Tortilla-less Enchiladas

Plan Z Phase: This is a Z3 (ZReboot) recipe contributed by Plan Z dieter Efrem.

Efrem says, “I was really missing my Mexican food and wanted to recapture the tastes and flavors of some of my favorites, so I came up with this recipe.”

Servings: Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

For the Enchiladas:

• 1 pound of ground sirloin
• 1 Tbl chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp Spanish smoked paprika
• 1/2 pound of Muenster cheese, coarsely grated
• 1 small onion, finely chopped (optional)

For the Enchilada Sauce:

• 1 Tbl chili powder
• 1/4 cup of water

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Brown your ground sirloin (and onion if using an onion) in a 12″ skillet or saute pan on top of your stove. at medium-low. You don’t want to overcook the sirloin.

When the beef just starts to turn brown, add in the chili powder, cumin, and paprika (you can use regular paprika if you can’t find Spanish smoked paprika – I got mine at Penzey’s in Madison).

While the beef is cooking, prepare the Enchilada sauce. Do this by simply mixing the chili powder and water. You can play with the portions to get a thicker sauce (that’s the goal).  I used a ketchup bottle to store my Enchilada sauce in. Makes it easier for the last step below.

When your beef is done, spread it evenly in a 9″ x 13″ oven-proof baking pan. Then spread your grated Muenster cheese evenly on top of the ground sirloin.

Lastly, drizzle the Enchilada sauce over the cheese. You want to get really good coverage, but don’t super-soak the dish!

Bake in your oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes until the cheese gets nice and melted.

Cut the “Enchiladas” into 1 1/2 to 2″ wide strips when ready to serve. Each person gets 2 Enchiladas.

To round out the meal, serve with Efrem’s rockin’ guacamole and Efrem’s salsa fresca.

Enjoy!

Cheers,