Shredded Beef Enchiladas

These enchiladas are shrouded in a rich, beefy sauce and bursting with shredded beef and melty cheese. Prepare in advance, storing in the refrigerator until ready to bake. This recipe also freezes well.

Shredded Beef Enchiladas

Step 1: beef

To the bowl of a slow cooker, add:

1 cup beef broth (or water)

1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes

1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies

2 lbs beef roast, trimmed

Season with:

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp oregano

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours (or high for 4 hours).

• Strain, retaining the liquid

• Shred beef, set aside

Step 2: sauce

To a medium saucepan, add:

2 Tbsp cornstarch

2 Tbsp water

Whisk together, continue whisking while pouring in:

Cooking liquid, retained from roast

Heat over medium-high heat until thickened, whisking continuously. Remove from heat.

Step 3: assemble & bake

• Preheat oven to 350F

Prepare 9” x 9” baking dish by spraying with non-stick baking spray. Pour ~1/2 cup of sauce (Step 2) into bottom of baking dish.

1. Select 1 flour tortilla

2. Sprinkle with ~2 Tbsp cheese

3. Spoon in 1/8 portion shredded beef

4. Roll up and place in baking dish

5. Repeat steps 1-5 with remaining 7 tortillas

Pour remaining sauce (Step 2) over the rolled enchiladas.

Bake at 350F for 20 minutes (uncovered). Remove from oven and sprinkle with:

1 cup shredded cheese

Return to oven and bake an additional 5 minutes.

Serve hot, garnished with cilantro and sour cream.

Additional recommended toppings:

• shredded lettuce

• diced tomatoes

• sliced olives

• chopped green onions

• salsa

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Brenda’s tips:

• Serving size: 8 enchiladas

• Flour tortillas are recommended but can be replaced with 12 corn tortillas

• Optional: if you’re not eating right away, cover baking dish with tinfoil and store in refrigerator (up to 24 hours) until ready to bake. Increase baking time by 15 minutes due to the cold start, baking 35 minutes + 5 minutes with cheese.

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Window to B’s kitchen . . .

Sloppy Joes

This tangy beef sandwich is easy and fast, making the perfect weeknight dinner.

As with any recipe shared by Sheryl, these are delicious and should be added to your menu asap.

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Sloppy Joes

To a large skillet, add:

1 lb ground beef

Cook over medium heat until browned and cooked through. Skim off rendered fat and season with:

1/2 tsp seasoned salt

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp ground red pepper

Stir in:

3/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce

3/4 tsp mustard

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

1/4 cup ketchup

2 Tbsp brown sugar

2 tsp vinegar

Simmer for ~10 minutes. Serve hot over Soft Pretzel Buns or Quick Hamburger Buns.

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Brenda’s tips:

• Serving size: 4 servings

• This recipe is delicious using either ground beef or chopped steak.

Beef Enchiladas

These enchiladas can be assembled quickly with canned enchilada sauce and packaged tortillas, or if you want to take the time, you can make them entirely from scratch.

If you don’t have beef on hand, you can easily substitute it with chicken or pork.

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Beef Enchiladas

Step 1: Prepare sauce

Make one batch of

Red Enchilada Sauce

• sub: 1 (15 oz) can red enchilada sauce

Stir in:

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

Set aside.

Step 2: Prepare tortillas

Make one batch of:

Corn Tortillas

• sub: 8 pkg’d corn tortillas

Set aside.

Step 3: Prepare filling

In a medium mixing bowl, combine:

1/2 lb ground beef, browned & cooked through

1/2 cup onion, finely diced & sautéd

1 (4 oz) can green chilies

1 (15 oz) can black beans (drained & rinsed)

• sub: 3/4 cup dry black beans, cooked & drained

1 cup cooked rice (optional)

~2 Tbsp enchilada sauce (Step 1)

Fold together.

Also prepare:

1 cup cheese, shredded

Set aside.

Step 4: Assemble enchiladas

Preheat oven to 350F.*

Prepare 9” x 9” baking dish by spraying with non-stick baking spray. Pour ~1/2 cup of enchilada sauce (Step 1) into bottom of baking dish.

1. Select 1 tortilla

2. Submerge tortilla in pot of enchilada sauce & quickly remove

3. Sprinkle with ~1 Tbsp cheese

4. Spoon in 1/8 of filling mixture

5. Roll up and place in baking dish

6. Repeat steps 1-5 with remaining 7 tortillas

Pour remaining enchilada sauce (Step 1) over the rolled enchiladas.

