We love any kind of Mexican food in our house. I would say we have something Mexican-inspired at least once a week. My kids, like most kids I’m sure, love tacos. But as a mom who avoids dinner rush-hour madness, tacos are not my go-to choice when making Mexican food.

Some of our favorite stand-bys are quesadillas (a big lunchtime hit!), various types of enchiladas and burritos, and Mexican tortilla lasagna. The thing I love about making enchiladas, burritos or the lasagna is that it can all be prepared early in the day and kept in the refrigerator until dinner time.

My oldest daughter loves Pepper-Jack cheese. We don’t buy it often as it really isn’t versatile enough. However, I picked some up last month as a treat for her. We all enjoyed it with crakers for lunch one day. But because I bought a large chunk of it, we still had some sitting in the fridge. There wasn’t enough to have for lunch again though. So I decided to make a sauce with it to top some beef and rice enchiladas. The combination was a huge hit!
Beef & Rice Enchiladas With Pepper-Jack Sauce

• 1/2 lb. ground beef
• 1/4 onion, diced
• 2 c. fully cooked brown or white rice
• 2 T. chili powder
• 1 T. cumin
• 2 t. salt
• 2 t. garlic powder
• 1/2 t. cayenne pepper
• 1/3 – 1/2 c. water
• 10 tortillas (We use homemade. I’m planning a homemade tortilla tutorial for some time next week.)
• 2 T. butter or margarine
• 2 T. flour
• 1 c. milk
• 1 1/2 c. Pepper-Jack cheese, shredded or cubed
• 1/2 c. sour cream

1. Combine ground beef and onion in a large skillet. Cook completely and drain. Add rice and seasonings to the skillet. Stir in water. Bring water just to a boil and simmer just until absorbed, about 5 minutes.

2. Fill each tortilla with beef and rice mixture. Roll up and place in a 13×9 casserole dish.3. In a small saucepan, melt butter or margarine over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Whisk in milk, bring to a boil and cook until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in cheese. Continue stirring until cheese is completely melted. Stir in sour cream.

4. Pour sauce over tortillas and either cover and refrigerate or bake right away. Cook at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, until heat through and sauce is bubbly.

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