Brandon's Baked Enchiladas con Sabor

I may be as white as they get, but I grew up in the ghetto.  I was one of the very few white kids on my block, so I spent a lot of time with my Hispanic friends, learning to swear in Spanish.

I was also surrounded by good food.  Mexican mamis that knew how to cook.  Because of this, Mexican food is still one of my favorites.

And since I'm a white boy (wexican?) I add my own huero twist to it all.

I wanted to make enchiladas and wasn't happy with the recipes I found online.  I was also feeling a little lazy, so I wanted it simple.  I ended up winging it, and it was awesome.  Here is the recipe, for those who would like to try to duplicate it...

Brandon's Baked Beef Enchiladas con Sabor

You will need:

2 lb ground beef (or 1lb beef and 1 can of black beans, depending on your mood)
1 can diced tomatoes (drained)
8 tortillas (I get the 'whole grain' ones because my girlfriend is 'one of THOSE' people...)
1 lg (19oz) can of red enchilada sauce
1lb shredded cheese (I use the 'Mexican Blend' kind)
1tsp Onion powder
1 clove fresh garlic (or 1/2 tsp garlic powder)
Pepper to taste (I use Cajun's Choice creole seasoning as my 'pepper blend' mix.  IT IS AWESOME and works with nearly everything)
1Tsp (tablespoon) Bufalo Chipotle Sauce

BOOOF-alo, not BUFF-alo.

The chipotle sauce is the 'con sabor' in this recipe.  It has all the smoky chipotle flavor without the heat.  You'll get enough heat from the red sauce and pepper blend.  One tablespoon will also give you a good presence without being overwhelmed by OMGCHIPOTLE flavor.

Directions (20-ish minutes of prep):

- Brown ground beef in a large skillet, over med-high heat.  DO NOT DRAIN.

- Add beans (if using beans), tomatoes, 1/3 of the can of red sauce, garlic and spices to the mix.  Bring to a bubble, and simmer for about 10 minutes.

- Heat the oven to 350 degrees (175 celcius)

- While simmering, take a casserole dish and line the bottom with tortillas (it took me 3 tortillas in the middle, and I ripped up a 4th to cover holes.  Sprinkle a little bit of the cheese on the bottom.

- Dump the beefy mix into the casserole dish, another sprinkling of cheese, then layer tortillas (another 3+1) on top of the mixture.  Dump the rest of the red sauce on top, spreading it to cover the tortillas.  Use the rest of the cheese on top of that (yes, all of it).

- Cover in foil (poke some holes in it) and bake for 20-30 minutes.  Serve with cerveza. 

It's part enchilada, part lasagna (with the layers) and part casserole.  It feeds 8-10, and is fan-fucking-tastic.

It was a huge hit.  I highly recommend it.  It screams 'white boy' to anyone that knows authentic mexican food, but will still please the palate.

Shocker...

So, I have a few extra pounds on me.  Not a lot, but I'm not exactly trim.

I like to tell people I'm not fat, I'm just a food connoisseur. 

With that said, I've been around.  I have had a lot of different types of Mexican food.  From major chain restaurants to holes in the wall, to the actual stuff in Mexico.

But never have I tasted anything that compared to the Mexican food I have found in Idaho.

Yes, the best mexican food I have ever had is from Idaho.

Where, you may ask?

There is a taco truck that parks in front of a redneck bowling alley.  You can get stuffed for less than $5 here, and it is BY FAR the best I have ever had.

Being a California boy, I have had Chipotle.  I loooove me some Chipotle, but this is better.  Believe it.

Plus, you get a TON of food for super cheap.  I buy this burrito for only $3, and it is big.

How big?

Big big.

As I said, I'm a big dude, so I can put down food when I need to, but I can't finish this burrito in one sitting.  It almost always turns into two meals for me.

The best part?  It doesn't have the 'Taco Bell' effect.  If you don't know what that is, this web comic sums it up nicely.

So, if you're ever in Idaho Falls, check out this taco truck.  It's an absolute gem, and worth the wait.