Beef Enchiladas

Above are my classic Tex-Mex gooey, cheesy beef enchiladas.  They don’t always dip up so pretty with low-carb tortillas, but man, are they ever good!!!  What they lack in appearance they sure make up for in flavor!  It’s how I’ve made these things for over 40 years, other than the low-carb tortilla part.  I can’t live without my regular fix of enchiladas, so I just HAD to come up with some kind of  low-carb “corn” tortilla so that I could indulge in.   They’re like enchiladas that have sat too long over a restaurant buffet warming tray and falling apart, but for me, that’s just when enchiladas start getting GOOD!  The flavors have mellowed by then.  😉

I created that low-carb corn tortilla this afternoon.  Not as good as the real deal. I’d be lying if I said it was. But hey, I do what I must to stay low-carb.  They were every bit as good as my traditional tortilla enchiladas!!  Guacamole was a perfect complement to this Mexican dish. These enchiladas are not suitable until the nuts and seeds rung of the Atkins Phase 2 OWL carb ladder.   They are not suitable for Paleo or Primal due to the tablespoon of cornmeal in the tortillas.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. ground beef

8 low-carb tortillas (I used my homemade low-carb “corn” tortillas)

3 oz. onion, chopped

1 tsp. chili powder blend

1 tsp. dried guajillo chiles, seeded and chopped fine (or 1/2 tsp. ground guajillo chile powder)

1 clove garlic, minced

¼ tsp. ground cumin

4 oz. grated cheddar cheese

8 oz. (8 slices) American Cheese (or more cheddar if you prefer)

1 c. homemade red enchilada sauce

½ c. canned green tomatillos

DIRECTIONS:  Make the “corn” tortillas by that recipe and set aside.  Grease baking dish and set aside.  Preheat the oven to 350º.  Brown ground beef along with the chopped onion in a non-stick skillet.  Add the salt, minced garlic, chili powder, cumin and dried guajillo chile to the meat mixture.  Cook until onions are tender and meat is no longer pink.  Spoon about 2 oz. meat mixture  (1 large soup spoonful) onto one of the tortillas.  Add ½ slice of the American cheese.  Gently roll the tortilla around the meat/cheese mixture and place it seam down into the greased baking dish.  Repeat with remaining 7 enchiladas, pushing them snugly together in the pan so they will all fit.  I usually have to put 1 or 2 on the side of the dish as well.  If there is a bit of meat mixture leftover, just spoon it over the top of the rolled enchiladas.  Set the pan aside while you make the red enchilada sauce per the recipe instructions at the above link.  Add the canned green tomatillos to a saucepan on medium heat.  Next add the remaining 4 slices of American cheese to the tomatillos and allow to melt.  Add the enchilada sauce and stir until all is smooth.  Spoon the sauce over the enchiladas in the pan.  Top with the grated cheddar cheese and pop into a preheated 350º oven and bake for about 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted nicely.  Serve with your favorite guacamole or green salad. ENJOY!

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Makes 8 enchiladas, each contains:

283 cals, 21.06g fat, 5.50g carbs, 0.67g fiber, 4.83g NET CARBS, 19.4g protein, 40 mg sodium

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