Beef Enchiladas

I keep searching for the perfect enchilada recipe and can't seem to find it. In the past few months, I have tried making enchiladas more than once with a "made-up" recipe and haven't been impressed. Today I took my "made-up" recipe and made some changes. The results? Much better! I was making enough to share so this recipe is huge. I will scale back when it's just Flint and I.

Beef Enchiladas
...or as Flint likes to call them: "Enchilupes" (en-cha-loo-pays)

2 lbs ground beef, cooked
1 recipe homemade refried beans (see below)
2 cans tomato soup
1 (28 oz) can medium enchilada sauce (red)
2 cans olives, sliced
1 lb grated cheddar cheese
16 (10 inch) flour tortillas

Homemade Refried Beans
1 can pinto beans, drained and washed
~ 1 t garlic paste or powder
1 beef bouillon cube
1/4 c water

To make the refried beans, combine ingredients in sauce pan and cook for 5-10 minutes over medium to low heat, stirring and mashing throughout until desired consistency is reached. Cooking longer helps take some potency out of the beans ;)

Once ground beef is cooked through, season to taste with salt and pepper, and add refried beans, 2-3 T enchilada sauce and one can tomato soup. Mix well and allow to cook for a few minutes. Meanwhile, spray two 9x13 pans with cooking spray.

Mix remaining enchilada sauce and one can tomato soup. Heat tortillas in microwave until warm and pliable. Spread a thin layer of the enchilada/soup mixture in the bottom of each pan. Divide meat mixture among tortillas; add a small amount of cheese to each one and roll up. Place enchiladas in pans, seam-side down. Cover with lots of shredded cheese, remaining enchilada/soup mixture and sliced olives.

Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbling.

* The key to these enchiladas being better than my previous attempts was how much "saucier" they were. I was also afraid they smelled too spicy while I was making them, but I think
adding the tomato soup helped a ton with both issues!

* One 9x13 pan is being delivered to a friend. Instead of putting the other half of the enchiladas into another 9x13 pan for Flint and I, I divided ours into two smaller pans. I baked one tonight and stuck the other in the freezer for a quick, easy meal in the next month or so!

* Flint called these delicious and also mentioned he wouldn't mind rice being added to the meat mixture next time. He also said that more beans would be good.