Enchilada dish delivers big time

Like a lot of Mexican food fans, I could stuff my face with tacos every day of the week and consider myself wonderfully fed.

But you’ve got to shake it up every now and again to keep flavors fresh and interesting at meal time, I suppose.

Especially if the ingredients you reach for again and again — in this case, chili peppers, onions, tomatoes and corn tortillas — don’t vary much.

Enchiladas offer a more “saucy” version of the humble, folded taco.

This Tex-Mex dish made with rolled tortillas is one I first made years ago for my youngest son, a teenager, at the time, who had a bottomless appetite. I was looking for something that would be both flavorful and filling, as well as fairly easy to make on a busy weeknight. It also had to reheat well for inevitable midnight snacking.

Stuffed with cheese and slathered with a hearty, homemade beef chili con carne gravy, this dish delivers. Big time.

It’s also easy on the chef, since it can be assembled a night or two before and baked the next day, whenever you’re ready to eat.

Shredded lettuce, chopped fresh tomato and sour cream are easy garnishes, but you also could throw on a few pickled jalapeños or chopped onion.

Tex-Mex Cheese Enchiladas With Chili Sauce

Serves 6-8. Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette

For filling:

10 dried ancho chili peppers

2 or 3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

3 cups beef broth, divided

2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

1 teaspoon ground cumin, or more to taste

1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano

2 white onions, chopped

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 pound ground beef

For enchiladas:

18 6-inch yellow corn tortillas

4 cups shredded Mexican-blend cheese

Chopped tomato, shredded lettuce and sour cream

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Pour boiling water over dried chilies in a bowl. Let sit 15 minutes or until tender; drain. Remove and discard stems and seeds. Process peppers, 1 cup broth, 1 teaspoon salt, cumin and oregano in a food processor until smooth.

Saute onion and remaining 1 teaspoon salt in 2 tablespoons hot oil in a pot over medium heat for 6 minutes. Add garlic and saute 2 minutes. Add beef and cook 8 minutes, or until no longer pink.

Stir pepper mixture into beef mixture, and cook 3 minutes. Stir in remaining 2 cups broth. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes.

Heat tortillas in hot skillet 10-20 seconds on each side until softened. Remove and keep warm.

Spoon scant 1/4 cup cheese on edge of 1 tortilla, and roll up. Place in greased 13-by-9-inch baking dish, seam sides down. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Pour beef mixture over top.

Sprinkle can with remaining shredded cheese. Bake, covered, 10 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 minutes more or until cheese is melted.

Let stand 5 minutes before serving with chopped tomato, shredded lettuce and sour cream as garnish.