Classic Beef Enchiladas

Soft flour tortillas filled with a rich beef, carrot and capsicum mince, rolled into a homemade mild enchilada sauce and baked under a thick layer of cheese until golden and bubbling. The sauce is made from scratch with smoked paprika, cumin and passata. One tray feeds six, and whatever is left freezes in single portions.

A tray of enchiladas coming out of the oven with the cheese gone deep golden at the edges is one of the simplest ways to feed six people well. The filling does the quiet work here: beef mince cooked down with smoked paprika and cumin, with carrot grated so finely it melts into the sauce and adds sweetness without anyone picking it out. The sauce is made from scratch in about ten minutes, which sounds like extra effort until you taste it next to a tin.

What earns this one its place is what happens the following week. Twelve enchiladas is more than most families will eat in a single sitting, so the rest go into the freezer in individual portions and come back out on the days with no time in them.

Prep: 30 min · Cook: 30 min · Yield: 12 Enchiladas · Cuisine: Mexican · Category: Dinner

Ingredients

Beef Filling

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 kg beef mince
• 1 large brown onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 medium carrots, finely grated
• 1 small red capsicum, finely diced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp cracked black pepper
• ¾ cup beef stock

Mild Enchilada Sauce

• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 2 cups tomato passata
• 1½ cups beef stock
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• Salt and cracked black pepper, to taste

To Assemble and Bake

• 12 medium flour tortillas (576 g)
• 350 to 400 g grated cheese (mozzarella and tasty cheese)
• Finely sliced spring onions, to serve
• Sour cream, to serve
• Fresh coriander, optional

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until softened.
2. Add the grated carrot and diced capsicum. Cook for a further 4 to 5 minutes until softened and most of their moisture has evaporated.
3. Stir through the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
4. Add the beef mince and cook until browned, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks.
5. Stir through the tomato paste, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
6. Pour in the beef stock and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the filling is rich and thick. Remove from the heat.
7. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
8. Gradually whisk in the beef stock until smooth, followed by the passata.
9. Add the smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder and brown sugar.
10. Simmer gently for about 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
11. Preheat the oven to 190°C fan-forced.
12. Spread approximately ½ cup of the enchilada sauce over the base of a large baking dish.
13. Divide the beef filling evenly between the tortillas. Roll each one tightly and arrange seam-side down in the dish.
14. Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the top and sprinkle generously with the grated cheese.
15. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes, then a further 5 minutes until the cheese is golden, bubbling and lightly caramelised.
16. Rest for 10 minutes before serving. Finish with sliced spring onions and serve with sour cream.

Storage, Freezing and Reheating

Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

To freeze, bake the tray completely and allow it to cool, then portion into individual microwave-safe containers and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen in the microwave for 6 to 8 minutes, or until piping hot throughout, and stand for 1 minute before serving.

Serving Suggestion

A tray this rich wants something sharp and cold alongside it. Sour cream, sliced spring onions and coriander on the table let everyone finish their own plate, and a Green Goddess Cabbage Salad cuts through the cheese without much work. For a bigger spread, Charred Corn, Capsicum & Carrot Salad with Hot Chilli Honey brings sweetness and heat to the same table. If this becomes a regular, Taco Beef Stuffed Roasted Sweet Potatoes uses a similar spice base for a lighter weeknight version.

Notes

Taste the sauce before it goes over the tray. Salt levels vary a lot between stock brands, and this is the last easy point to correct it.

Grate the carrot on the fine side of the box grater. It disappears into the filling entirely and brings a soft sweetness that balances the smoked paprika.

The filling should hold its shape on a spoon before you start rolling. If it still looks loose, give it a few more minutes uncovered.

Mozzarella brings the stretch and tasty cheese brings the flavour, which is why the two together work better than either alone.

Tortillas straight from the fridge can crack as they roll. Leave them at room temperature for a few minutes and they stay flexible.

The Grace Table Tip

If you are feeding more than six, use two smaller dishes rather than one crowded tray. Every enchilada gets sauce and cheese right to the edges that way, and the ones sitting at the outside pick up the deepest golden patches.

These can be assembled a day ahead. Cover the unbaked tray and refrigerate for up to 24 hours, then bake as directed, adding a few extra minutes to allow for the cold start.