Spicy enchiladas recipe

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 pound ground chuck
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 heaping tablespoon chili powder
• 1 chipotle pepper, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 (10-ounce) cans spicy enchilada sauce
• ¼ cup canola oil, for frying
• 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 16 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated

1. Line a small plate with paper towels and set aside.
2. To a medium skillet set over medium heat, add the butter and diced onion. Cook until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Add the ground chuck, salt, black pepper, ground cumin, chili powder, and chipotle pepper to the skillet. Cook until the meat has browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic, stir, and cook just until the garlic is fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the meat mixture from the heat and set aside.
4. To a small saucepan set over low heat, add both cans of enchilada sauce and heat just until warmed, 3 to 4 minutes, then turn off the heat.
5. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
6. To a small skillet set over medium-high heat, add the canola oil and let it heat for 5 minutes. Using tongs, carefully and slowly drop one corn tortilla at a time into the oil and allow to fry for 1 minute on each side. The goal is to cook the tortilla just enough to make it easier to roll. The added benefit is that a lightly fried tortilla has a great bite and chew.
7. After lightly frying the tortilla, place it on the prepared paper towel-lined plate to drain the oil, just for a second each. Drop the tortilla into the saucepan with the enchilada sauce. Using tongs, turn the tortilla over carefully to coat with the sauce. Transfer the coated tortilla to a dinner plate and repeat with the remaining tortillas.
8. Spoon one ladleful of enchilada sauce evenly on the bottom of a 9 × 13-inch baking dish.
9. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of meat mixture onto a tortilla, then sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of grated Monterey Jack on top. Carefully roll the tortilla up over itself to make an enchilada. Place the enchilada seam-side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
10. Spoon about half of the remaining enchilada sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. (The remaining enchilada sauce can be transferred to an air-tight container and kept in the refrigerator for up to a week. Spoon leftover enchilada sauce over scrambled eggs, or as a condiment on Mexican-inspired burgers.)
11. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling and the enchiladas are warmed through. Serve immediately.