Enchilada Dippers

Why is it that you can have the same breakfast for weeks and not get tired of it, but you are always looking for a unique dinner idea that everyone likes?

I love enchilada sauce, but wanted to change it up a bit. I thought, what if instead of a dish with tortillas saturated in the sauce and baked, I instead had crispy tortillas cooked on the stove that you dip into the sauce? I thickened the sauce to make it better for dipping.

Ingredients

1 pound taco meat with onion and bell pepper, warmed (recipe below)

2 1/2 cups enchilada sauce, warmed (recipe below)

2 cups shredded cheese

8 medium tortillas

1 cup refried beans, warmed (if desired)

Diced tomato (if desired)

Directions

1) Heat tortilla with sprinkled cheese in a large skillet over medium low heat and cook until cheese is melted and tortilla is crispy. Add a stripe of 2 tablespoons taco meat and 1 tablespoon refried beans  and roll up.

2) Garnish with tomatoes and serve with enchilada sauce to the side. Repeat with other tortillas and filling. 

Taco Meat Ingredients

1/2 a large yellow onion, diced
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground turkey or beef
2 tablespoons fresh finely chopped cilantro (I used the food processor to chop mine)
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 a bell pepper, diced

Taco Meat Directions

1) Over medium heat in a large frying pan, cook onions in 1 tablespoon olive oil until beginning to brown, about 5-8 minutes.

2) Add ground turkey or beef and lightly salt and pepper. Break up and cook until browned, about 6-8 minutes. Drain off any liquid fat.

3) In a small dish combine chili powder, cumin, and salt. Add to browned meat and add 1/3 cup water and stir. Cover, bring to a boil, and then turn to low and let simmer 5 minutes.

4) Remove from pan and add 1 tablespoon olive oil and cook diced bell pepper 2-3 minutes until slightly browned but still firm. Stir into meat mixture.

Enchilada Sauce Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups chicken broth
6 ounces tomato sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons water

Enchilada Sauce Directions

1) In a small saucepan over low heat, cook garlic in olive oil until fragrant, 2-4 minutes. Whisk in chili powder, cumin, and salt, and cook 1 minute more.

2) Whisk in chicken broth, 1/2 cup at a time and add tomato sauce and increase heat to medium. Bring to a boil.

3) In a small dish whisk together cornstarch and water and stir into sauce to thicken. Turn down to low and simmer for 10 minutes.