Beef Enchilada Casserole

Total Time: 1 hr 45 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 2 cups chili sauce
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 cups low-sodium tomato puree
• 1 1/2 teaspoons mild chili powder or 1 1/2 teaspoons hot chili powder
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1/4 cup dried onion flakes
• 12 6-inch tortillas, quartered
• 6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese or 6 ounces monterey jack pepper cheese, shredded
• 24 black olives, pitted and chopped

Recipe

• 1 to make the enchilada sauce, in a medium saucepan, stir the flour and ¼ cup of the chili sauce together until flour is dissolved.
• 2 gradually stir in remaining chili sauce, tomato puree and chili powder.
• 3 bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, and then cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes, until slightly thickened.
• 4 remove from heat and let cool.
• 5 meanwhile, place large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add the beef.
• 6 cook, stirring to break up meat, for about 4-5 minutes, until beef is no longer pink, and then stir in the onion flakes.
• 7 remove from heat; set aside.
• 8 preheat oven to 375f degrees.
• 9 spray a 13” x 9" casserole with nonstick cooking spray.
• 10 spread 4 oz.
• 11 of the cooled sauce over bottom of prepared casserole.
• 12 dip 12 tortilla quarters into the remaining sauce, and arrange evenly in casserole.
• 13 sprinkle evenly with one third of the beef mixture, one fourth of the cheese and one fourth of the olives.
• 14 top evenly with ½ cup of the sauce.
• 15 repeat the layers 2 more times.
• 16 dip the remaining 12 tortilla quarters into remaining sauce; arrange over sauce in casserole.
• 17 top evenly with the remaining cheese, olives and sauce.
• 18 bake, covered, 35 minutes.
• 19 uncover; bake 25-30 minutes longer.
• 20 let stand 5 minutes.