How to Prepare Fast Enchiladas

Make Enchiladas Fast and Easy

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Canned enchilada sauce.
• Two cans for a big pan full
• Beef or chicken, your choice.
• Corn tortilla shells at least a dozen or more.
• Knife
• Spoon or spatula
• Pot to heat sauce or skillet.
• Cheddar cheese, and grater
• Rectangle 8x12 baking pan.
• Oven to bake in, can be done in a small counter top convection oven.

1. Assemble all the needed supplies. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
   Open the tortilla shells and cut enough in half to make the edges of the enchilada pan squared off. This process speeds up the layering and makes rolling the enchiladas a thing of the past. Next heat the enchilada sauce to just below boiling point. Cook the meat or have it ready to use prior to assembling the layers.
   Pour enough sauce in the bottom of the baking pan to cover the entire bottom.

2. Next layer the sauce with three or more tortillas down the center of the pan, then lay the tortilla shells that are cut in half, with the cut side to the end and edges of the pan. The next layers will need to have the tortillas dipped into the remaining sauce as you go. Now you have a square pan covered fully by round tortillas. Next add a layer of meat to the tortillas, and some cheese if you want both in each layer. I usually grate my cheese as I go, adding some to each layer. That way you avoid making more grated cheese than needed for the pan. Next lay another layer of tortillas that have been dipped into the heated pan of sauce. Do just as for the first layer, placing the whole tortillas down the center of the pan, and finishing off the edges with the ones cut in half. This will cover the corners and most of the layer below.

3. Repeat this layering till the pan is filled to the top. Meat, cheese, tortilla, and so on. The top layer can end with the remaining sauce poured over the last layer of meat and cheese. As a final step grate enough cheese to make a nice finished topping. I cover my pan with loose fitting aluminum foil tented a little to keep it off the cheese and bake for 30-35 min. If using the convection oven then baking time may be reduced by about 5 minutes.

4. When finished baking let the enchiladas rest a few minutes before cutting into squares to serve. This makes it so easy,and no rolling and mess involved.

Tips & Warnings

• This layering can be done in small pans as well as large ones. Depending on the amount of serving needed.
• when using a convection oven it reduces the time needed to cook, by about 5 minutes. Check often to see if it is just right or needs more time.

[mosaicmom]

on 12/12/2008 As one gets older cooking needs to get easier! After 6 daughters eating 3 meals a day I found a lot of shortcuts.

[eyeopening]

on 12/12/2008 I like the clarity of your instructions. Great job. :-)