Comfort Corner

Comfort Corner: Slow-Cooker Enchilada Stack

By Charlotte on May 9, 2014 6:53 AM

My slow cooker gets a workout on Tuesdays. That's the night I meet eight of my best girlfriends for book club and, if we're busy like always, Bob and I eat afterwards.

This enchilada stack recipe is perfect for those nights. Besides answering our constant craving for Tex-Mex, this slow-cooker sensation gives us a hot meal that's ready as soon as I hit the door.

This yummy enchilada stack includes six layers of tasty, homemade chili con carne sauce, flour tortillas and cheesy goodness.

It includes tasty, homemade chili con carne sauce, flour tortillas and plenty of cheesy goodness. I like using fresh flour tortillas from Rosa's Café, our favorite for fast Tex-Mex, especially since Bob often volunteers to pick them up! But soft-taco size (eight-inch) tortillas from the grocery store also work well here.

Before pulling out the crockpot, you cook the chili con carne briefly on the stovetop. Use your biggest skillet because the sauce contains ground meat, onion, green chilies, two types of beans, tomatoes with more green chilies (yum!), V8 and enough spice to make things interesting. You can do this ahead of time and stash it in the fridge until you're ready to assemble the enchilada stack. But if you go this route, you'll need to reheat the sauce on the stove before completing this delicious dish.

Use a big skillet to cook the chili con carne sauce briefly on the stovetop before pulling out the crockpot.

Then it's simply a matter of layering. Put about a cup of chili con carne in the slow cooker first, spreading it in a circle the size of your tortillas. Top it with a tortilla and a heaping 1/3 cup cheese. Repeat these layers until you've used the last tortilla. Then spread on the remaining chili con carne sauce and, finally, the last of the cheese.

To assemble this one-dish meal, you layer chili con carne sauce, flour tortillas and cheddar jack cheese.

Once you put the lid on the crockpot and set it on Low, your work is done. You've got about seven hours to handle other to-dos, shop or catch up with friends.

This one-dish delight serves four and freezes well.

We look forward to this one-dish delight on Tuesdays. But it's also great for hectic weekends, especially when paired with guacamole and sour cream. Either way, use a spatula for serving because you'll want to get all six luscious layers in every piece.

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• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 (4-ounce) can green chilies, drained
• 1 (15-ounce) can Ranch Style Beans, undrained
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (10-ounce) can Rotel tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
• 1/3 cup V8 juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 teaspoons Tabasco or your favorite hot sauce, optional
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar Jack cheese (or 1 cup shredded cheddar combined with 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack)
• 6 (8-inch) flour tortillas

Cook ground beef and onions in large skillet until beef browns and onion softens. Drain.

Add all the remaining ingredients except cheese and flour tortillas. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.

In a slow cooker, layer about 1 cup chili con carne sauce, 1 flour tortilla and a heaping 1/3 cup cheese. Repeat layers. Top last layer with any remaining chili con carne and cheese.

Cover. Cook on Low 5 - 7 hours.

May be made in advance; freezes well.

Craving some heat? You'll also enjoy:

• David's Delish Hatch Chile Huevo Rancheros
• Green Chile and Bacon Quiche
• How to Make Strawberry/Jalapeno Tequila
• Jalisco Gimlet
• Low-Cal Enchilada Casserole
• Terrific Taco Lasagna

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