Shredded Beef Enchiladas Made with Leftover Pot Roast

WHEN I DRIVE, I LOVE LISTENING TO audio books though I have to be careful with this habit sometimes. Recently, when I was driving to Alabama to visit my Mother, I was listening to the beautifully narrated novel, Ripper by Isabel Allende.

It is an engaging, well written, thrilling page turner. If I were sitting in the comfort of my own home, I would have been riveted to this book. At one point, a particularly intense part of the story coincided with my navigating through the sprawling hellscape of Atlanta.

I found myself tensed, gripping the wheel, heart palpitating, barely breathing. . .and I stopped the book. Whew!

I lowered my shoulders and focused on my breath. Once I was all the way through the city, I took a pit-stop. Then I returned to my book, but now I was driving through unruffled and serene parts of Georgia and Alabama.

Last week, I was driving home from an unpleasant yet necessary medical appointment. The day was gloomy and it was pouring rain. I was listening to a novel based in London. Two of the characters were extolling the virtues of a proper pot roast. It suddenly hit me as the most delicious sounding thing in the world. I stopped to buy a roast.

I cooked a chuck roast which becomes juicy and extremely tender in the slow braising process. I shredded the leftovers to make enchiladas. I even made my own enchilada sauce and the recipe for that will follow. Of course you can used canned enchilada sauce if you prefer.  I also roasted a couple of poblano peppers, but you can use a can of green chilies instead. And I added some sliced black olives, which are completely optional. Yellow corn tortillas are traditional in Tex Mex style encliladas, so that is what I use.

Both the roast dinner and the enchilada dinner were delicious and now that I've had a meat fix, I'm ready to go back to our mostly vegetarian diet.

Shredded Beef Enchiladas
Leftover Pot Roast, shredded (I had about 3 heaping cupfuls)
2 poblano peppers, roasted and diced (How to Roast Poblano Peppers)
1/4 cup sliced black olives (optional)
8 oz. Monterey jack cheese, shredded, divided (more to taste)
2-3 cups red enchilada sauce
10 - 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine shredded beef, roasted peppers, and olives in a mixing bowl. Toss together with a handful or so of the shredded cheese. Stir in just enough enchilada sauce to coat everything well.

Pour about a cup of the enchilada sauce into an 11x13 inch baking dish. Spread the sauce to cover the bottom.

Warm stacks of 4 or 5 tortillas, wrapped in a clean kitchen towel, in the microwave, for about 45 seconds, until soft and pliable.

Place about a fourth cup of so of the beef mixture on each tortilla, roll tightly, and place seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Continue in this fashion, warming the tortillas, filling, and rolling. Pour remaining sauce all over the top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.Cover with foil and bake for 20 - 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 5 minutes.

Serve with shredded lettuce, sliced avocado, sliced tomatoes, and sour cream.