Red Chile Ground Beef & Cheese Stacked Enchiladas (Print version)

Layered corn tortillas with red chile sauce, seasoned ground beef, melty cheese, and a sunny fried egg if you want the New Mexico diner finish.

# Ingredients:

For the beef filling

01 - 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for tortillas
02 - 1 lb (450 g) ground beef, 85 to 90 percent lean
03 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped, divided
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
06 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
07 - 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
08 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

For the stacks

09 - 3 cups (720 ml) red chile enchilada sauce
10 - 12 corn tortillas
11 - 1 1/2 cups (170 g) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
12 - 1 cup (115 g) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
13 - 4 large eggs, optional
14 - 1 cup shredded lettuce, for serving
15 - 1/2 cup diced tomato, for serving

# Instructions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish or four oven-safe plates.
02 - Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and half of the onion. Cook for 6-8 minutes, breaking up the meat, until browned and cooked through.
03 - Stir in the garlic, cumin, oregano, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 1 minute more, then drain excess fat if needed.
04 - Pour the red chile sauce into a small saucepan and warm it over low heat. Keep it loose and spoonable.
05 - Lightly oil a skillet over medium heat. Warm each tortilla for 10-15 seconds per side, just until flexible. Do not fry until crisp.
06 - Place 4 tortillas in the baking dish. Spoon sauce over each one, then add beef, a little remaining raw onion, and cheese. Repeat twice more to make 4 stacks with 3 tortillas each. Finish with sauce and cheese on top.
07 - Bake for 15-18 minutes, until hot and bubbling. If using eggs, fry them while the enchiladas bake and place one egg on each stack before serving with lettuce and tomato.

# Good to know:

01 - Best served hot, while the cheese is melted and the sauce is glossy.
02 - Use gluten-free certified sauce and corn tortillas if cooking for a gluten-free guest.
03 - Cook ground beef to 160°F for food safety.

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