Mexican-inspired dishes are always a favorite in my household. Tacos and Mexican fried rice are the most favorite and weekly dinner staples. Burritos, fajitas and enchiladas, however, are usually dishes we order at restaurants. Because we eat a lot of grass-fed ground (and other cuts) meat, I am always looking for new recipes to make use of the amazing ground beef we get in our monthly Beef Box from the Wellness Company.
Yes, we get our beef delivered to our home monthly! It is super convenient and we decided to go with this option after I thoroughly researched the quality of beef available in stores, supermarkets, and meat delivery services. I was so disappointed by what I learned that for a while I thought my only option would be to find a farm to buy a half/quarter cow, have it processed and shipped to our home, then have to store it all in a large freezer. But then I found Riverbend Ranch that checked all the boxes for us:
USDA Prime of High Choice
Raised by their mothers
No hormones, no antibiotics EVER
Raised on open pastures
Treated humanely
Fed from the Ranch
Directly from the Ranch
Practice organic farming
21 days aged
Fully vertically integrated operation
Raised and processed in the USA
Get to customize our monthly box
Affordable pricing (better than competition!)
So we eat mainly beef in my family, with the occasional chicken and pork dishes. This enchilada dish was a first time try and was an immediate crowd pleaser. Plus , it was super easy to prepare using an Instant Pot, but can also be made on the stovetop with ingredients you will most likely find in your own pantry!
BEST HOMEMADE ENCHILADAS (GF, DF, Grain fre options)
Ingredients:
1 lb Riverbend Ranch grass-fed ground beef (contact me directly if you want to sample this amazing beef)
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 TBSP lard/oil
Choice of flour, corn or grain-free tortillas (8-10 medium size pieces)
14oz organic grated cheese (OR any cheese alternative of your choice for DF option)
1 jar organic salsa
Homemade enchilada sauce (recipe below)
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons flour (gluten-free flour for GF option)
1 tablespoon ground chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon salt, to taste
Pinch of cinnamon (optional but recommended)
2 tablespoons organic tomato paste
2 cups organic bone or vegetable broth
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar ( to add after sauce is done)
Preparation:
Notes: you can prepare the enchilada sauce separately and even ahead of time on the stovetop by simply heating the oil on low/medium heat, and whisking in the flour until fragrant and begins to brown, then stirring in the spices, tomato sauce and broth slowly, continually whisking until the sauce thickens (about 5-7 minutes).
Alternatively, to save time and steps, you can simply mix the enchilada sauce ingredients with the ground meat in the Instant Pot or on the stovetop and cook together in one step per instructions below:
Prepare Meat + Enchilada Sauce on Stovetop:
Heat lard/oil in a large skillet on medium heat and sauté diced onions until softened, glassy.
Add ground beef and cook for a few minutes.
Stir all the seasonings of the enchilada sauce. Add the tomato paste and slowly whisk in the broth, 1/4 cup at a time. Stir thoroughly and cook for 10-15 minutes, until meat is cooked through and sauce has thickened slightly.
Remove from heat and add the ACV/vinegar.
Prepare Meat + Enchilada Sauce in Instant Pot:
Set Instant Pot to Sauté. Heat lard/oil, add diced onions and sauté until softened, glassy.
Add ground beef, stir all the ingredients of the enchilada sauce (except vinegar) and mix thoroughly.
Set Instant Pot to "Pressure Cook" or "Meat" setting and manually adjust timer to 12 minutes.
When done, manually release steam, remove lid and mix thoroughly.
Stir in ACV/vinegar.
Putting it all together:
Preheat oven to 350F.
Grease a 9x13 glass baking dish with a little butter or olive oil.
Evenly spread 1/2 jar of salsa in bottom of the dish.
Fill each tortilla with 1-2 tablespoons of meat+enchilada sauce mix and roll up. Place rolled up tortillas seam down closely to one another in the baking dish. (Use as many tortillas as you need to fill the dish).
Spread remaining meat+sauce and remaining salsa evenly on top of rolled up enchiladas.
Sprinkle cheese evenly on top.
Cover tightly with aluminum foil and place in oven.
Bake for 35 minutes, then remove foil and bake for another 5 minutes, until cheese on top browns a bit.
Remove from oven, let sit a few minutes, then serve with hot sauce and your favorite sides (rice, beans, or if eating for breakfast or brunch, fried eggs!)
Enjoy!
Tips:
You can double the meat and sauce portions and freeze for future use.
You can make enchilada sauce separately and store in fridge to use for a week or freeze for 3 months.
My PRO tip?
Use Riverbend Ranch's ground beef in the recipe. It is the highest quality grass-fed beef you can find, delivered straight to your door in a monthly or bi-monthly beef subscription through the patriot Wellness box, America's largest online wellness shop club! How convenient is that?
If you would like to try Riverbend Ranch's steaks and give the subscription box a try (no risk, free cancellation any time), send me an email and I will get you set up!
Stay happy and healthy,
Eva