Nothing new, just checking in and cooking!

 We are holding steady. No new calamity has stopped us in our tracks (knock on wood). Scraping by and still not able to save much of anything each month. A little yes but it goes right back in to the following month or laundry money. Still not completely caught up on utilities, I have medical coverage at the moment and when it comes time for MediCare have to make a decision on which is less expensive for the coverage I need. Jon and I both need to go over options. Currently 'Medi-Cal' is zero cost out of pocket for just about everything. He has inhaler prescriptions and that's about all. We are lucky in that matter. I had been with Sharp for years and now it's some other healthcare provider somewhere near by. I could go back to Sharp on Medicare but at what cost? Jon used to be with Kaiser as that was convenient for where he lived. The only thing I have going on right now is the cataract in my left eye is making it stressful to drive for long periods of time. Like going to get the kids at school and dropping them off at home. I don't have eye coverage right now and need to research that through MediCal.

The weather has been interesting as many know from the news. We got that hail mixed with rain two or three times in the last week. Heavy rain and then just clouds. Yesterday it was clear, sunny but cool and today is high clouds and breezy. Not due any more rain for at least a week or two but will be overcast. We saw snow on the local mountains when we were driving around yesterday, I love seeing snow. Over there. On mountains. 

Our pandemic boosted EBT ends this month (an extra $410) so we're stocking up on freezer and dry/canned goods to tide us over. There's a service called 'Serving Seniors' which brings 7 'tv dinner' type meals along with individually wrapped slices of wheat bread, tasteless little cups of fruit, non-fat or low fat milk and an apple, banana or tangerine. I thought it was call once and then if you need it the following week to call again. Nope, I got confused when there were little containers of milk in the fridge suddenly and more wheat bread slices. Took a little going back and forth to realize it was a second delivery. I had to call the lady and let her know not to deliver next week. We haven't gone through all of the first batch yet. Jon said it tasted 'chemically' he was expecting one of those meal services with actual fresh ingredients. 

I am learning how to use my kitchen effectively in limited space. Sometimes, it is so frustrating having to dig out the pan or lid I need, bending down a lot. Same with things up high, had to get the step ladder out and shuffle things around to find what I had and didn't have. But seeing all the 'Yummy' videos on recipes and cooking shows is getting me into the groove of cooking again. It takes a lot of time out of my day though so if we want to eat by 1, I have to start cooking at 11. Since we're picking up the grandkids three days a week we have left overs or packaged meals on those days. It's working out though.

So as a change of pace I have sequential pictures and recipe for my (family famous) Enchilada Casserole. I've looked for other recipes with this name and for some reason other people feel that beans and corn  belong in something regarding enchiladas. Have yet to have an actual enchilada with anything but meat, cheese or onions inside it.

If you detect a sarcastic tone, you're right. I've been watching a fantastically funny baker named B. Dylan Hollis who's commentary on baking vintage recipes is bust your sides hilarious. He's on youtube and tiktok but I discovered him on my facebook reels.

So, here with pictures, is my Enchilada Casserole (could be called Enchilada Lasagna but then... that would sound confusing wouldn't it?)

 

Needed things for what I made today:

1-2 packets McCormick Enchilada Sauce

1 8 oz can tomato sauce

1 can Rotel diced tomatoes with chilies (optional)

10-12 corn tortillas

1-1/2 lbs of Colby/Jack cheese

1 can slices black olives (optional)

5-6 green onions (scallions) sliced

1 lb hamburger (70% lean or whatever, just not a lot of fat)

1 tbl olive oil 

Sour cream (optional garnish)

Spices (optional): salt, pepper, chili powder, onion and garlic powder (for seasoning the meat)

Minimum size 9x12 deep baking dish or equivalent

Enchilada sauce: I use the dry packaged McCormick (or Schillings but that needs tomato paste instead of sauce) but also add in a can of Rotel tomatoes and chilies for extra texture and flavor. Ex roommate asked why I didn't use canned enchilada sauce. I told her because this is my recipe.

Approx. 12 Corn tortillas (depends on the size of your dish, I used my recently acquired Ikea baking dish found at a Goodwill which is larger than my usual choice)

Lots of cheese. I used at least 1 1/2 pounds of Colby-Jack. I tried chedder but it's too greasy and doesn't melt well. For a single batch just 1 lb may be good.

The reason why I say optional on a few of these is when I first came up with this I didn't know about Rotel and one of my kids doesn't like black olives (heresy! But still love her). Spices are optional also because when I first made it, I just used the hamburger, but after seeing so many recipes I decided plain hamburger was just..plain. One of these days I'll use shredded beef instead.

How to do it:

Slice your onions and shred your cheese and set aside. I shredded some of the cheese last night and thought it was enough. I was wrong. Needed to use up the entire half of 2lb loaf and a little of the other half. This cheese is so gooey and wonderful. Cook the sauce as directed and stir in the Rotel toward the end and turn off the heat.

Heat up your pan with the olive oil (or canola) you don't need much, and after it's mostly cooked through and drain most of the fat off, then add your spices. Because if you have to drain your meat, all your flavoring is going away. Preheat oven to 350-375.

Prep your dish, I sprayed with canola cooking spray for easier clean up.  Take a good ladle full of sauce and spread it on the bottom of the dish, add your first layer of tortillas flipping them over to coat them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(This was after the first layer was down but you get the idea). I used four tortillas for each layer and there were three or four layers. Previous dishes I still used the same amount just arranged differently. First layer I did hamburger and the other ingredients but no sauce on the tortillas then did this sequence:

1

2

3

4

Repeat this layering until you get to the top, then end with tortillas, cheese and the last of the green onions.  This is what it looks like right out of the oven:

In retrospect I have realized the difference in brands for ingredients. I will not be using the cheap Walmart version of the sliced olives. They tasted off and I usually use the Early California brand but was trying to keep cost down. Lesson learned.

I have never made this recipe and have it turn out the same every time. But every time it's delicious and worth seconds. Sometimes I run out of sauce at the end and it's a bit dry, this time I had tons of sauce and it was very gooey. I've made it 'perfect' a handful of times where Jon has gone for thirds (if he doesn't have seconds of something I make I know there's a problem with it). The 'perfect' ratio would have it hold together when you cut it with a spatula but have enough sauce so it's not too dry. I could have held back on the sauce in the middle but I didn't and still have at least a batch of sauce left over. 

If you wanted to do this for a single person, I would use a Corningware 9x9 casserole dish. If you could find a circular dish big enough to fit a tortilla, there's your single casserole. Have to use your judgement and math on cutting everything down of course.

 And there you have it!  I had to actually write this down when Katie asked for the recipe due to not ever writing it down and doing it from memory, like any good cook. So here it is written down electronically with pictures. Enjoy and let me know how it turns out!