Beef Enchiladas With Red Sauce

DIRECTIONS

• For the Sauce: Melt butter in bottom of large sauce pan, add diced onion and bell pepper, cook on medium heat until onions are translucent. If using fresh garlic cloves, add the two minced garlic cloves after onions are cooked. Stir the flour into butter/onion mixture stir for two minutes. Add in the tomato sauce, mix thoroughly with whisk (mixture will thicken quickly). After adding tomato sauce, slowly add in the water and continue to stir until the sauce is smooth. Begin to add the dry spices; 4 heaping tablespoons chili powder, ¼ teaspoons cayenne pepper, ½ teaspoons black pepper and the garlic powder if you did not add in garlic cloves. Stir and let simmer several minutes, taste sauce for any addition of salt if necessary. Start with 1 teaspoons additions until adjusted. If using sauce right away – allow to simmer for 15 additional minutes. Enchilada Sauce recipe makes approximately 4 cups of sauce.
• To put enchiladas together: Heat vegetable oil in small skillet on medium/low to medium heat. Cook tortillas in oil for approximately 5-7 seconds, until tortillas are softened. Remove tortillas from hot oil with tongs onto paper towels to drain. Once tortillas are cool enough to handle, fill with heaping tablespoons of cooked, drained, ground meat and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Roll up tortilla, place seem side down into 9 x 13 casserole dish; continue rolling tortillas until pan is full. Pour enchilada sauce over filled tortillas, sprinkle with remaining cheese, and bake in 350° oven for 25 minutes or until bubbly around edges.