Enchitacurito

I love stupid simple recipes, especially ones that you can deconstruct and use in another way. Or, one that you can switch up with similar ingredients and get an entirely different meal. This is one of those recipes.

Mexican food falls into this “riff” category. Once you have a base recipe, really the sky’s the limit. I’m not picky about my Mexican food…frankly, it doesn’t matter whether it’s authentic or fake as the day is long. What I love is the flavor, deep and savory on so many levels. So, when I started digging around in my pantry for something new I spotted a can of enchilada sauce, a can of black beans, black olives, and green chiles. I hit the ground running!

Know that if you have the ingredients this literally takes 15-20 minutes to put together, and just about another 20 minutes in the oven. It’s even quicker if you have the meat sauce whipped up beforehand. So once you get this pulled together, you’ve got just enough time to pull together a salad, or a traditional Mexican appetizer of salted cucumbers (see note below).

So Many Change-Ups!

There are so many options based on what you like or don’t like. Choose any sort of bean, if you’re not a flour tortilla fan swap out for corn tortillas. Better yet, ditch the tortillas and layer in rice. Shredded rotisserie chicken works terrific in place of the ground beef. Instead of red enchilada sauce, green is terrific, especially with chicken. You could lean more authentic on the cheese side, and use Queso Fresco, Oaxaca, Panela, Manchego, or Asadero.

Timesaver Tips

• If you find ground beef on sale, buy a bit hunk and brown it up. Then divide into meal-sized packages and freeze. To make Enchitacuritos, just put the thawed, cooked beef into a skillet, add remaining beef mixture ingredients and cook to heat all through.
• Rotisserie chicken is a super timesaver if you’re not up to roasting your own. When I find rotisserie chicken on sale, I buy two or three, pick all the meat off the bones and freeze in meal-sized packages. I have ready access for fajitas, casseroles, salads, and all sorts of things! Be sure to wrap tightly so it doesn’t get nipped in the freezer!
• I always keep an assortment of beans and different tomato products in my pantry, along with corn in the freezer (I don’t care for canned corn…yuck!). So super easy to pull a couple cans from the pantry and a bag of corn from the freezer, and I easily have the base for a Cowboy Caviar, salsa, salad, or “filler” for a casserole.
• If you prefer to eat vegetarian, you can simply skip the meat. I suggest replacing with lentils, farro, or other protein-rich alternative so you have a filling and healthier meal.
• Last thing…head on over to my Chili Seasoning recipe if you’re in a pinch for “taco seasoning.”

O.k….ready to knock your family’s Mexican socks off? Here you go…my Enchitacurito, a delicious riff on enchiladas, tacos and burritos…you just can’t go wrong! Enjoy!!