Salsa Verde Enchiladas - !Muy Bueno!

In Fine Cooking, April/May 2009 issue, there is a Quick Beef Enchiladas with Salsa Verde recipe. I thought this would be something different for a weeknight mexican dish.

Quick Beef (or turkey) Enchiladas With Salsa Verde

Salsa Verde

1 pound tomatillos, husked and rinsed

4 jalapenos, stemmed and halved lengthwise, 2 seeded, 2 left in tact

1 medium onion, cut into large chunks

kosher salt

1/3 cup cilantro leaves

In a medium pan boil water with salt and then add the tomatillos, jalapenos and onions. Cover and reduce to a simmer for about 10 minutes or until tender. Drain well and put into the food processor. Add the cilantro. Pulse until it is slightly chunky and season with salt if needed.

Filling

Olive Oil

1 pound ground beef (I used turkey)

1/2 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic

Cumin

Chili Powder

Salt and Pepper

Heat olive oil in a large skillet and add the meat, onion and garlic. Sprinkle with seasonings and continue breaking up the meat. When almost cooked through, add 1/2 cup of the salsa verde.

Grease a baking dish. I used a 9x9. Preheat your oven to 375.

Enchiladas

4 flour tortillas

1 1/2 cups mexican mixed cheese, shredded

Working with one tortilla, sprinkle cheese on it and then 1/4 of the meat mixture. Roll up and lay in the baking dish. I keep the seam side up because it's easier for me to slide the spatula under without catching the seam and having them open up. I stick two toothpicks in each roll to hold until serving. Finish the remaining 3 enchiladas.

Top with the remaining salsa verde and cheese. Bake for about 30 minutes at 375 or until the cheese is melted and golden brown. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving. I garnished with additional cilanto and a few grape tomatoes. (and slop some around on the plate and definitely don't wipe it up before you take the photo...good grief)

Tomatillos

These are great for making salsa verde or simmering down into sauces. They are firm when you purchase them, just remove the husks and rinse. They are a bit sticky from the husk. You can oven roast or boil to make your salsa verde.