Quick and Easy Enchiladas

Enchiladas are quick, easy, and tasty. Half of the ingredients are staples that you probably already have: cheese and tortillas. The remaining ingredients are common enough as well: meat, beans, and enchilada sauce. And you only really need the sauce!

Ingredients

• 1 can (14 ounces) enchilada sauce, divided.
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 8 oz. cooked beef or pork (ground, chopped, or shredded)
• 8 oz cooked black or red beans
• 8 medium (8-inch) flour tortillas
• Nonstick spray

Note: if you don't have meat or beans, you could double up on the ingredient that you do have. The exact content of the filling doesn't really matter, and if you wanted to you could just make cheese enchiladas!

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium saucepan, mix the meat, beans, and 1/4 cup of the sauce over low heat, until just warmed through. Spray a medium-sized baking dish (8 or 9 inches on a side) with nonstick spray. Spread 2 ounces of the filling over 1/3 of a tortilla, near the edge. Cover with 2 tablespoons cheese and roll up tightly. Place in the baking dish and repeat with remaining tortillas, filling the baking dish as tightly as possible. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and evenly spread the remaining sauce over it. Bake uncovered for 10-15 minutes, or until the sauce and cheese start to bubble.

Repost: Chipotle Sweet Potatoes

Editor's Note: This is a repost from 2008. Still good!

You know how at most family gatherings, the sweet potatoes end up covered in marshmallows and brown sugar? Well even though sweet potatoes are sweet, they also work equally well in spicy dishes. Here is a recipe I adapted from Good Eats on the Food Network.

Ingredients

• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes.
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt.
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika.
  
• 1-2 canned chipotle chillies, chopped (there are generally several whole chilies in one can).
• 1 tablespoon adobo sauce (from the canned chilies). This stuff is very spicy, so use less (or leave it out) if you like your food mild.
  
• 2 tablespoons butter.
• 2 tablespoons sour cream.

Instructions
Put the sweet potatoes in a steamer. If you do not have an electric steamer, you can use a metal colander set inside a large pot with a couple of cups of gently boiling water in the bottom (do not let the water come up through the bottom of the colander). Cover and steam for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft (but not mushy). Drain off water and put potatoes back in the pot (or a large mixing bowl if you used an electric steamer). Add remaining ingredients and mash together with a hand masher. Using an electric mixer is not recommended, as sweet potatoes will turn pasty/gluey if over-beaten. Serve with minced chives or green onions (or even onion rings!).

Reposts: Chili

In honor of our annual church chili cookoff (congrats Rob!), here are the links to my personal chili recipes on this blog:

• Pleasant Springs Chili (this blog's recipe #1)
• 5-Alarm Chili (I made this last night at the cookoff)

Enjoy!