How To make Mary Ann's Enchiladas

FILLING:

1 lb Ground beef *
1 ts Salt
1/2 ts Cumin (cominos)
ds Ground black pepper 1/4 ts Minced garlic
3 Jalapenos; fresh, chopped
-fine or smallest can of -jalapenos or chiles; -chopped ** 1/2 lb Longhorn Cheddar cheese;
-grated 1 c Chopped onion

SAUCE:

1/2 c Evaporated milk (1/2 to 3/4)
1 lb Velveeta cheese
1 cn Cream of chicken soup
1 sm Container of green onion and
-sour cream dip (optional; -but don't try any other -dip such as French onion) 1 sm Jar chopped pimiento
1 sm Can sliced black olives;
-drained (2-4 oz. can) 18 Corn tortillas
1/2 c Cooking oil (approx)
* The ground beef could be substituted with a pound of cooked chicken breast, I'm sure, but I've never tried it myself. ** I think the fresh jalapenos give a nicer green appearance to this recipe than canned peppers; this just naturally makes it appear fresher and more appetizing. If using the fresh, cut them in half, remove the inner membranes and seeds, and then chop rather fine. I've also sauteed the peppers and added them to the sauce topping rather than as filling - either way is good. When sauteed, the green is even brighter. Brown ground beef until crumbly with the salt and garlic. Drain off any fat. When cool, mix the grated longhorn cheese in with it and set aside. Melt down the Velveeta cheese on low heat, along with the cream of chicken soup and the evaporated milk (easiest to do this in the microwave). When smooth and combined well, add the black olives and pimientos and the dip if you will be using it. Set aside until cool. Soften the corn tortillas one at a time in hot oil for just a couple of seconds using tongs. Place on paper towels to drain. (Later, I press each on paper towels again. I don't like to try to soften them in the microwave because they remain rather tasteless without the oil.) Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture on each tortilla, roll up and place seam side down in a large rectangular baking dish. Top the 12 enchiladas with the Velveeta mixture. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Watch carefully that you don't burn it. Remove from oven when bubbly and a delicate brown. (For a small family, I make this and divide it between two 9" square baking dishes, freezing one complete with the melted Velveeta on top for a wonderful second meal which I serve homemade Spanish rice with). Formatted for MM by Mary Ann Young (and ex-Texan) from my own tried and true recipe collection. All of my Hispanic friends used to beg me for the recipe; and even DH John rates this as 10 on a 1:10 scale....in fact, the only thing in my repertoire that he rates as a 10 <smile>. -----