I love creating recipes and meals from things I already have around the house – or at least using a few key ingredients as inspiration. That’s how the recipe for these jalapeño and beef enchiladas was born and it was the perfect comfort food for a cold January evening.
I was rummaging through the pantry and found a jar of enchilada sauce that I’d gotten from the farmer’s market awhile back. I knew we had some ground beef in the freezer, as well as some shredded cheese. With veggies already in the refrigerator, I only needed to pick up some tortillas and fresh jalapeños. I had onions and green peppers on hand, but you could easily use just about anything – corn, kale, other types of peppers, black beans, etc. It’s a great way to use up leftover produce in your refrigerator.
This meal is sure to be a crowd-pleaser at your house, it was at mine! It’s very easy to put together and you can easily double the recipe to have leftovers.
Topped with cheese and jalapeno slices – ready to go in the oven
Finished cooking and ready to eat
- 8-10 flour or whole wheat tortilla shells (I got a larger size and the recipe made 8. If you choose the fajita-style shells that are smaller, this recipe will make 10)
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 2 jalapeños - one seeded and diced, one thinly sliced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp. taco seasoning
- 1 3/4 cup shredded cheese (can use any kind - I used the Four Cheese Mexican Blend)
- 1 12-oz. can enchilada sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
- Preheat oven to 400 degree
- Cook onion, diced jalapeno, garlic and bell pepper in a large skillet for 3-5 minutes, until they begin to soften
- Add ground beef and taco seasoning, add salt and pepper to your desired taste, cook until beef is no longer pink. Remove from heat and drain an excess grease from pan
- Add 3/4 cup shredded cheese and stir to combine
- Spoon 3 tablespoons of beef mixture into each tortilla shell (use 2 tablespoons if you're using the the smaller fajita shells.)
- Roll each shell up and place seam-side down into a baking pan (I sprayed mine with non-stick cooking spray)
- Pour enchilada sauce over all the tortillas, sprinkle with remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese and arrange jalapeno slices over the tortillas
- Bake covered with aluminum foil for 15 minutes, then an additional 15 minutes uncovered
- Let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving
- Serve alone, with rice and beans, or with a salad
Delicious filling with beef and loads of veggies!