*Optional: if you’re not eating right away, cover baking dish with tinfoil and store in refrigerator (up to 24 hours) until ready to bake.

Step 5: Bake

Bake at 350F for 20 minutes (uncovered). Remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese. Return to oven and bake an additional 5 minutes.

Serve hot, garnished with cilantro and sour cream.

Additional recommended toppings:

• shredded lettuce

• diced tomatoes

• sliced olives

• chopped green onions

• salsa

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Brenda’s tips:

• Serving size: 4 servings

• Brenda prefers the method of making the sauce, tortillas, & beans from pantry staples (whatever she has on hand) and then assembling the enchiladas.

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Window to B’s kitchen…

*Note: some of the following photos reflect 1.5x batch (more leftovers!)

Beef Tacos

There is no right or wrong way to make a taco. This is Brenda's way:

• Note: Brenda uses her Tortillas: Tex-Mex Style, but store-bought work well too

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Beef Tacos

Defrost ground beef

In a non-stick skillet heated to medium, brown:

1/2 lb ground beef

Once cooked through, drain rendered fat.

Season with:

Seasoned salt

Garlic salt

Keep warm while preparing toppings.

Wash and prepare:

Lettuce, shredded

Tomatoes, diced

Onion, finely diced (optional)

Assemble:

Cheese, shredded

Sour cream

Salsa

Flour tortilla

Heat a non-stick skillet to medium-low. Once hot, drizzle with:

1 tsp oil

Add:

1 tortilla

Heat for ~1 minute, flip, and sprinkle with shredded cheese and cooked ground beef. Fold tortilla in half.

Continue to heat until lightly browned, flip and lightly brown other half.

Remove from skillet, immediately dress:

• Sour cream

• Salsa

• Tomatoes, diced

• Onions (optional)

• Lettuce, shredded (fill it full!)

Fold and serve immediately.

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Brenda’s tips:

• Serving Size: 4

• Use a lot of fresh lettuce and tomatoes for a deliciously refreshing taco.

• Timesaver tip: cooking for a hungry horde?

  • Preheat oven 200F

    • Heat each tortilla and fill with cheese & beef

    • Transfer to sheet pan in the oven

    • Repeat until enough tortillas prepped for everyone

  • Guests can dress taco with desired toppings

• Recommendation: Don't use taco seasoning. It masks the freshness of the vegetables and simply isn't necessary.

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Window to B’s kitchen…

Meat Less Stew (Beef Stew)

Brenda doesn't know exactly where the name came from. This recipe does, in fact, contain beef. Despite the confusing name, it is her very favorite beef stew. Brenda’s thoughts on the name:

Perhaps written it makes a little more sense, as you realize the "meat" and the "less" are two words. Just don't feed it to your vegetarian friends. . . they won't be impressed.

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Meat Less Stew (Beef Stew)

In a large pot heated to medium, saute:

1/2 cup onions, finely chopped

1 tsp oil

Once translucent, add:

1/2 lb steak or stew meat, cut into 1/4" slices

Season immediately with:

Seasoned salt

Garlic powder

Brown beef, reduce heat to medium low and continue to cook for about 5 minutes (or simmer longer to tenderize beef).

Increase heat to medium high and add:

6-8 cups beef broth

While waiting for it to boil, prepare:

2 lbs potatoes, peeled and grated

2 lbs carrots, peeled and grated

Stir into boiling broth. Add:

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Reduce heat to med-low and simmer for 25 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Serve hot.

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Brenda’s tips:

• Serving size: 4 servings

• If using a tougher cut of beef, like round steak, Brenda will let the beef simmer for up to an hour prior to adding the beef broth.

• Brenda often uses bouillon in place of beef broth, simply replace broth with water and measure in the amount of beef bouillon required.

• Great served with a crusty loaf of fresh bread.

Beef Gravy

Beef Gravy

In a pint jar combine:

1/2 cup HOT water

4 Tbsp flour 

Hand tighten lid in place. Shake smooth. Set aside. 

In a wide pot or skillet, heat: 

2 cups broth 

Bring to boil. Quickly whisk in flour + water, pouring it from jar through a mesh screen.

Boil at least 1 minute.

Season to taste:

Seasoned salt 

Garlic salt

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Brenda’s tips: 

• Brenda always pours the liquified flour through a mesh strainer to remove any clumps. 

  •  Offset the strainer and the jar so that the mesh bowl aligns with the mouth of the jar, hold in non-dominant hand with fingers curling around the jar and the handle of the strainer. Whisking with the dominant hand, pour the flour paste through the strainer by tipping the hand towards the boiling broth. 

