Little Grandma’s 1959 Enchiladas

INGREDIENTS

FILLING INGREDIENTS

• 2 lbs ground beef
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, diced
• TT salt & pepper
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp vinegar
• 4 cups tomato sauce
• TT Chile powder
• 1 cup grated cheese (set aside)

GRAVY INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 Tbsp Chile powder
• 2 cups hot water (as needed)

DIRECTIONS

STEP 1

Brown ground beef in large skillet. Add onion, garlic, salt & pepper. Continue to cook low to med heat until onion is tender. Add sugar, vinegar, tomato sauce, and chili powder. Sauté for 30 min. Keep warm.

STEP 2

The gravy will be used to coat the tortillas before filling them with the hamburger mixture. Combine gravy ingredients into large skillet, bring to a boil, stirring constantly. As the gravy starts to thicken, add hot water in ¼ cup increments or less to make smooth (this will thin the sauce and stretch it a little further). Make extra gravy if desired. Extra sauce can be poured on top before adding the grated cheese. The gravy should be on the hot side as you assemble the enchiladas.

STEP 3

Preheat oven to 350° F. One by one dip corn tortillas into gravy, coating both sides, lay in large baking pan (9×13) and fill each with hamburger mixture and roll-up. Layer rolled enchiladas across the bottom of pan. Pour any remaining filling and gravy over the top of the prepared enchiladas, top with cheese and bake for 20 minutes or until cheese has melted.

Serve with refried beans, Pico de Gallo or chopped tomato, lettuce, and sour cream. Enjoy!

STORY

Grandma’s verbal instructions for preparing gravy and assembly:

The gravy will be used to coat the tortillas before filling them with the hamburger mixture.

Combine gravy ingredients into large skillet, bring to a boil, stirring constantly. As the gravy starts to thicken, add hot water in ¼ cup increments or less to make smooth. (this will thin the sauce and stretch it a little further too) Make extra gravy if desired. Extra sauce can be poured on top before adding the grated cheese.

The gravy should be on the hot side as you assemble the enchiladas.

One by one dip corn tortillas into gravy, coating both sides, lay in large baking pan (9×13) and fill each with hamburger mixture and rollup. Pour any remaining mixture and gravy over the top of the prepared enchiladas and bake at 350 degrees until desired cheese has melted.

Serve with refried beans, Pico de Gallo or chopped tomato, lettuce, and sour cream. Enjoy

Audry Jordan  (Little Grandma)

She is my mom’s Mama. We lost her in 2001 at 84ys old. I started calling her ‘Little Grandma’  when I was a child. She was about 5’3’, way shorter than my dad’s mom who was 5’-11’ hence ‘Little Grandma’. Her grandmother started to teach her how to cook and sew when she was 5yrs old. She was an excellent gardener, cook and baker. Her bread and donuts were amazing! She also sang while playing piano, violin and accordion. At 8ys she started playing violin in an orchestra pit at her local theater for silent movies. I don’t know how she played the accordion without falling over. It was half her size. She was a strong-willed lady. Her strong work ethic, big heart and integrity was inspiring to all who knew her. She always sang ‘You Are My Sunshine” to me. I miss her so much.

She received this recipe from a friend in 1959 while living in Pahrump NV. My Mom remembers Grandma making it when she was young and passed it on to me. The gravy is going to be hot as you assemble the enchiladas be aware of small children and pets close to the stove if the gravy splashes.

My Grandma cussed a little as she assembled them….but much love went into preparing this delicious meal for her family.

I hope you enjoy the recipe.