Shredded Beef

Over the summer the wonderful people at Del Real sent me a massive party box of all sorts of wonderful goodies to try out. One of the items was a package of seasoned shredded beef (carne deshebrada). As soon as I saw it I thought to myself, “wow, having cooked and seasoned meat all ready to go would make enchiladas a total breeze!”

I decided to try and simplify the usually overly complex enchilada process. The name of this recipe describes it to a “t.” I am a huge fan of enchiladas. I make them fairly regularly but when I do the kitchen ends up in total disarray because of all the work that goes into them. This recipe uses only 5 ingredients but makes enough food to feed a small army.

Note: This recipe makes about 12 enchiladas. Since there are only 2 1/2 people in our household I cooked 4 that night and then put the rest into two 8” x 8” foil containers and froze them. That is 3 nights worth of dinner for about $5 a meal. Who can beat that? Cheap and easy. That is my style.

INGREDIENTS
32 oz package Del Read Shredded Beef
12 soft taco sized flour tortillas
2 (28 oz) can Las Palmas Enchilada Sauce (red or green)
4 c jack cheese, shredded
1 c black olives, sliced

STEPS

Heat the meat per package instructions.
Preheat oven to 425º.
After the meat is done cooking transfer it to a large bowl and toss with 1 1/2 cups of the enchilada sauce.
Spray your baking dish(es) with a non stick spray or lightly grease.
Pour enough enchilada sauce in the bottom of your baking dish(es) to cover the bottom.
On a large cutting board, lay a tortilla out flat and add a scoop full of meat and sprinkle with cheese and a few of the sliced olives.
Roll up the enchilada and place seam side down in your “sauced up” bake dish and repeat until you are out of ingredients.
Pour the remaining sauce over the tops of the enchiladas.
Sprinkle with remaining cheese and olives.
Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove foil and finish off in the oven for another 10–15 minutes or until the cheese is nice and melted and just starting to brown.
Allow the enchiladas to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Top with sour cream or guacamole if desired.

A huge thank you to Del Real for giving me the opportunity to try out several of your products. I love them all! You guys rock!

Is your mouth watering just looking at this picture. Okay good. That means you are still alive. I am a sucker for beef with any kind of blue cheese. A filet with a blue cheese crust, I’m all over it. A burger with blue cheese crumbles, yes please. Just something about those flavors together is so perfect. When I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it. This sandwich is beyond decadent. The little bit or horseradish mixed in with mayo gives it a nice little bite and all the cheese melted over the tender beef. OMG! So good! And guess what? It is easy to boot! You cook the meat in a crock-pot allowing all those flavors to soak in and then all you have to do when you are ready to get your grub on is assemble them. Perfect lunch or dinner for these Sunday football games.

Note: I made these as meal sized sandwiches but they were super rich. If you are someone who really just wants rich food in a smaller quantity or want to feed more than four people, then consider making these as sliders. This recipe will make about a dozen sliders if you use small dinner rolls.

INGREDIENTS
2 lb beef chuck roast
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp celery seed
1 tsp granulated garlic
1 bay leaf
1/4 c soy sauce
4 large sandwich rolls
1 c mozzarella cheese, shredded
4 oz blue cheese crumbles
1/4 c mayonnaise
2 tsp prepared horseradish
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 c butter
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp poppy seeds
1/2 tsp sesame seeds
2 tsp dehydrated onion

STEPS

Place your roast in a crock-pot that has been sprayed with a non-stick spray. (This helps with cleanup.)
Sprinkle with the sugar, thyme, celery seed, and garlic.
Add the bay leaf and soy sauce to the crock-pot.
Cook for 4–5 hours on high of 7–8 hours on low.
Remove the meat from the crock-pot and shred using 2 forks making sure to pull out any fatty bits.
Add the prepared meat back to the crock-pot and keep on low heat.
Preheat oven to 375º.
Cut your dinner rolls in half and lay the bottoms on a baking sheet.
Using tongs grab a heap of the shredded meat and squeeze out all the excess juices and place on each bun bottom.
Sprinkle each meat pile with a bit of the shredded mozzarella and blue cheese crumbles.
Combine the mayonnaise with the horseradish and spread on the underside of each bun top.
Place the lids on the sandwiches.
Melt the butter in a small bowl and mix in the Worcestershire sauce, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, and onion.
Brush the butter mixture evenly over the tops of the sandwiches.
Cover the baking sheet with foil and bake for 10 minutes.
Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
Chow down!