• Brenda recommends hot water as the flour will dissolve more readily than in cold.

• Best gravy is achieved by using the broth from cooking a beef roast, but canned broth will also work well.

• This method works great for beef, turkey, or pork gravies.

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Window to B’s Kitchen…

Pint jar with flour & hot water. Shaken. Ready to pour.

Shake it smooth.

Straining out any potential lumps and whisking will prevent lumpy gravy.

Holding the jar + strainer in non-dominant hand, begin whisking with dominant hand. Tilt jar, allowing the flour slurry to flow through the wire mesh into the pot. Whisk continuously for about a minute.

Check consistency: after cooking for a minute, dip spoon into gravy. The gravy should coat the back of the spoon.

Taste: add a little more seasoning if the gravy is bland.

HOW TO: Bone Broth

HOW TO: Bone Broth

To a slow cooker, add:

Bones

Water (enough to cover bones)

Set to low. Simmer 18-36 hours.

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Brenda’s tips:

• Bone broth can be substituted for broth or stock in recipes, but expect a slight impact to flavor. 

• To create Bone Broth Stock, simply add vegetable scraps to the pot: onions, carrots, garlic, etc.

• Brenda generally collects bones in a freezer bag until she’s got enough to warrant making bone broth. 

• Bone broth is made from simmering bones for 18-36 hours. It’s suggested there are many benefits to consuming bone broth. Brenda makes bone broth so as to utilize ingredients fully. 

• Bone broth can be made from poultry, pork, beef or fish bones. It’s recommended, but not necessary, to roast the raw bones for 10-15 minutes before adding to the slow cooker. Brenda hasn’t noticed enough flavor impact to take the time.

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Window to B’s kitchen . . .

Meat Muffins (aka Mini Meatloaf)

Meat Muffins (aka Mini Meatloaf)

Plan & execute method to defrost:

1 lb ground beef

For the sauce, stir together in a small bowl: 

2 Tbsp tomato sauce

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1/4 tsp mustard

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Set aside.

Heat a skillet to medium, add:

1 tsp oil 

1/2 cup onions, finely diced 

1 garlic clove, minced 

Sauté. Set aside.

To a medium mixing bowl, add:

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp seasoned salt

1/4 tsp pepper 

Sautéed garlic & onions

Toss together, then add:

1 lb ground beef, defrosted

1 egg

3 Tbsp tomato sauce

Use hands to mix well. Portion equally into eight, then roll each between palms to create meat muffins, placing each in muffin cups once formed.

Spoon sauce equally over top. 

Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes, internal temperature minimum of 160F. Serve hot. 

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Brenda’s tips: 

• Serving Size: 4 servings

• Any time you’re shaping raw ground beef, it’s best if fully defrosted. There are various ways to defrost hamburger.

• Meat muffins mirror meatloaf and are not pan-fried like meatballs.

Braised Beef (or Short Ribs)

When I lived in Salt Lake City, UT I made it a point to visit Brenda + John in Victor at least 2-3 times a year. The drive took 4 hours. I remember the drive being a lot of wide open spaces (CUE THE DIXIE CHICKS’ SONG, PLEASE + THANK YOU) and ever-changing with the seasons.

Visiting Victor in the summer is always a treat, but this seemed even more magical. Something about living in Austin, far from mountains and family, made this visit feel a lot more like I was going home. This dish is something we ate during this trip - so now whenever my stomach needs a little taste of home, this is what I make.

Braised Beef (or Short Ribs)

On the stovetop, bring an oven-safe skillet or shallow pot to medium heat.

Toss together, then add to heated skillet:

1 Tbsp oil

12-16 oz steak, cut into 1/4” strips

Brown beef, seasoning with:

Garlic Powder

Seasoned Salt

Stir in then bring to a boil:

1 cup juice, either apple or grape

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

2 cups beef broth

Cover dish and put in 325F oven. Check after one hour, the liquid should be reduced by about half. If lower, add more liquid.

Cover again and cook one additional hour. The steak should fall apart at the touch of a knife. Remove from oven and serve hot.

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Brenda’s Tips:

• After two hours of cooking, the three cups of liquid should reduce to approximately one cup. This liquid can be thickened into a sauce to serve over mashed potatoes or rice.

• Brenda prefers to use round steak which is considered one of the tougher cuts of steak, often making it reasonably priced. Braising will develop the flavors and tenderize the steak.

• This is a great recipe to use for short ribs.