version)

My husband loves enchiladas, especially his mom's homemade, authentic enchiladas. I usually avoid making those "my mom's best" meals because they just disappoint. But, enchiladas are so cheap to make and easy to freeze, I made the attempt. These turned out fantastic, really. The first time I made them I used a can of Old El Paso enchilada sauce in mild. I enjoyed it, but it really tasted like salty tomato sauce. The second time I used a can called Las Palmas, it was much spicier and had that authentic Mexican flavor. So, if you want the real enchilada flavor pick a can with a more Mexican looking label, lol, seriously. For our little family I made two 9x9 pans of 10 enchiladas each, a 9x13 pan would be perfect for you bigger families. Enjoy!

Husband Rating 4 1/2 stars (a 5 is reserved for mom's:)

1 pound ground beef

2 10 oz. cans enchilada sauce

1 8 oz. can tomato sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup diced onion

1 tsp. taco seasoning

2 cups cheese, grated

20 corn tortillas

In a large skillet brown ground beef until no longer pink. Add minced garlic and onion. Stir in 2 cans of enchilada sauce, tomato sauce and taco seasoning. Simmer on low for 15 minutes. Warm tortillas (I put them in the microwave for a few seconds to soften, you want them to roll without cracking). Use a slotted spoon to scoop beef mixture into tortillas. Put a spoon full in each tortilla, roll and line up in pan. Poor remaining sauce over the top of tortillas. Sprinkle with cheese. To bake immediately, cook uncovered at 350 for 15 minutes.

To freeze, cover with foil, label and date. To reheat, thaw over night in the fridge. Cook uncovered at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted. Be sure to cook frozen enchiladas within 3 months.

Like I mentioned, I baked one for dinner and then froze the other pan for later. The pan that was frozen was dryer, but still delicious. If you want saucier enchiladas, I would recommend saving 1/2 cup or so of the sauce in a ziploc bag and freezing it with the pan. You could thaw it in the microwave and then spread it around before baking.