A recipe from Memphis, Texas. This one has an interesting way of preparing the tortillas. Usually recipes call for them to be softened in hot fat, but I do mine by heating some of the enchilada sauce to dip them in, and that's close to how this recipe says to do it.

This is definitely a Tex-Mex dish, and is more of a version of lasagna than the traditional rolled enchiladas. What makes it Tex-Mex is the green pepper in the meat, the black olives, and the white sauce; ingredients we wouldn't use where I came from. It is a large recipe, enough to feed a hungry threshing crew. Making it for the family, I'd cut the amount of meat and white sauce/sour cream in half (and some of the other ingredients as I deemed proportional to less meat) and serve it with refried beans and Mexican rice.

Sour Cream Enchiladas
2 pounds ground meat
1 tablespoon chopped onion
1 cup chopped green pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Garlic to taste
Drops of hot sauce to taste
1/2 cup picante sauce (or salsa)
(1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce)
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 cup chopped ripe olives
Chili soup from canned chili (not sure that this means)
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups milk
1 pint sour cream
1/4 cup picante sauce (or salsa)
2 cups water
1 dozen corn tortillas
Cheddar cheese, shredded

Brown the meat with the onion, green pepper, salt, and pepper. Add the coriander, cumin, garlic, hot sauce, picante sauce, olives, chili powder, and chili soup; simmer. In other pan melt the butter and blend in the flour. Add milk and cook until sauce thickens. Add sour cream and blend in, being careful not to bring it to a boil.

Mix the 1/4 cup picante sauce in water and dip the tortillas in it, a few at a time. Grease an oblong baking dish or pan (like a lasagna pan) and cover the bottom with half the white sauce. Lay 4 to 6 soaked tortillas over the sauce. Cover with a layer of the meat filling and sprinkle some cheese over it, then more tortillas, and top them with the rest of the white sauce. Make another layer if you want to, or cover the top with shredded cheese and bake at 375 degrees until bubbly.

This is how I would make something similar to the above dish. A lot of the time I just make cheese enchiladas using a filling of grated cheddar with finely chopped onions, dip the tortillas, and roll a little bit of the filling in each one. Cover with the rest of the sauce and more cheese, bake until hot.

Beef Enchiladas with Sour Cream

1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 small can mild green chilies
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup chunky salsa
2 large cans red enchilada sauce (may not need both cans)
12 corn tortillas
Cheddar or Jack cheese, shredded
Finely minced onion
Sour cream
Additional salsa
Tabasco or Mexican hot sauce if desired

Brown the beef with the onion, garlic, and green chilies. Drain off extra fat. Stir in the coriander, cumin, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Stir in the salsa and simmer a couple of minutes to cook off excess moisture.

Grease a baking dish and start the oven at 375 degrees. In a separate shallow pan, warm up 1 can of the red enchilada sauce. Put a coating of the sauce on the bottom of the baking pan. Dip the tortillas in the warmed sauce one at a time and arrange them in a single layer on the bottom of the pan. Cover with the beef filling, some additional red sauce, and strew shredded cheese over it. Top with more dipped tortillas, and another layer of the beef filling with cheese. Cover with the last of the tortillas and dump the rest of the enchilada sauce over the whole thing, poking around the edges so it gets down in. Open the second can if you need it. Cover with more cheese and a little bit of the finely minced onion if you like onions. Bake at 375 until hot through and bubbly. Serve with sour cream and more salsa or hot sauce as desired.

Gosh! Now I'm hungry! We might have enchiladas for supper.