Enchiladas are one of those foods that I love so much but (1) I never make them at home and (2) I rarely order them when I’m at a restaurant. One day I was lounging on our couch, which sounds more fabulous than it really was, and a light bulb went off in my head. When I say a light bulb went off, that’s exactly what I mean. Whenever I have ideas, it legit feels like there are actual light bulbs that *ding* in my head – it’s really awesome. Well, it’s awesome unless I get the idea when I’m driving. Anyway, this light bulb came to me in the form of lamb enchiladas. I’m not sure why my brain wanted me to make lamb enchiladas but here we are.
Sometimes I get these harebrained ideas and I have to really work through them to get them viable to share with the world. This idea didn’t need a lot of finessing because it was pretty cut and dry. I did have a little bit of conversation with John on what cut of lamb should I use. He thought I should do a thick cut of lamb, braise it or something then slice it up in pieces to stuff in the enchiladas.
In theory, this sounded great. Tender slices of lamb stuffed into a cheesy and delicious enchilada? Sign me up.
Then reality sank in: I don’t have time for that. Could I make time? Sure but what’s the easiest way for me to make these lamb enchiladas happen? GROUND LAMB! And so that’s what I did.
Cheesy lamb enchiladas
OK this recipe (like most of my recipes) is pretty straightforward. You know my motto? Actually, maybe you don’t. It’s WORK SMARTER NOT HARDER! Enchiladas aren’t really that difficult to put together unless you’re trying to make something with super-complex flavors. As for these yummy lamb enchiladas, they’re easy and won’t require you to be in the kitchen for long periods of time (which is key).
If you’d like to try some braised lamb here instead of ground lamb, go for it (and let me know how it turns out). Or better yet, you could switch out the lamb all together and try BRAISED SHORT RIBS! You can try these recipes: red wine braised short ribs or soy-braised short ribs. You’ll be happy with either result.
I love a good cheesy enchilada (I mean, is there another type?) and these are very cheesy but you can adjust to your liking. If you’re familiar with my blog, you know I always say: a recipe is simply a guide. You do not have to take it word for word. So, if you want to add in some different herbs and spices, please do. If you want to throw in some veggies, DO IT. Don’t be afraid. The end result will be yummy regardless.
Bon appetit!
Notes
Ingredients
- Ground lamb
- Onion, diced
- 1 poblano pepper, diced
- Garlic cloves (as many as you like), minced
- Salt & pepper
- Enchilada sauce
- Corn tortillas
- Shredded cheese of your choice
- Queso fresco
- Cilantro
- Pico de gallo (red bell pepper, onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt & pepper)
Instructions
- Make the enchilada sauce and set aside for later.
- Heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Heat a skillet then add the lamb. Season with salt and pepper (and any additional seasonings you like). Brown the lamb, breaking it up into bits as it cooks. When it's done, transfer to a plate.
- In the same skillet, add the onion and poblano pepper. Cook until the onion and pepper have softened. Then add in the garlic; cook for a minute until fragrant.
- Add the lamb back to the pan with the onion mixture and stir in about a 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce.
To assemble the enchiladas
- I find it easiest to setup an assembly line. Set out the tortillas, lamb mixture, enchilada sauce and cheese.
- First, spoon some of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Lay out a tortilla then spread some of the lamb down the middle, sprinkle with shredded cheese then roll up and place in the baking dish. Repeat until your baking dish is filled.
- Top with additional shredded cheese and spoon more sauce on top. Bake for 20 minutes or until the tortillas are a little crispy and the cheese has melted. Meanwhile, make the pico de gallo.
- When the enchiladas are done, top with queso fresco, pico de gallo and cilantro for garnish.
I was looking to make enchiladas with haggis and saw your recipe and a bulb went off. Going to mix the ground lamb with haggis. My Mexican son in law the chef will be awestruck. He’s never had haggis lol